EndofMe

based on your title, I would say detachment techniques. But then your post seemed to go in a different direction...

@Socrates I've been experiencing this... not sure if it is just more mindfulness, so that I'm observing the actions without thinking about them, but it's exactly as you described (although not very often(yet..))

@Ilya I am not an expert meditator, but I believe that any technique that stills your mind and draws you inside, rather than outside, is a correct technique. At least the simple versions get you in a routine and train your to be able to sit still. Then you can delve into more advanced techniques. Everyone is different, which is why there are probably so many different ways to do it. And then you run into the problem that a lot of people think that their way is the right way. What I am saying is that there is no right way, unless you are doing what is the opposite of meditation- drawing within. @Dodo's technique is a good one. One that I have recently learned is to concentrate on the back of your head, in the indention where the spine meets the skull. Close your eyes and imagine that you are looking from that point, not from your physical eyes. What you want to do is look through your skull, from the back to the front (to your eyelids) , and get lost in the void in between, with your eyes turned slightly up towards your eyebrows. This works better for me, because it was always to hard for me to just sit there and stare at the back of my eyelids (even though that's really what you are still doing)

@Torkys Well it sound legit. Are you tensing the whole body when exhaling, or just the particular parts you wish to release? It makes me wonder if it is the act itself that is releasing the tension, or the belief that it it will.

@hinawashi For me, there's 2 reasons. One - because they can be fun. Not all of them are fun, like the ones that make light of people losing lives like this wildfire conspiracy that you mentioned, or that the government orchestrated 911. But some are fun and can have the unique ability to open your mind to new possibilities, whether you choose to believe them or not- which brings me to my next point- two- I grew up an a very strict, dogmatic christian (baptist) home. I believed every ounce of it without question. Even after leaving home and sowing my own oats, I held on to my beliefs and only changed them to fit my current life choices. About six years ago I met someone that was really into Art Bell and Coast to Coast radio program. We began listening to it every night before or while going to sleep. Before then, my mind was still closed, unable to even fathom that everything that I was taught was all a lie. Now I can acknowledge that this played a key role in becoming a seeker. Very recently I have began studying how the bible may be an allegory for human consciousness, from Genesis to Revelation. It's really interesting stuff. Six years ago I would have thought it was heresy.

@Serotoninluv I think he is saying that this unconscious person tries to replace unpleasant thoughts with "pleasant" thoughts, and tricks oneself into acting on those instead because they are "pleasant" (yet equally destructive). He probably should have gone further and described what the conscious person does in contrast.

@Serotoninluv I think the earth, moon and sun represent a clock, not to mention the biological clock inside the subject. And yeah, my ego loves mind candy too... *nom nom* I am far away from being "is", but I'm enjoying the ride. @Nahm I think I see what you are saying. The painting is expressing beauty and love, but channeled through me, the observer. I don't even need to try and interpret it. It is what it is. A bunch of colors strategically placed by the painter.

@Nahm Well I found some nice stuff on how it is an allegory for ego death. How it represents light and dark...what comes up must come down (the sun also does a good job representing this)... what is created must be destroyed... I get that there is this on-going cycle. Within our minds, within our (illusionary) lives, within the earth, the universe, the matrix of consciousness. Up and down and round and round. A never ending song, that we are all singing together. Evolution. Destruction. More evolution. but anyway, I still can't decide if love (pure love) is born of egoic desire, or something separate. It either existed before human ego, or not. Perhaps it is the essence of the God ego, and behind that, there is nothing. (In other words, we shred our human ego and dissolve into the God ego, before we finally dissolve into nothingness.) If I'm way off base, someone correct me **Edit I see now I am using the wrong word in title, haha. I mean conscience.

Well, I came to update my question. I guess another way of asking it would be - who are we listening to? The good and the bad? When we make a decision to do good for someone, what drove that desire, which can sometimes go against all egoic desires? Or is it just more ego? @Nahm you say love. Is love separate than any other egoic desires? Can you be sure? Would a better way be to stop listening to anything or anyone, even ourselves? What would happen then? If everyone took that vow, would society crumble? Do we NEED a force of good (or love)? Does it propel us forward? Did we create it? (Note the point of the thread is only to open discussion, although it is something I sometimes ponder. Perhaps your answers will help me to dispel any illusions I have about certain things. I realize my post is 90% questions, I'm just glad to have found a great site to bounce ideas off of others)

... but is it the ego? Does it live on after ego death? What exactly is your "conscious"? And is it misinformation that it should be your guide? Of course the idea is that it is the little angel on your shoulder, as opposed to that tiny devil (also ego?) What are ya'lls thoughts on it? Can it be defined?

@john5170 I have this same problem.. I have tried using a mantra as @cetus56 suggested. It does help but sometimes the mind chatter is just down right annoying. Perhaps that's my problem though, is that it annoys me. Nahm has a good suggestion, the silent retreat, as being silent for an amount of time is supposed to shut the brain up, but unfortunately I don't have the option to do that right now However, I wonder if being silent for at least an hour before meditation would make a difference? also: first post! Hi everyone!