Have you ever noticed that you can watch your own thoughts?
You might be sitting quietly when a thought suddenly appears:
“I wonder what I should make for dinner tonight.”
Then another:
“I really shouldn’t have said that yesterday.”
Then another:
“What if something goes wrong tomorrow?”
Thoughts appear, change and disappear throughout the day.
But this raises a fascinating question:
If you can observe your thoughts, does that mean you are something more than your thoughts?
This question sits at the heart of many spiritual traditions and has been explored by philosophers, mystics and contemplatives for thousands of years.
Meditation gives us a particularly direct way of exploring it.
You are aware of your thoughts
Consider the difference between these two statements:
“I am angry.”
and:
“I am aware that I am experiencing anger.”
They sound similar, but there is an important difference.
In the first statement, the emotion becomes part of your identity. In the second, there is an awareness of the emotion.
The same applies to thoughts.
Instead of saying:
“I am a failure.”
you might notice:
“I am having the thought that I am a failure.”
That small change creates distance between you and the thought.
The thought is still present. You haven’t suppressed it or pretended it doesn’t exist.
You have simply recognised that it is something you are experiencing.
Meditation can help us develop this distinction.
Thoughts are constantly changing
Spend a few minutes watching your thoughts and you will notice something remarkable.
Very few thoughts remain for long.
One thought appears, followed by another, and another.
Some contradict previous thoughts. Some are forgotten almost immediately.
Your opinions can change. Your beliefs can change. Your interests can change. Your memories change as you grow older.
Even the story you tell yourself about who you are can change.
When you were a child, you had a very different idea of yourself from the person you are today.
Yet there has been a continuous sense of being you throughout these changes.
This raises an intriguing question:
If your thoughts and ideas about yourself are constantly changing, what is it that experiences those changes?
Meditation doesn’t necessarily provide a simple answer.
Instead, it gives you an opportunity to investigate the question personally.
The observer
In meditation, you may begin by focusing on your breath.
You notice the sensation of breathing.
Then a thought appears.
You notice the thought.
Perhaps you hear a bird outside.
You notice the sound.
A memory arises.
You notice the memory.
An emotion appears.
You notice the emotion.
Something is aware of all these experiences.
You could call this the observer, awareness, consciousness or simply the capacity to experience what is happening.
Different spiritual traditions use different words and understandings for this.
The important point is not which label you choose.
The important point is to investigate the experience for yourself.
Are you your thoughts?
Imagine that someone asks you to sit quietly for ten minutes and write down every thought that crosses your mind.
You might record thoughts about work, family, money, relationships, food, the past and the future.
Some thoughts might be serious. Others might be completely ridiculous.
Now ask yourself:
Did you consciously choose every one of those thoughts before it appeared?
Often, thoughts simply arise.
You don’t necessarily decide what the next thought will be.
This doesn’t mean that thoughts are unimportant. Our thinking allows us to solve problems, communicate, plan, create and learn.
But it does suggest that there may be a difference between thinking and being aware of thinking.
Meditation allows us to explore that difference.
The mind creates a story about who we are
Human beings naturally create stories.
We develop ideas about our personalities, our history, our successes and failures, our relationships and our place in the world.
We might say:
“I am an anxious person.”
“I am not good enough.”
“I am successful.”
“I am spiritual.”
“I am an introvert.”
“I am a very caring person.”
Some of these descriptions may be useful. But they are still descriptions.
The danger comes when we become completely identified with them.
Once we believe “This is who I am”, we may stop questioning whether the story is still true.
Meditation provides an opportunity to observe these stories rather than automatically accepting them.
The space between thought and reaction
One of the most valuable discoveries in meditation is the possibility of creating space between what happens and how we respond.
Someone says something offensive.
A thought appears.
An emotion arises.
Normally, we might immediately react.
But with greater awareness, we may notice the sequence:
Something happened.
A thought appeared.
An emotion arose.
My body reacted.
I now have a choice about what I do next.
That small space can be transformative.
It doesn’t mean that you never become angry or upset.
It means that you become increasingly capable of observing your experience before allowing it to dictate your behaviour.
This is one of the practical benefits of developing awareness.
What happens when you sit in silence?
Try an experiment.
Sit somewhere quiet for five minutes.
Close your eyes and allow your breathing to settle.
Don’t try to stop thinking.
Instead, simply observe.
Notice the first thought.
Then the next.
Don’t follow them deliberately.
Let them come and go.
Now ask yourself:
“What is aware of these thoughts?”
Don’t try to answer intellectually.
Simply notice.
You may find that the question creates a different quality of attention.
Perhaps there is a sense of spaciousness.
Perhaps nothing particularly unusual happens.
Perhaps your mind becomes even busier.
All of these are valid experiences.
The purpose isn’t to manufacture a mystical experience.
It is to become curious about consciousness itself.
Consciousness: what do we actually know?
This is where spirituality and science meet an enormous mystery.
Science can investigate the brain and the processes associated with conscious experience. Neuroscience has identified many relationships between brain activity and what we perceive, think and feel.
But consciousness itself remains one of the deepest questions in science and philosophy.
We know that conscious experience is associated with brain activity, but there is still ongoing debate about exactly how subjective experience arises.
Why does seeing a sunset feel like something?
Why does pain have a particular quality?
Why is there an inner experience of being you?
There are different theories of consciousness, and there is no universally accepted answer to every aspect of these questions.
Meditation doesn’t solve the scientific mystery.
What it does provide is a direct way of investigating your own experience of awareness.
Are we more than our thoughts?
There are several ways of approaching this question.
From a psychological perspective, it can be useful to recognise that thoughts are mental events rather than absolute facts.
From a philosophical perspective, it raises questions about identity and the nature of the self.
From a spiritual perspective, many traditions suggest that our deepest nature is not limited to the constantly changing contents of the mind.
But it is important not to turn this into another belief that you are simply expected to accept.
You don’t have to believe that you are more than your thoughts.
You can investigate the possibility.
That is where meditation becomes particularly powerful.
Rather than being told who you are, you begin to observe your experience directly.
The journey from thinking to awareness
At first, meditation may seem to be about controlling the mind.
Eventually, you may discover that it is less about controlling your thoughts and more about changing your relationship with them.
You don’t have to stop thinking.
You don’t have to reject your personality.
You don’t have to escape everyday life.
Instead, you learn to recognise:
“There is a thought.”
“There is an emotion.”
“There is a sensation.”
“There is awareness of all of these things.”
And perhaps, somewhere in that recognition, a deeper question begins to emerge:
Who am I, if I am not simply the thoughts passing through my mind?
Don’t rush to answer it.
Sit quietly with the question.
Breathe.
Observe.
Allow thoughts to come and go.
Because perhaps the purpose of meditation isn’t to give us another definition of who we are.
Perhaps it is to help us become quiet enough to discover what remains when we stop automatically believing every thought that appears.
And that may be one of the most fascinating journeys a human being can undertake. The journey of discovering the nature of consciousness and, ultimately, ourselves.
Author: Spirit Connection
Welcome to Spirit Connection, your online sanctuary for spiritual growth, enlightenment, and transformation. Founded by me, Glynis Brits - a gifted clairvoyant medium, spiritual teacher, and life coach, my mission is to guide you on a journey of self-discovery, healing, and deeper connection with the spiritual realm. Here at Spirit Connection, I publish daily articles on all things spiritual, esoteric, and metaphysical, offering insights and wisdom to support your awakening. Whether you're looking to connect with your spirit guides, enhance your intuition, or explore the mysteries of the universe, I provide the tools and knowledge to help you navigate your path. Through private readings, spiritual coaching, and personalized guidance, I empower individuals to embrace their divine potential and align with their soul’s purpose. Whether you're seeking clarity, healing, or a deeper understanding of your spiritual journey, I am here to support you every step of the way. Join my community and awaken to the magic of the unseen world. Your journey to enlightenment starts here.
