Attempting to forcibly control or stop thoughts is impossible and only worsens the situation.
Why the attempt to control thoughts fails:
The mind operates on the principle of addition the human intellect works by adding and multiplying, not by subtracting.
If you tell yourself not to think about something specific (like an elephant), that is precisely what your brain focuses on.
Suppression intensifies the experience:
Forcibly fighting a thought or suppressing it gives it more power and causes it to multiply.
You then suffer from a kind of "mental diarrhea": An uncontrolled stream of thoughts, not true "thinking," but a form of mental diarrhea.
True thinking is a conscious choice, whereas a chaotic stream of thoughts occurs unconsciously when mindfulness is lacking.
How to handle your mind instead:
Distance yourself from your mind: You suffer because you identify with things you are not including your body, your roles, and your thoughts.
Realize that you are separate from your psychological processes.
Create distance: Instead of trying to stop thoughts, practice putting some space between "you" and your mind.
When you stop judging thoughts as good or bad and simply observe them instead, they lose their power over you.
Shift your focus: Instead of fighting against the mind, direct your attention to fundamental life processes—such as your breath or heartbeat—to ground yourself naturally.
Strive for liberation, not control attempting to control the mind means setting rigid boundaries. Learn that one should strive to liberate one's mental faculties and break through these limits through mindfulness and meditation.
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