Can I just say, and I'm just being honest...

[Tiberius]

CIJS: can we implement a word limit on the forums?

Not for everyone.

Just Alasdair.

[Shell B]

K, buddy. Like you a ton, but I can't possible read/reply to that much when we're going in circles. I'm going to reply to one key point and then move on. You mentioned, again, not that mindfulness is bad because it is about paying attention to negative thoughts. Again, it is not that at all. You are not doing mindfulness when you do that. I don't know how many times I have stressed that already. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of the practice, and you will never get anywhere with it until you acknowledge that. I'm sorry. I wish it could help you, but it's not going to until you stop thinking it is analyzing negative thoughts.

[Tiberius]

Mindfulness according to Wikipedia:

Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one's attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training.

[Shell B]

Yeah, it's not analyzing the fuck out of negative thoughts. That's anxiety.

[Edwardo Piet]

Yes. But I've already said that I know it's about exactly that:

Mindfulness is about being aware or mindful or our internal and/or external experiences. I just don't see how observing our thoughts can change the impact they have on us.

Bold added.

Thoughts are representational. A "good thought" is just at thought that represents something that is good from our perspective. A "bad thought" is just a thought that represents something that is bad from our perspective. That's judgemental in its very nature. Purely neutral thoughts that are either nonsensical or about things that we are indifferent to are irrelevant and harmless anyway.

I'm not talking about analysing thoughts. I'm saying some of our thoughts are neutral judgements, yes, but some of them really do make us feel bad because they're judgements/beliefs about the world and our life from our perspective that bring us down.

I'm saying I don't see how observing or being mindful of our negative thoughts helps. I think when we're having negative thoughts then paying attention to them less and distracting ourselves with activity helps

I've read many mindfulness books, done mindfulness courses, known many people who were passionate about it. Practiced it for years. I know exactly what it is. It is indeed nothing complicated. I just feel like if anything I need to be less mindful. Being aware and mindful of my thoughts only makes me dwell more. The idea that a thought is neutral until we judge it to be good or bad is simply mistaken because our thoughts themselves are judgemental by their very nature. Sure, not all of them are... but the ones that aren't judgemental can't ever become judgemental. If we react to a non-judgemental with a judgemental thought the problem is that the thought we reacted with was judgemental in its very nature. We can't choose to make that thought non-judgemental. A judgemental thought is a belief.

I'll quote one more small section of my post because it was too much for you to read though, here is a part where I explain how thoughts themselves are not purely neutral and they can genuinely be about something that bothers us:

Sure, if we have a belief about something awful. The thought "this is awful" is not itself good or bad... but what it represents is good or bad to us. It's about the thing we deem to be awful. Who would think that the thought itself was good or bad in any way besides it representing something in our life or the world that we personally deem to be awful? If I told myself "no it isn't awful, it's neither good nor bad, it's just a thought." I'd probably get another thought like "Sure, the thought "this is awful" is just a thought and neither good nor bad but it's indeed a thought about something that I think is fucking awful. A cat just got run over and that's awful [for example] the thought "this is awful" represents something true as far as I'm concerned. It is true that to me it is indeed awful that cat just got run over. This is a negative thought, this is a negative judgement. The thought "this is awful" is a thought about something negative. A negative thought. It certainly isn't neutral. Yes the thought itself isn't bad in the sense of there being anything wrong with it. But it certainly is negative in the sense of representing something negative."

I don't see how observing such a negative thought could help. I think moving on with our lives is what will help.

I'm knackered now. So I'm off to bed

Goodnight all,

Oh and Shell B, I like you a ton too

Ni night.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Observing negative thoughts and feelings, as objectively as possible, can be helpful ... so long as you don't cling to it. I rarely meditate, myself, and no doubt my understanding of mindfulness is itself imperfect; but I have my own means for detaching myself from the emotional urgency of the moment.

If it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you. I only know that when I was dealing with the mood swings, intense emotions, and anxiety of early recovery, practicing mindfulness was -- and is -- a great addition to my toolbox.

However you find your peace, I hope you find it. That's what is important, after all.

[Regina]

Random ramblings - I really don't see the point in going gym 6 times a week. Yes your body will be absolutely snatched, but it's not like you're ever getting time for anyone outside of work or the gym to see it. What's the point?

[Excited Penguin]

You don't know the sick, fucked up shit I will do to keep this person safe.

You don't know what ends of the earth I will hunt monsters in. 

You don't know the mountains of resources and patience I will devote to this hunting exercise.

You don't know.

Do you want to find out?

[Aegon]

This thread sure is something

[FatAndFaithless]

No kidding.