Catch the Ticker Tape Mind and Cut It
Talk summary: In this short talk, Guy Finley talks about why the mind is always so busy thinking about itself, and how becoming aware of its mechanical activity is the beginning of a beautiful new relationship with real life.
Talk notes: If we are not watchful of the activity of our own mind, then our mind is busy looking at what it mechanically creates in order to keep itself stimulated, fascinated with itself. We can easily see this when we are interacting with other people. Whenever we see another person, or catch ourselves, staring vacantly out into space, we are witnessing a mind that is essentially running a ticker tape banner of thoughts and psychic images. And each image that the mind sees as it runs this ticker tape comes with a corresponding sense of self connected to the image. This is what a daydream is. A daydream is a collection of associated thoughts and feelings that run across the screen of the mind in the form of images from which a false sense of self is derived.
Most of us run this ticker tape of thought incessantly. If we're weary of finding ourselves captives of this unconscious activity, then we need to observe our mind closely in order to catch this ticker tape as it starts running. When we catch the ticker tape in action, then we will see that the way we're feeling in that moment is directly connected to what we see on the screen of the mind . Nothing truly new or real can happen for us if all we are ever doing is wrestling with our mind's projected imagery. When we are truly watching ourselves, participating fully in the ever-changing present moment, then we must be changing as well. We can return to the present moment and be new whenever we can remember to catch the ticker tape mind and cut it.
