Don't get lost in your thoughts; instead, let your thoughts get lost in you. Put that way, it sounds like a riddle. But anyone who has spent an evening replaying a conversation, or a night rehearsing tomorrow's worries, knows what it means to be lost in thought. The second half of the idea points to a way out.
This teaching of Swami Tejomayananda is the theme of Day 266 in the Jiva Balance Make Impossible – Possible series on Platonix, which builds on the talk before it (Day 265). Together they offer a two-step approach to the busy mind.
Step one: reduce the inner conflict
Day 265, Quieting the Inner Conflict, starts from a practical observation, also from Swami Tejomayananda: to cut down the quantity of thoughts, eliminate at least the opposing ones.
We have countless thoughts each day. Many are harmless. What exhausts us, the talk suggests, are the unnecessary, repetitive and contradictory ones, the mind arguing with itself. "I should exercise. I'm too tired. But I promised myself. Maybe tomorrow." Each round of this debate drains energy and settles nothing.
The talk also connects this to the Vedantic idea of viparīta bhāvanā, a contrary or habitual way of thinking that keeps pulling against what we have understood to be true.
Practical ways to reduce opposing thoughts
- Decide, even provisionally. Make a decision and give it a time to be reviewed. "I'll go for a walk at 7. If I'm unwell, I'll rest."
- Align with values. When thoughts conflict, ask which option matches what you truly value. Decisions grounded in values create fewer reversals.
- Write the debate down. On paper, inner arguments often look simpler than they feel.
- Notice the familiar loops. Most of us have a handful of recurring debates. Recognising "ah, this one again" takes away some of their power.
Step two: step back from identification
Day 266 goes deeper. The real problem, its description says, is not merely that thoughts arise but that we become identified with them. A thought appears, "I'm not good enough", and instead of seeing it as a thought, we take it as a fact about ourselves.
Vedanta invites us to step back, observe the thoughts, and recognise the distinction between the thoughts that are known and the one who knows them.
The knower and the known
A basic Vedantic principle: whatever I can observe is not me, the observer. I can observe my hand, so I am not merely the hand. I can observe my thoughts, so I am not merely my thoughts. Thoughts come and go; the awareness that knows them remains.
This is why the saying reverses the image. If you are the vast awareness in which thoughts appear, thoughts can "get lost" in you, like clouds dissolving in the sky. When you take yourself to be one of the thoughts, you get lost in them.
The consciousness behind the question
The following talk in the series, The Consciousness Behind the Question (Day 267), takes the inquiry further still, reflecting on the observation that even the denial of God requires the presence of consciousness. Whatever we think, believe or doubt, awareness is already present, making the thinking possible. This is not an argument to win but an invitation to notice what is always here.
A daily practice: watching the sky
- Sit comfortably for five to ten minutes. Close your eyes.
- Notice thoughts arising. Do not chase or push them.
- Label lightly if helpful: "planning", "remembering", "worrying".
- Notice the space in which thoughts appear and disappear.
- Rest as that space. When you find yourself lost in a thought, simply notice and return.
You can also practise in daily life. When strong thoughts arise, ask silently: "Who is aware of this thought?" Do not look for a verbal answer; just notice the shift that the question brings.
Bringing it into a working day
A few small experiments to try over a week:
- Before a meeting, notice any predictions running in your head ("this will go badly") and label them as thoughts, not facts.
- When you catch a loop, ask: is this thought new information, or a repeat? If it is a repeat, let it pass.
- At the end of the day, write down one thought that pulled you along and one moment when you noticed a thought without following it. The second is worth celebrating.
Over time, many people find that the space between a thought and their reaction grows a little wider. In that space lies choice.
What this is not
- Not suppression. We are not trying to block thoughts.
- Not indifference. Thoughts can still be useful. Planning, reasoning and creativity are valuable. The point is to use thoughts rather than be used by them.
- Not instant. Old habits of identification are strong. Patience and regular practice matter.
When thoughts are very distressing
If you are troubled by persistent intrusive, anxious or depressive thoughts, these practices may help, but please also speak to a qualified mental health professional. Combining professional support with reflective practice is often the wisest approach.
Listen to the talks
The Jiva Balance talks Quieting the Inner Conflict and Don't Get Lost in Your Thoughts are each about ten to twelve minutes long on Platonix. Listen to them on consecutive days and try the practice in between.