The Brain WILL Think

"Without awareness, our minds can take on more power than we might want by completely absorbing our attention.  If we let it, the mind will constantly narrate, or commentate on, everything we do, say, see, touch, smell, taste, and hear - by explanation, comparison, and judgment.  Instead of taking an experience for what it is,  we create a story to make it fit our beliefs.  For me balance is key in making sure I use the tool instead of the tool using me."

Commentate?  Really, Toltecs?

I've always hung my hat on the idea that I am not my thoughts.  Thoughts come . . .  and thoughts go.  We think.  We have in the animal world a brain that is gargantuan.  It's an outsized outta control monster, the human brain.  It's unheard of and unparalleled.  So what do you think it's going to do?  Idle?  Inspect its own navel?  Watch old Simpsons' reruns?  No!  It's going to think!  Plan, relive, correct, fantasize, imagine, prepare, all while rewiring our memories so that what we remember corresponds to who we want to be and not necessarily who we are.  I've always been fascinated by the research that shows a common tendency for people to reimagine past events so that the memory fits today's self-image.  Somewhere deep inside the brain is telling us that the homophobic comment we made long ago never really happened because we are sure not homophobic today.   Haven't you ever listened to someone that you shared an experience with reminisce about the exact same experience you lived through while you're thinking: "WTF is that guy talking about?  That never happened."

Don't trust your brain implicitly.  It's a sneaky bastard.  It has only YOUR best interests at heart so if it has to lie, cheat, and steal to throw someone else under the bus it's going to do it.