[Zwitterion (OP)]

how do u clear your head so your thinking of absolutely nothing?...isnt this something that monks train themselves to do?...

[Spin2]

Yes, it's often practiced during meditation.

A good method is to start out with repeating a word, phrase or sound ('Ommmm' if you really like!), then move it to just focusing on your breathing, then eventually remove the focus all together. This clear the mind of thought.

Another method used is imagine your mind is like a canvas (I use black because that's the first colour which comes to my 'minds eye') and whenever a thought comes into my head, put it onto the imaginary canvas and then 'brush' it to one side; leaving the canvas ones again blank. With time, less and less thoughts arise.

It's best to start in a quite place, free from all distractions, giving yourself about 20-30 mins to 'practice'. Be careful not to fall asleep though! If you give it a go, don't expect to be able to do it straight away. It takes a lot of training to get it to a level where you can do it on the train etc.

[paul.fr]

Hi Zwitty,

Is this something new you are trying to get to sleep?

A martial arts instructor, once tried show me how to clear your mind. I had to stand with a straight back, against a wall and slowly count to 100, he insisted that after some practice and time you would be able to clear your mind "on command" without the need for counting.

Needless to say, i never achieved this state and my mind is still clouded.

[neilep]

I've been trying to clear my mind for many years now........in my case.......it's impossible to clear an empty space !!  []

[Hadrian]

Accept your thoughts as they arise and don’t follow them and you find every now and again a gap. Just let yourself focus on the gap between them. Your will also find over time it will get even larger. Your mind is like the ocean sometimes its calm sometimes its stormy and that's ok because that's nature of the mind. So don’t get concerned that some times you can't allow it to settle. It’s like a bottle of water with some earth in it. To get clarity it needs to settle. Just accept it's nature and it will get a lot easer. You may only be able do this for 10 sec or 20 sec and it really doesn’t matter as long as you practice without the need to achieve anything. 10 sec is 10 sec more is it not?
Some days I can do 1 hr or more other day I can do nothing at all and I just say “it’s not a good day to clear the mind to meditate”.     

[Karen W.]

I find this task impossible.. and a great deal of trouble at night in particular!

[Hadrian]

Another way is to say (out loud if you like)
“I going to wait not for the next thought to come into my mind” then just wait.

After the thought comes just say it again. Was there a gap?

While you waiting let yourself notice your breathing. Don’t change it just notice it.

After a while you can let yourself notice any tension you are holding on to. Again don’t try to change it. Just paying attention to it and like you breathing and it will find it own way of balancing out.

Then as yet another thought comes notice it float away and as its does you find you don’t need to say anything right now. It’s never about stopping having thoughts it more about not needing to attach to them. Let them float away and don’t float off with them don’t go into your dream. If you do that’s ok. It happens to all of us no matter how practiced you are at clearing you mind. Just say again if you need to “I going to wait not for the next thought to come into my mind” then just wait. Over time you will find you can just wait anytime anywhere. Its not the ritual the matters its getting the result
 

[Mirage]

I experienced it one time after running into a tree

[Karen W.]

LOL!

[neilep]

I experienced it one time after running into a tree

LOL.....Perhaps your head was indeed empty .....especially if you did it on purpose !!..LOL

[Mirage]

I experienced it one time after running into a tree

LOL.....Perhaps your head was indeed empty .....especially if you did it on purpose !!..LOL

Oh, it was indeed empty, or near empty and is now empty, maybe empty before or after the sign post I walked into as well, nah, it was empty as it didn't hurt that much  []

I think in some small way I must have done it on purpose as it was a tree in my mates back garden. A tree that I had see and climbed several times before. Actually I hurt myself a couple of times in that garden, mean garden..............was fun though  []

[Hadrian]

I bet the tree was full of wisdom, Grasshopper [:0]

[Mirage]

I bet the tree was full of wisdom, Grasshopper [:0]

LOL, yep, it taught me not to run into trees  []

Although I'm pretty sure they've cut it down now  []

[Bored chemist]

I commend you all for being polite about any of a number of famous figures. Surely the answer to the questions "how do u clear your head so your thinking of absolutely nothing?..." is "I don't know - ask George Bush" (Or Tony Blair or....) []

It's an interesting question on a number of levels. Is it actually possible- are those who claim to empty their minds truly doing so or do they just not notice what their minds are doing?
Why would anyone want to completely clear their mind of all thought. And come to think of it, Zwitterion, why do you?

Assuming this is a real phenomenon, how was it discovered? What was someone trying to do when they found out about this? (BTW, that last question also applies to meringue)

[Zwitterion (OP)]

thanks guys for your responses

reply to u bored chemist...im asking for a number of reasons, firstly im a bit of an insomniac as some of you will know and when u cant sleep your mind does wonder and thoughts go through your mind whether intentionally or not so at one level it would be able to clear my head to a certain extent...secondly its an interesting phenomena, as i have heard people can train themselves to do it...but i find it hard to understand how someone can completely clear their mind and not think about anything...and if they can do it what are the benefits of it?.....also interested to know the other questions u asked about it ...particularly the meringue one!! ;o)....feel like some lemon meringue now actually!!

[Mirage]

Have you ever thought about taking up Tai Chi? It's a great way of exercise, relaxation and meditation

[Hadrian]

that's MY lemon meringue actually ..............  give it back....LOL     [] [] [] []

[Hadrian]

Have you ever thought about taking up Tai Chi? It's a great way of exercise, relaxation and meditation

Tai Chi is first class.. just watch out and avoid attaching your clearing of your mind to any given ritual  …. Or that can get in the way too.