When someone goes to the doctor and says, “I hear a voice in my head,” he or she will most likely be sent to a psychiatrist. Sometimes this is truly the need that exists due to an underlying and significant condition but all of us hear ourselves talk to ourselves in our internal dialogue.
Eckert Tolle, a spiritual teacher, suggests we all hear voices in our heads and in fact many voices all the time. Some people call it “making up stories in our head” and others suggest we should try to quiet the author. In recovery, many people describe it as, “renting space in one’s head” when faced with interpersonal conflicts.
No matter how you describe these voices, they usually can cause distress and anxiety if given to much attention. Imagine if we gave every thought in our head power over our decisions or our emotions, we would not have much peace in our lives. Eckert Tolle discusses living in the now and not allowing those stories to dominate our lives.
Imagine if you heightened your awareness about your thoughts and the stories you tell yourself. You could eliminate the thoughts which have no relevance and only focus on what is in front of you in the here and now. Think of the manageability of being able to accomplish the task at hand and not allowing those invading thoughts to negatively impact your life.
With practice and awareness we can avoid storytelling. Ask yourself these simple questions? Is the story true? Can you do anything about the story you are telling yourself? Is the story relevant to the present? Is the story something you can resolve right now? If not, let the story go and move on to the present.
Our minds are very complex and can be very good at tricking us into believing stories we tell ourselves and sometimes reality is lost in the process. Have you ever thought someone was mad at you all day and created a story that leads to a conflict that could have been avoided? This all starts with giving these stories relevance. I have found considerable peace by acknowledging that I make things up in my mind that are not true at the time. We have to challenge those stories to admit they are not factually based. If you are unsure about someone’s reaction to a situation, you can always clarify if your perceptions are true by asking questions to others and becoming more reality based.
Becoming spiritually balanced and being mindful have benefited millions of people in many different cultures and religions so I am sure it would work for you.
Author: Patrick Mingey, Director of Marketing
Patrick has a background of 15 years as an addictions field as a therapist prior to his work in the marketing field. His personal recovery of over 40 years has contributed to the lives of many people who struggle with addiction and mental health issues. Patrick continues to try and grow personally and professionally and through sharing these accomplishments hopefully he will impact the lives of many more people. Currently Patrick is responsible to help assist with the admissions process, provide coordination for the IOP and DUI programs and oversee all marketing efforts.