Meditation - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Message Board

Nanner1222 · 11-06-2006, 11:09 AM

Hi everyone, I have been meditating for a while now, and I must say that it really seems to help with anxiety. (as does exercise). Anyway, there are times when I am trying to keep my mind still, and I will be interruped by...you guessed it...intrusive thoughts!! I am wondering if anyone else on the board meditates, and if so, how do you handle this particular problem? Thank You, Nancy

John55 · 11-07-2006, 03:15 PM

I have been meditating for more than ten years. I do it every day and feel great. Still I always have intrusive thoughts. The best way for me is to accept that this always happens. Simply ignore the thoughts. Every time you find your mind wondering, stop it. The key is "don't get upset with it."

Hope this helps.

Nanner1222 · 11-11-2006, 03:52 AM

Thank you, John, for the good advice. I usually try to meditate for a period of 15 minutes, and sometimes feel like the entire time has passed, and my mind is just going over and over these thoughts! It is very good advice to ignore the thoughts, but sometimes easier said than done. lol. At least for me.

John55 · 11-14-2006, 06:52 PM

Meditation is deceivably simple but extremely hard, "easier said than done" as you well put it. It is against most we have learned - that we have to be in control. The intrusive thoughts are beyond anyone's control. You can not stop them before they show up. But once they show up, you've already lost the battle. The only thing you can do at that point is to ignore them - and hoping they become less and less. That will happen after years of practice that changed your mental condition.