Can We Choose Our Thoughts?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Can we choose our thoughts? We are aware of a tiny fraction of the thinking that goes on in our minds, and

we can control only a tiny part of our conscious thoughts

. The vast majority of our thinking efforts goes on subconsciously. Only one or two of these thoughts are likely to breach into consciousness at a time.

Can you choose your thoughts?


Most thoughts arise without our choosing

. We might think we choose our thoughts, one-by-one, but if we take a moment to observe how thoughts come up, we will see they do just that—come up, without any warning or thought put into them. There is no entity within us who chooses any single thought.

Can you really change your thoughts?

Studies have shown that

you can “rewire” your brain by actively thinking positive thoughts and focusing your attention on the good things in your life.

Are our thoughts our own?

Just as we are not directly aware of the thoughts of other people.

We interpret our own mental states in much the same way as we interpret the minds of others, except that we can use as data in our own case our own visual imagery and inner speech.

How do you choose your mind?

To work on ways you can choose your thoughts in your day-to-day life, you can start by

making a list of things you have in your life

. That way you teach your mind to naturally focus on what you DO have. And that’s how you choose your point of attraction. That’s how you choose your thoughts.

Do thoughts have power?


Thoughts, in and of themselves, have no power

—it’s only when we actively invest our attention into them that they begin to seem real. And when we engage with specific thoughts, we begin to feel the emotions that were triggered by these thoughts—we enter a new emotional state which then influences how we act.

Do thoughts have energy?

Since

thoughts are energy signals

, the energy transmitting a thought therefore has mass. The ions and molecules encoding the energetic signal have mass too.

Can you create your own reality?


Yes, we absolutely do

. We create our own reality with what we think, what we believe, what we perceive, and even what language we speak. Recognizing this gives you a responsibility to choose how to see the world. It empowers you to play a bigger role in the creation of your reality.

Can your thoughts manifest into reality?


The process of manifesting your thoughts into reality is called the Law of Attraction in pseudoscience

. Law of Attraction is a belief that different types of thoughts attract different experiences. Positive thoughts bring positive experiences and negative thoughts bring negative experiences in a person’s life.

Why Our thoughts are so powerful?

Neuroscientists have discovered that

repetitive thoughts form neural pathways as neurons that fire together get wired together

. Thus, the more a particular thought or belief is activated and reinforced, the stronger these neural pathways become and the more automatically they become our “go to” pattern of perceiving.

Are we just thoughts?

Our thoughts are certainly part of us, they come from us, but

we are not our thoughts

. Have you ever woken up in the morning and said to yourself, “I am not going to think today, I am too tired”? No, of course not. Just as breathing happens and is constant, thoughts happen, and they are also constant.

Do all thoughts have meaning?


Thoughts are not meaningful

. The content of your thoughts is not important. What is important is how you treat your mind. If you take everything it says seriously, give it too much respect, and put too much trust in your mind, that is a recipe for an anxiety disorder.

Can your mind convince you of things?

Thoughts are just thoughts – they’re not something you can control. That’s one of the reasons that so many people find their thoughts distressing and try to stop it.

They start to convince themselves that these thoughts mean something and that they must want to have them.

Can you control mind?


Try meditation

It may not seem as if meditation actually helps you control your mind, especially when you first start out. You sit, you relax, but no matter how you try to clear your head, random thoughts keep popping back up to distract you from the calm you’re trying to achieve.

How can I control what I think?

Taking Control of Your Thoughts.

Stop and take a deep breathe

. Pause an out-of-control train of thought by literally thinking, “STOP!”. Take several deep breathes to collect yourself before moving on, which allows you to address your thoughts clearly and with a level head.

Can you brainwash yourself?


Yes, you can brainwash yourself

. The good news is that it won’t require electric shocks, psychotropics, or a charismatic cult leader. I listen to podcasts–a lot of them. One of my favorites, and the one I most frequently recommend, is Freakonomics.

Is a thought reality?


We are aware of our thoughts, so in that sense they are real

. And yet, our thoughts do not exist outside of our awareness. There is nowhere else where the thought that is appearing to you at this moment is actually occurring.

How powerful is our mind?

The human brain can generate about

23 watts

of power (enough to power a lightbulb). All that power calls for some much-needed rest.

What are thoughts made of?


Neurons release brain chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, which generate these electrical signals in neighboring neurons

. The electrical signals propagate like a wave to thousands of neurons, which leads to thought formation. One theory explains that thoughts are generated when neurons fire.

Are thoughts atoms?


Surely thoughts and feeling are not composed of atoms

. I am thinking of this in the context of ‘qualia’ — obviously mental phenomena are acompanied by changes in the brain — but that is not the same thing as the subjective experience — although physicalists wd say it is!

Are thoughts things?



Thoughts are things

,” says Napoleon Hill, “powerful things, when mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire for their translation into riches or other material objects.” In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Hill talks about how our thinking gets in the way of accomplishing our goals.

How can I give power to my thoughts?


Using Meditation to Free Yourself


The thoughts that are harmful

we can let go of in meditation and keep letting go of them because its good to teach ourselves how to think better. Discriminating our thoughts and learning how to put them aside is a healthy practice.

Is reality an illusion?

The further quantum physicists peer into the nature of reality, the more evidence they are finding that everything is energy at the most fundamental levels.

Reality is merely an illusion, although a very persistent one.

How do I start a new reality of myself?

  1. Align Yourself With Your Intentions. Every one of your thoughts allows you to feel some sort of emotion. …
  2. You Are Not Your Past Actions Nor Behavior. …
  3. Manifest The Impossible.

Who said you create your own reality?

While the exact phrase, “you create your own reality” may have come from

Jane Roberts

back in the 1970s, others have expressed similar ideas for several millennia.

Can you think something into existence?

The idea of thinking something into existence is a popular debate between philosophers and scientists. On one hand, philosophers believe that thoughts are powerful enough to turn into something real, while

scientists believe that this is not possible

.

Can thoughts create matter?


Your thoughts not only matter, they create matter

. Thought is where everything comes from. And your thoughts are where your business comes from. Consciousness is what the universe is made of; matter and energy are just two of the forms that consciousness takes.

Can thinking about something make it happen?

So while thinking about something

might not automatically make it happen

(can you imagine what the world would be like if that were true?), your thoughts influence your actions, and that’s a more powerful phenomenon than you might think.

Can you change your reality?

Does your brain record everything?

You might think your memories are unique, but a study involving a Sherlock Holmes drama suggests the opposite. When people describe the episode, their brain activity patterns are almost exactly the same as each other’s, for each scene.

Do thoughts have frequency?


Every thought and emotion has its own vibrational frequency or wave frequency

. Quantum mechanics has demonstrated how a wave frequency can be altered. The shape of a wave has peaks and valleys. Energy waves are encoders and carriers of information with an infinite capacity for storage.

Can you have a feeling without a thought?

Why are thoughts not facts?

The bottom line: Thoughts simply aren’t facts,

they are mental events that pop up in the mind and are dependent on our mood

. In this case, dependent on the precipitating event that led to the mood of feeling depressed versus excited.

Are thoughts always true?

All thoughts are temporary, and

most of them aren’t universally true

. Although this can seem sad or uncomfortable, in reality it’s empowering. This principle gives you the power to take control of how you respond to your thoughts as you go through life.

Is overthinking always right?

Sometimes, people think that their overthinking somehow prevents bad things from happening. And they think if they don’t worry enough or rehash the past enough then somehow, they’ll encounter more problems. But, the research is pretty clear–

overthinking is bad for you and it does nothing to prevent or solve problems

.

Can the mind play tricks on you?


When we are more susceptible to stress, depression, or anxiety, our brains may be playing tricks on us

. A cycle of continuing to look for what is wrong makes it easier to find what is wrong out there. It’s called a confirmation bias.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.