However strong the thoughts may seem, they are just thoughts and will eventually dissolve back into emptiness. Once you recognize the intrinsic nature of the mind, these thoughts that seem to appear and disappear all the time can no longer fool you. Just as clouds form, last for a while, and then dissolve back into the empty sky, so thoughts arise, remain for a while, and then vanish in the voidness of mind: in reality nothing at all has happened.
-Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Posted by Marty on August 30, 2011 at 3:51 pm
If we stay present not dissociating into the past or future the nothing has happened inside of us. If we engage these intrusive thoughts, cortisol and adrenaline are dumped into our system evoking the fear emotion. This fear can grow with each new engaging, just like staying present promotes healing.
We have a choice however we need to be present and aware to see it.
Posted by willa on January 14, 2012 at 1:29 pm
so important. i learned a long time ago the intrusive thought or shock will pass. what i say to myself while riding it out, and what i do with my body (tense, relaxed etc.), affects the duration and strength of the experience. sometimes i can catch it early and nip it. sometimes it’s flooding before i know it. overlapping inrusive thoughts are common, triggering each other and new ones. compassion increases inward, outward. pain, motivating peace.
Posted by Marty on January 14, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Excellent response and intrusive thoughts can be integrated or brought to current moment to observe. Riding out the jolt is the correct attitude.
To make riding out the intrusive thoughts easier, we use mindfulness to focus on the breath. That is also why I developed the Breathing Track so we can strengthen the ability to direct our attention to our breath. Thoughts lose their power when you can stay present and direct attention to the breath.
It seems like a small thing but sitting quietly following the breath heals and soothes our nerve endings and integrates our trauma. We heal from the inside and after a while we find our true self minus the trauma that has it covered up.
Good luck. Keep up the pressure on trauma and it will crack and dissipate.