Is Mind Chatter a Negative Character Trait?
© 2003
>> Is the so-called "mind chatter" (the internal mental discussion) an item to be inserted into the soul mirror or is it a pure spirit-related activity ...since it's a shortcoming corrected at level 1 under "spirit" ? <<
Mind chatter is not a "shortcoming". It's a natural aspect of the human mind. It's just how the brain functions and is not an emotional defect. Therefore, it is not appropriate for the negative Soul Mirror.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
28 Oct 2003
>> Some might say that "mind chatter" creates an obstacle both to external observation (by adding things to impressions) and internal action (by blocking will), that it diffuses and wastes energy, that it is a sign of a lack of inner unity and control. Mind chatter may increase negative emotions, if it is critical and judging, it may delude consciousness if it constantly self-justifies, explains away, or otherwise hides the truth. Mind chatter helps to obscure the real, by allowing some one to judge others by a standard other than they judge themselves. Mind chatter can lead to one identifying with one's thoughts and mental states instead of controlling them. I think a better statement would be that mind chatter may or may not be a shortcoming, or symptomatic of a shortcoming, but I do think it is dangerous to rule it out all together. <<
What you are describing are the ways in which the individual *relates to* mind chatter. In and of itself, mind chatter is a simple fact of nature -- a mechanism of the brain bound consciousness. Once the individual turns their attention away from the surface chatter of the mind, it decreases.
The surface chatter reflects the inner state of the individual and it's the inner state that must be transformed, along with the individual's relationship to the surface chatter. But the surface chatter itself is not to "blame", so to speak.
Certainly, *how one relates to their surface chatter* is an issue relevant to the Soul Mirror, but mind chatter itself is not since it is not an aspect of one's character.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
28 Oct 2003
>> I have listed, "Permanent mind chatter, leading to a lack of focus and of short-term memory, as well as to problems of intellectual assimilation". <<
The issue here is a lack of mental discipline, not mind chatter. Mind chatter is fed by your focus upon it -- the observation exercise teaches you that, yes? If your mind chatter distracts you then take control of your mind and focus it elsewhere. This is not something that can be rectified by labeling the *mind chatter* as a negative character trait. The only way to rectify this is to strengthen your mental discipline.
>> In this case, Rawn, are you suggesting that taking care of the rest of the black mirror will make the mind chatter to stop being an handicap? <<
No. All this will do is change the nature of the mind chatter, the things it speaks about and the emotions it expresses, but it will do nothing to eliminate the hold that it has over your attention. That is a separate issue that must be addressed from the perspective of mental discipline.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
29 Oct 2003