Mind Attacks and How To Transcend Them

Sometimes the mind can become wild and seemingly untameable, with every charging thought resembling an animal-like quality, creating an inner stampede within the headspace. This is the mind attack.

We all experience mind attacks however if we are practising self-inquiry through observing our thoughts, such events can be a startling occurrence that can be likened to a sudden storm within a relatively calm day.

When observing the mind during an attack, we may feel violently pulled in different directions. The thoughts flow in the mind like a fast-paced river. They possess an unforgiving forceful current that repeatedly pulls us back under the water, where we are lost in the thoughts themselves.

What is happening during a mind attack?

When we decide to venture on a quest to increasingly become the observer of our thoughts and thus introducing a new awareness into our daily lives, we gradually take the power away from thinking to instead create a spacious mind, becoming ever-increasingly free of unnecessary thinking.

As the egoic mind begins to dissolve and weaken, it knows that it is dying and wants to survive as does any entity. Through launching attacks it is almost as though it is fighting for its survival, desperately trying to pull us away from our observer positioning, to instead identify with thought and the lower consciousness.

I personally resonate with creating a passive relationship with my ego, loving it in many aspects, realising that it is simply trying to hold on. However, mind attacks can seem so brutal that it is during these moments that I realise that the ego really is not my friend.

What does it feel like?

Maintaining an observer position and watching thoughts from a place of detachment can be extremely challenging, especially whilst in the midst of a mind attack.

It may feel like dipping in and out of awareness. One moment we are alert and conscious of our thoughts, the next we are dragged back into the fast-paced stream of thinking, identifying with the thoughts themselves and unaware of our surroundings.

I often feel as though I am floating within a spiritual no man’s land, hopelessly caught between the two worlds; one a dream, the other reality. Often I observe feelings of frustration manifest as a result of not being able to resist the stickiness of my thoughts.

Mind attacks can be very upsetting depending on the nature of the mental chatter and the external experience that has unfolded in one’s life. We must remember that emotions are simply energy-in-motion and we may find a sense of liberation by detaching from the energy within us through observation of it.

We may also find much comfort in sensing a deep inner stillness under all the commotion on the surface.

How will it attack?

We can never underestimate the cunning nature of the ego! It will generally launch attacks based on areas it knows that you identify with strongly and have loyalty or attachment to. The ego understands that such areas of weakness are likely to pull you into unconscious thinking and powerful negative thought spirals.

Our attachments in life hinder our freedom when practising detachment from the inner dialogue because they are what keep up identified with the physical experience and therefore the egoic mind.

What to do?

Sometimes the mind attack is so fierce that is consumes my awareness for large periods of time. During such moments, I sometimes feel an overall lack of strength to draw upon and grasp my awareness. Instead, I surrender into the mind, knowing that it will pass.

Other times, when I am caught spinning within the whirlwind of the mind attack, I make it my primary mission to become as present and as conscious as possible; the ego cannot survive in the light of awareness. I witness any emotions, watch the thoughts and observe any desire for the mind attack to pass, I also observe the one that is observing!

The more we observe, the more detached we become from the experience, this takes away the sting that we feel from the drama that is playing out in our life and the thoughts and emotions that accompany it.

Observation may be extra challenging during a mind attack due to the relentless nature of the mind, yet dwelling within the conscious realm of the witness provides the deepest comfort and freedom from suffering.

It is through detachment and the sculpting of inner spaciousness, that we are able to see the bigger picture; remembering that the storm will pass. All the while, we sense a deep stillness beneath the surface level chaos, an inner peace that the mind attack cannot disturb. This unshakable presence transcends the egoic mind and resembles our truth.

Final words 

Mind attacks are intense, painful and often difficult to navigate. Yet they come disguised as gifts, providing an opportunity for growth and expansion along our journey of self-inquiry and mastery, ultimately enabling us to recognise our inherent natural stillness.

If you can, remember to laugh at the mind as it incessantly tells its stories. The ego thrives in seriousness and through laughter, we can see the often comical factor of our spiralling thoughts.

We may also find comfort in knowing that with every conscious mind attack, our awareness strengthens and the ego weakens and dissolves. Eventually, with persistent practice, the egoic mind may hold little or no power over us as we claim our freedom and live within a peaceful state of acceptance, surrender and flow.

With Gratitude,