Blank mind

[Roboman]

Are you able to go a long period without thinking about anything, completely blank mind?

After starting in a new job a few weeks back, a tedious assembly line job that is all about rehearsed routine this happens pretty much every day. If uninterrupted I'm sure I could do a whole work day without thinking about anything. All moves is automated and reflecting back on these past weeks this job make me feel like a machine. Get the same thing from driving a car greater distances. I'm not talking about a few minutes blank mind, it can last for hours if I let it.

So is this something you fellow INTP experience, or have or is it just my extremely dull job? Goddamn, I need a new job...

 

[PhoenixofVindemiatrix]

Yes, this has happened to me before. It is terrible. It makes me feel depressed, empty and worthless.

 

[Jesse]

No, I wish I had this ability. My job is extremely tedious so I have to force my mind to think of stuff. Normally I make up complex stories, think about the universe or (this might be weird) but try and stay aroused just by thinking of sex although that just be because I'm a guy and sometimes I just can't stop thinking about sex.

The flip side is trying to sleep. My mind just goes off on well rather dark tangents (or at least tangents that give me existential dread or just cut my self esteem) so I have to listen to music and what not just to turn my mind off.

Actually the only time I do turn my mind if by playing video games, with music. Almost like sensory overload so I stop thinking.

 

[Meer]

I usually have the complete opposite problem.

 

[Agent Intellect]

When I'm at my tedious, 'mindless' job is usually when I do the most thinking. Often it's when I get home and actually have the opportunity to write things down or implement the ideas I came up with at work that my mind shuts off and laziness sets in.

 

[Dimensional Transition]

This happens occasionally when I have to do boring repetitive shit, but usually, I feel quite the opposite from 'blank-minded'. Which isn't exactly nice either.

 

[Ex-User (4771)]

Well since that is the point of meditation then yes anyone can do it. My job used to be very dull, i would pop my headphones in and just "space out" and it was awesome because the work day was over that much faster

 

[Roboman]

When I'm at my tedious, 'mindless' job is usually when I do the most thinking. Often it's when I get home and actually have the opportunity to write things down or implement the ideas I came up with at work that my mind shuts off and laziness sets in.

Sounds nice. Total opposite situation here.

 

[Roboman]

This happens occasionally when I have to do boring repetitive shit, but usually, I feel quite the opposite from 'blank-minded'. Which isn't exactly nice either.

Perhaps it's thinking in unsubconsciousness. A racing mind isn't much better either.

 

[Roboman]

Well since that is the point of meditation then yes anyone can do it. My job used to be very dull, i would pop my headphones in and just "space out" and it was awesome because the work day was over that much faster

Yep. I can relate to that.

 

[Dimensional Transition]

Perhaps it's thinking in unsubconsciousness. A racing mind isn't much better either.

How do you mean?
What is thinking in unsubconsciousness? I don't really get what you mean. You mean that feeling blank-minded is just thinking subconsciously?

But yeah, a racing mind is really annoying.

 

[GYX_Kid]

I think I've experienced this briefly, a few times when sitting for some extremely boring lectures. I remember it being a uniquely comforting feeling.

Because usually my mind is somewhat like this

 

[Mythica]

The flip side is trying to sleep. My mind just goes off on well rather dark tangents (or at least tangents that give me existential dread or just cut my self esteem) so I have to listen to music and what not just to turn my mind off.
.

I can second that.

 

[scorpiomover]

Are you able to go a long period without thinking about anything, completely blank mind?

No. I manage a few minutes of non-thinking, every few years.

 

[SpaceYeti]

My mind never stops. Ever. I don't know why I'd want it to. Thinking is just about the only thing it's good for.

 

[Aramea]

My mind never stops. I even think when I am falling asleep. Loud music and alcohol are currently the only things that I can turn to for relief. I would lose limbs on an assembly line.

 

[xbox]

I just know that my mind turns inwards a lot even while people are talking to me. Like I'm busy thinking about something else when I should be listening. Then I have to ask them to repeat it, and even then I'm probably not listening. :/ I don't even mean to do that but it happens.

My mind is always on something though.

 

[Jelly Rev]

No. I manage a few minutes of non-thinking, every few years.

My mind never stops. I even think when I am falling asleep. Loud music and alcohol are currently the only things that I can turn to for relief. I would lose limbs on an assembly line.

When I'm at my tedious, 'mindless' job is usually when I do the most thinking. Often it's when I get home and actually have the opportunity to write things down or implement the ideas I came up with at work that my mind shuts off and laziness sets in.

The only time I am not thinking at my tedious job is when I get soo fatigued from lack of sustinence that my brain no longer has enough energy to think and do my job

 

[BigApplePi]

Are you able to go a long period without thinking about anything, completely blank mind?

Absolutely. It happened just last night for a few hours. I fell asleep and was able to keep my mind blank until I started dreaming. Then it was too late. I noted the dream, asked myself where it came from and then dozed off. I can't say my mind was blank much after that.

Lately I may have another example. When I wish to escape into a good film and the film really is good enough, I believe I'm ready to be absorbed enough into the situation I don't have to think. It's like a pleasant vacation. If the film is a bad one, and I know why, then I may skip thinking (about why) and just emote my disfavor.

Else most of the time I sprinkle whatever I'm doing with thinking. Not sure all this is correct ... will have to check it out.

Whoops. You said, "blank mind." Does emoting count or did you mean only thinking?

 

[BigApplePi]

My mind never stops. Ever. I don't know why I'd want it to. Thinking is just about the only thing it's good for.

Shadup!

 

[BigApplePi]

I think I've experienced this briefly, a few times when sitting for some extremely boring lectures. I remember it being a uniquely comforting feeling.

Because usually my mind is somewhat like this

I absolutely LOVE thinking. But I must be in a situation where I'm in control. I'm retired so I have lots of opportunities. If I'm at a boring lecture it can be anguish if I have to stay on the chance of something good I don't want to miss. Not sure if my mind goes blank or just bonkers. If I start to think, I can't as I'm trying to listen to the other guy.

I was doing extreme manual labor the other day. I was fascinated by how I would do it, vary the approach, control the fatigue, observe the randomness, think about how it would all come out. (The labor was jumping on a shovel turning over ground while encountering roots and stones.) The stones are nothing. It's the roots. I have to stop and use a root saw and you never know where the roots are going or coming from.

 

[pjoa09]

Mine never shuts off. It gets louder if the work is repetitive and it automates my body while focusing on the thought. Then I fuck up and get all the blame. Can't tell them that my brain was too damn loud.

I sometimes even stare off into the distance and catch myself. Then I just continue staring thinking about the state I was in.

But if it is manual labor that I have to pay attention in can be very rewarding at first but within 5 minutes it's "fuck this".

 

[Panopticon]

When I'm at my tedious, 'mindless' job is usually when I do the most thinking. Often it's when I get home and actually have the opportunity to write things down or implement the ideas I came up with at work that my mind shuts off and laziness sets in.

I agree, I get my best ideas/most stimulating thoughts when Im stuck at work. I get home and I dont wanna do shit. I still think alot but it's not as inspired as when I'm doing tedious work which I obviously find boring.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Shikantaza (just sitting)
Shikantaza is objectless meditation, in which the practitioner does not use any specific object of meditation, but uses the power developed in concentration to remain aware of phenomena that arise and pass in the present moment. Dogen says, in his Shobogenzo, "Sitting fixedly, think of not thinking. How do you think of not thinking? Nonthinking. This is the art of zazen."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zazen

 

[Joz_helloworld]

If I do mindless repetitive tasks I daydream in an almost sleep like state, I find it enjoyable and relaxing, and my arms do the the task automatically.

I felt this way when I was grading onions and also when it was busy at the petrol station I could say 'hi how are you today' and other parrot phrases without for a moment interupting my thought process... if they saw my eyes were glazed over they rarely mentioned it. I'd snap out though if they said something different to the ordinary little dance. I processed customers just like the onions.

This can be a little dangerous if the task could be dangerous.

 

[Aramea]

This can be a little dangerous if the task could be dangerous.

This is what I meant by loss of limbs. I had a job just out of high school with a temp agency doing "light industrial". LOL !!! They sent me to a plant that made carpet displays. I ran a drill press and a metal bender. I was good at it so they wanted to hire me. I had to turn it down as I did not like how my mind wandered as I ran heavy machinery. Half the time I would have a pile of finished work with no memory of doing it. I almost get hypnotized when performing repetitive tasks.

 

[Joz_helloworld]

Half the time I would have a pile of finished work with no memory of doing it. I almost get hypnotized when performing repetitive tasks.

Yes, exactly!

 

[Vrecknidj]

Half the time I would have a pile of finished work with no memory of doing it. I almost get hypnotized when performing repetitive tasks.

Something akin to this happens to me sometimes when I drive. Not good.

Dave

 

[Sijov]

Yes, driving is bad. Avoid long straights.

I can never switch off my thinking, though if I'm engrossed enough in a book, movie, video game I can temporarily subsume my usual background natter and become completely engaged, though this doesn't happen often.

 

[Awaken]

I doubt most people have ever experienced a blank mind. Your attention may have been on other sensory stimuli than thought, but your mind is still thinking. But I guess that is not really the point of this post. Anyway, no, my mind has never stopped. Not even with meditation. Although, it has slowed down.

 

[rattymat]

I can not turn off my mind. I have tried to stop thinking before but my mind simply cannot go blank. I often have trouble with over-thinking, where thoughts layer over each other at the same time and thereby overwhelming my mind and disabling it from processing smoothly. I really hate that.

 

[H +]

When I'm at my tedious, 'mindless' job is usually when I do the most thinking. Often it's when I get home and actually have the opportunity to write things down or implement the ideas I came up with at work that my mind shuts off and laziness sets in.

This.

Why would you ever want to turn your mind off when having a "mindless" job gives you the opportunity to think all day about whatever you want?

 

[dark]

To my knowledge, my mind is never blank, if it ever was, I wouldn't be able to tell you because I am sure I wouldn't be thinking at the time to think that it was blank at all.

I have had many times the opposite of a blank mind, such as when I get sick like with a fever or whatever, has been about 6 years or more, but anyhow, my mind would start racing, thoughts would be coming in like the fucking juggernaut, racing by my mind and I could feel it. More than the average amount of thoughts at once. It would happen so fast that eventually I would have a sensory overload and it shut off and I went to sleep.

Imagine getting drunk and trying really hard to hold onto one thought, that is about how the thoughts come in, but extremely fast, all the while I feel as though I'm slipping in and out of consciousness.

On average though my mind goes on so much I miss every day things, I hurt myself constantly on things that shouldn't hurt me, I am oblivious to the world it seems because my mind doesn't stop.