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GET REAL: Can we really still our mind through meditation? How does that work?

Dr. Shefali · 1m · transcribed May 2026
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Transcript

Speaker 1

0:04 Hi, Dr. Shefali.

Speaker 2

0:05 Hi. You ready

Speaker 1

0:07 to get

Speaker 2

0:08 real?

Speaker 1

0:08 I am. Okay, today's question. I want to know more about meditation. And I've heard the analogy used that just like we can't command our heart to stop beating, that we can't command our mind to stop thinking. Can you talk more about that? And how does that work?

Speaker 2

0:27 Sure. Well, it's not true. We can't stop our mind from generating thoughts, but we can control how we think about them. And this is the core insight that people develop when they meditate. The freedom to realize that their thoughts are not them, that they are not controlled. Just because they've inherited all these ways of thinking about the world doesn't mean they have to subscribe to it. And the moment you realize that you are not your thoughts and your thoughts don't own you, that you are an awareness that exists behind your thoughts, you can watch your thoughts.

Speaker 2

1:02 You can then choose which thoughts to think about. This becomes liberation, because now your mind is no longer in control of you. You learn that you are the awareness that is quote, unquote, in charge. And you get to steer your energy to the thoughts that you wish to generate, the thoughts that you wish to think further. Every thought is not meant to be thought. Every thought is not deserving of further thinking. Many thoughts are just conditioned, just responses to the outer world.

Speaker 2

1:35 Intentional, deliberate, conscious living means the capacity to have this powerful, profound wisdom awareness that you get to further generate the thoughts that you wish to generate. Nobody is in charge of that power and that choice, but you.

Summary

Dr. Shefali discusses the nature of thoughts and meditation, emphasizing that while we cannot stop our minds from thinking, we can control our relationship with those thoughts. By recognizing that we are not our thoughts, we gain the freedom to choose which thoughts to engage with, leading to a more intentional and conscious way of living.

- We cannot command our minds to stop thinking, but we can control how we respond to our thoughts.
- Meditation helps individuals realize they are separate from their thoughts and not defined by them.
- Awareness allows us to observe thoughts without being controlled by them.
- We have the power to choose which thoughts to engage with and which to dismiss.
- Many thoughts are conditioned responses to external stimuli and not inherently valuable.
- Intentional living involves consciously generating thoughts that align with our true selves.
- The responsibility for our thoughts and choices lies solely with us.