We have two types of thoughts – voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary thoughts are the ones we consciously choose to have. For example, when planning, analysing or engaging in an activity. Involuntary thoughts are the ones that arise in our mind on their own. If you have ever tried meditating, you surely know what involuntary thoughts look like.

Research suggests that over 90% of our thoughts arise involuntarily from the subconscious mind. Even when we are consciously engaged in an activity, many of our thoughts are involuntary. Many of them are repetitive and a significant proportion of them are disempowering and negative thoughts.

Why the negative bias 

No different from the heart pumping blood, it’s the human mind’s innate nature to produce thoughts. Our subconscious mind is the storehouse of all our past desires, emotions, beliefs and experiences. And conditioned by our past, it carries a highly judgemental bias. It judges everything to be good or bad, desirable or avoidable, pleasurable or painful.

This feeds our desire to maximise favourable experiences in life and minimise unfavourable ones. The constant struggle to achieve that generates negative thoughts and emotions. We fear unfavourable experiences. On the other hand, we become attached to the favourable ones. We want to hold to them, crave for more and then fear losing them. This pattern repeatedly disturbs our peace.

Why positive thinking is not enough

One of the leading prescriptions to deal with negative thoughts is to develop positive thinking. How we should focus on the positive in every situation. How we should not dwell on the negative thoughts. That surely helps, but not enough and not everyone.

This is primarily because as long as we view every thought or situation as positive or negative, we perpetuate our judgmental psyche. Besides, overvaluing positive thinking can create a sense of helplessness when we are experiencing negative thoughts. We then avoid or suppress the negative thoughts rather than learn to face them. Further, inability to think positively leads us to judge ourselves as inadequate, further solidifying the insecurities in our subconscious mind.

The path towards peace

As you can see, the real challenge is not negative thoughts, but it’s our judgmental mind. However, the question is what do we do when these thoughts arise? We automatically engage with them – we analyse, assess, start planning and even impulsively act on them. That in no way reduces the underlying judging that goes on. In fact, our continued thinking invariably builds on the judgmental thoughts.

Instead, if only we were alert to every involuntary thought when it arises and could choose not to engage with it. If only we could stay present to that thought’s underlying nature and not fall into its trap, we would start depleting the baggage of our conditioned and judgmental mind.

This means simply staying in a state of ‘choice-less awareness’. Where we are mindful of every involuntary thought, its tendency to tempt us into engaging with it, and having the capacity to let it pass. In a way, while thoughts continue to arise, we do less thinking.

Cultivating choice-less awareness creates an anchor of equanimity within us so we are not as easily affected by the ups and downs of life. Building this state evokes emotions of love, courage, kindness and empathy within us. Besides, this practice moves us forward in our spiritual evolution. Otherwise, we continue to stay trapped in our conditioned mind and keep repeating the same tendencies.

Building the muscle

A practice of Vipassana or mindful meditation can be particularly helpful in building an understanding and experience of choice-less awareness. Engaging in creative activities or being in nature, where our voluntary thoughts maybe relatively subdued, are also useful training grounds for this, provided we are intentional about staying alert to the arising thoughts and maintaining non-judgmental awareness.