The biggest myth of meditation

Meditation is not about not thinking, or making your mind be completely blank. In fact, that would be worrying! Thinking is what the mind does, and it is incredibly helpful.

We have different layers of thoughts. It is normal to, during meditation practice, think of something like: “I have a meeting later”. The issue starts when from this very normal thought, we start proliferating other thoughts that tap into our insecurities, fears, the past, the future, etc. Buddhism calls these unhelpful “conceptual elaborations”, “fabrications”, or “associations”, prapañca.

It looks something like this: “I have a meeting today”. “So-and-so will be in the meeting”. “I don’t really like them”. “They said X about me that time”. “What if they interrupt my presentation?” “I will have a hard time presenting with them there, looking at me”. “Maybe I shouldn’t look at them”. Etc, etc, etc. Sounds familiar?

There’s a difference between allowing thoughts to come into our minds, and getting wrapped in them. We can observe thoughts as something the mind does, or we can identify with the thoughts, and allow them to take us on a ride.

The mind will do what it does, it will think. But with time and training, we can learn to let thoughts pass. They can come into our awareness, and leave our awareness. The same happens with emotions.

Regular meditation practice is key to develop this skill. Getting wrapped in unskilful thoughts leads to aversion, attachment and, ultimately, suffering.