Maria Duval - How Do We Control Unwanted Thoughts?

How Do We Control Unwanted Thoughts?
Most of us have the problem that, from time to time, we are troubled by the encroachment into our minds of thoughts that we really do not want. Getting rid of them, however, can be a protracted problem and we therefore need the help of Scripture to deal with them. Enlisting The Help Of Paul In 2 Corinthians 10:3 - 5 Paul says: For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (NIV) Anyone in a fight needs weapons of some sort. So in Ephesians 6. 14 - 18, Paul details some of the weapons we have available for warfare and most readers will be familiar with the belt of truth, with the breastplate of righteousness, and with our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. We are also told to take up the shield of faith to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one and the helmet of salvation plus the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We may be very familiar with these verses, but they will stand to be read anew, from our present, specific standpoint of dealing with thoughts. Applying The Lessons Our purpose is to take every thought captive. When a captive is taken in war, the individual is first recognised as a member of the opposing force. He is arrested, then he is first bound so that his movements are restricted. Then he is interrogated, and then imprisoned for the duration of the conflict. We need to proceed similarly. As soon as we recognise a foreign thought (in the sense of it not belonging to the spirituality of a disciple of Christ), we must arrest that thought, then confront it, and restrict its rights and freedom. We can do all this using the weapons and defensive equipment which Paul has detailed for us. First, Paul tells us that we have truth, likened to a belt round our waist, but still part of our weaponry. We need to ask, therefore, whether the thought is a truthful one? Even if it is truthful, there may be reasons why we do not wish to entertain it. If we cannot substantiate it as true, then it is certainly an enemy. Secondly, is it a righteous thought? Righteousness acts like a breastplate, defending us from that which would pierce us. In practice it means acting (and thinking!) always in ways of which God approves. Being righteous means being able to stand before the Father, being upright before him. Therefore we ask if this thought undermines that ability? If so, it is one which needs to be taken captive; we do that by deliberately refusing it permission to be active in our mind. How? We recognise that the promise of salvation has been won for us by Jesus Christ. What Jesus did on the cross and from the tomb is like a soldier’s helmet which protects his head. Our remembrance of salvation and our intention never to put it at risk, reinforces our determination against evil thoughts which are like deadly blows from the enemy rained down on our head. Faith is as a shield to use against that which is directed against us. Every illicit thought falls into that category. But a shield used to be used in very close cooperation with a soldier’s sword, which is why Paul likens the word of God to a sword. So the practicality of this is that we draw out an appropriate word from the arsenal of living words which God has given in Scripture. Just as a soldier might have various kinds of swords for dealing with different kinds of enemies and their defences, so we have a choice, but a far wider choice, of which sword to use. In other words, using the weapon of faith we call on God’s promises: ... wash me and I shall be whiter than snow... A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. (Psalm 52. 9, 11.) (New American Bible). If we cry out to God he will hear us, as the psalmist knew. In faith we can rely on his word that he will cleanse us. Some thoughts we find impossible to deal with, but there is nothing he cannot take captive, if we have the faith to expect him to do it. We should also be prepared to do our part: by refusing to allow these thoughts to have residence in our minds, by rejecting them every time we realise their presence, and by calling on the Lord each and every time we are under attack from them. Finally, we need to ask the other troops to come to our defence. A soldier in war who is slow to ask for reinforcements when he needs them is a dead soldier. When they need it, we should pray for our fellow Christians; when we need their prayers we should be quick to ask for them. All this might seem to be a lengthy process. But in practise, we are, or should be, or should be becoming, very quick to recognise every enemy thought. Some kinds of thoughts will be repeated, and are therefore easily identifiable. We need to find the right scriptures through which to call on God to defeat the enemy. Over time, as we grow in spiritual awareness, we shall recognise more thoughts and thought patterns as enemies, and we shall find God dealing with them, through our co-operation with his grace, in must the same manner.

AUTHOR: Anthony Keith Whitehead WEB SITE: http://www.christianword.co.uk This article is copyright but may be reproduced providing that all this information is included Over twenty-five years in Christian healing teaching writing ministries. Wide range of secular employments before being called by the Lord into full time independent ministry in 1987. With his wife Iris he has ministered both in the UK and USA. Has written several books on healing meditation and various aspects of spirituality. Formal qualifications include: B.A. M.Phil. Cambridge University Certificate in Religious Studies. Post Grad Cert. in Education.

Invisible Energy Fields Are Conducting Life
For everything that exists, there lies a latent potential for it to exist. The realization of that potential is an expression of consciousness. As consciousness is expressed we observe it as energy, it appears to us as time, space, energy and matter. We engage it in light and sound, through natural laws and in how our own brains function. This life force current, innate intelligence or spirit, that underlies all existence is creating, regenerating, directing and guiding all life. Life is expressed through fields of consciousness we think of as spirit. Spirit is what animates all of existence, and guides it too. That which causes life within you is you. You are the consciousness, expressing as spirit through the body-mind vehicle that you will one day discard. So, if everything is being guided by these invisible streams of consciousness, if there really are fields of energy conducting life, and if we can learn to feel them and be guided by them and get connected with the very design and expression of the Divine itself, wouldn't that be wonderful? We "know" some kind of energy is being conducted throughout our body, causing life, but do you really know it? There is a whole world of subtle energy guiding life. There are invisible forces guiding your life, you experience them all the time, but wouldn't it be powerful if you could know what you are being guided towards, and what you are being guided away from? You can work with the Force, the Guidance, with Spirit. The way to connect with this inner knowing, this Source of life within you that is you, is through Shaktipat Meditation. You may even begin to feel it now as you are reading this. Observe the energy moving from this page into your eyes. Spirit has brought us together so I could help your mind develop a relationship with the Spirit that you are. So my spirit is writing this and your spirit is reading this; an inner knowing is awakening within you now as I remind you of that which you already innately know. Interesting isn't it? Take deep breath now and see if you can feel the Shakti in your body, let your mind behold the spirit that you are. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and observe the feelings. Shaktipat Meditation is simply your body and mind being present to the spirit that you are, you basically get high on God as your spirit is expressed through your mind and senses; as your mind realizes the true nature of your Self. Each time we connect through CD, book, newsletter, Enlightenment Radio, retreat, home study or Self Realization Course your energy grows stronger, your spirit shines brighter. We not only make it stronger, clearer and brighter, we raise the level of consciousness you are conducting until you can reside in the bliss all the time.Don't settle for less. God is calling you. Just stay tuned into this. From the heart, Steven S. Sadleir "Anything other than this:is just of the mind and isn't ultimately real."

Steven S. Sadleir is the Director of the Self Awareness Institute and is recognized as a Shaktipat Master in two lineages. He has developed powerful distance learning programs for people of all cultures and faiths, trained thousands of people from all over the world, and welcomes all of you who are ready for full Self-Realization. Visit www.SelfAwareness.com for FREE guided meditation MP3�s & eBook!

Your Inner Compass
We each have an inner compass guiding us to fulfill our purpose. We all have an inner knowing that is providing the impetus for us to develop ourselves. We are all evolving, all growing more conscious through all our life experiences; all part of a critical mass of awareness that is awakening within the collective consciousness of humanity. We are each being guided to realize our full potential by realizing our Self. Self-realization is the culmination of humanity's potential, it is the underlying desire within all humans; it is our instinct to evolve. Enlightenment is innate. Your true Self is already realized. You couldn't be anything other than that which you already are. It is time for your full self-realization. Reflecting on your own nature helps your mind align with the part of you that already knows. Having the presence of mind to check your compass brings your mind in alignment with the spirit that's calling you to wake up from the dream, to remember who you are and why you were born so you can fulfill the purpose of your existence. The energy the guides you to be reading and reflecting on these words is your spirit. Your spirit is guiding your mind as you are reading these words as evidenced by the fact that you are reading them. It's bringing your mind into focus on the feeling that is your spirit reaching out to your mind. Shaktipat meditation is tuning to that feeling. When you put your attention on the place between the eyebrows, as we teach, energy flows to this area and several incredible things happen: Your pituitary gland is stimulated, and working in conjunction with your pineal gland, they regulate heart rate, metabolism, respiration and other biological functions, bringing about a more peaceful state. This endocrine response further facilitates the lowering of your brain wave activity; guiding you down from Beta (14-40 cps) to Alpha (7-13 cps) then Theta (4-6 cps) and eventually Delta (0-3 cps). From within this inner quiet greater clarity, insight, happiness and peace develop. This meditation also draws the energy from your nervous system up to the uppermost regions of your brain; the "crown" in the frontal and temporal lobes of your neo-cortex. Herein lies our sixth sense, and by developing this sense your own nature is reflected back to your mind and your mind realizes the true nature of your Self. When you meditate on your 3rd Eye, you plug into the very life force current that you are; your mind is simply connecting with your spirit, consciously. Each time you meditate on your 3rd eye, you align with the energy guiding you; spirit guides you like a compass needle pointing the way. Picture me reaching out to you in the screen of your mind, connect like a radio tuning into a broadcast, and my spirit will join with yours and we can move into this state of consciousness together. Like Saint Peter awaiting you at the pearly gates, I am reaching out to you in spirit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven that lies within. I will meet you here. From the heart, Steven S. Sadleir

Steven S. Sadleir is the Director of the Self Awareness Institute and is recognized as a Shaktipat Master in two lineages. He has developed powerful distance learning programs for people of all cultures and faiths, trained thousands of people from all over the world, and welcomes all of you who are ready for full Self-Realization. Visit http://www.SelfAwareness.com for FREE guided meditation mp3s and ebook!

Nature Of the Human Mind
Nature of The Human Mind

On Earth, man occupies a peculiar position that sets him apart
from all other entities in our planet. While all the other
things �" animate or inanimate, living or non-living �" behave
according to regular patterns to balance nature, man seems to
enjoy �" within definite limits �" a small amount of freedom. Man
controls his way of living, speaks his own language, perceives
and learns great amount of knowledge, manages his emotions, and
deals properly with problems he faces. All of which is unique to
man only. There is, in fact, within the infinite expanse of the
universe a small field in which man's conscious conduct can
change the course of events.

It is this fact that causes man to distinguish between an
external world subject to unstoppable and endless necessity, and
his human faculty of thinking, cognising, and acting. In
Philosophy, mind or reason is contrasted with matter, something
that is extended in space and persists through time. Fully aware
of the fact that his own body is subject to the same forces that
determine all other things and beings, man attributes his
ability to think, to will and to act to an invisible and
intangible, yet powerful, factor he calls his mind.

The mind, including the processes it carries out such as
thinking, learning, memorizing, remembering, and the likes, is
one characteristic that distinguishes man from any other being
in the world. The nature of the human mind is like that of a
mirror; having different functions and features: (a) open and
vast, (b) reflects in full and precise details, (c) unbiased
towards any impression, (d) distinguishes clearly, and (e)
potential for having everything already accomplished.

Open and Vast

Martin H. Fischer (1879-1962), a German-born U.S. physician and
author, quoted “All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring
mind.” Isn’t it ironic how small the human brain where mind
processes undergo is, and yet it encloses matters in as huge as
the universe? That’s how open and vast the mind can be. It can
consist of things as trivial as the number of moles you have in
your body, or as essential as how many dosages of cough syrup
you need to take in when you are sick. It can create illusion or
reality, bring delight or sadness, trigger conflict or peace, and
generate love or hatred. And most importantly, it can make you,
by influencing you how to be the best of who you are, or break
you, by covering you with all the fears, embarrassment, and
shame you least need in going through everyday.

The exposure of the mind to practically ‘anything under the sun’
keeps it from hiding any secrets the world unfolds from us. But
again, all information that we can easily gather from outside is
not always being marked off by the society �" which is good and
which is bad, which is right and which is wrong, or which is
divine and which is evil. Therefore, the mind, as an
all-encompassing system, accesses everything and yet restricts
us from nothing.

Indeed, we have to agree with Fischer that the world is just a
laboratory of the inquiring mind. A gigantic world of mind
exists to which we are almost totally unexposed. This whole
world is made by the mind. Our minds made this up and put these
things together. Every bolt and nut was put in by one after the
other’s mind. This whole world is mind’s world �" the product of
mind.

Reflects in Full and Precise Details
In her outstanding book, Choose the Happiness Habit, Pam Golden
writes: "Take the story of two brothers who are twins. One
grows up to be an alcoholic bum. The other becomes an extremely
successful businessman. When the alcoholic is asked why he
became a drunk, he replies, ‘My father was a drunk.’ When the
successful businessman is asked why he became successful, he
says, ‘My father was a drunk.’ Same background.
Same upbringing. Different choices."

The brothers chose different thoughts regarding the identical
experience they’ve been in. One took the fact that their father
was a drunk as an example for him to imitate; thus, making him
one too. In contrast, the other brother thought the same idea as
something not to be mimicked, making him doing the opposite thing
until he became successful. Those thoughts over the years shaped
the circumstances where they are now. Whatever viewpoint they
had about the situation was reflected on how they are doing now.


In other words, whatever there is in our mind can be fully and
precisely reflected through our actions. It is due to the
process where thinking creates images in our mind. These images,
in turn, will control feelings like joy or sadness. Such feelings
will cause us to do actions on how we would deal with each one of
them. And lastly, these actions shall create results. Therefore,
the mind, particularly thinking, implies reflection and creation
of results. This is simplified through the very common cliché
“You are what you think of.”

Aziz Meknassi
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Aziz Meknassi is the webmaster of www.azmek.co.uk, a website
dedicated to self-help
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Aziz Meknassi is a self improvement addict, martial arts instructor, multi-lingual and webmaster of http://www.azmek.co.uk a free self help online reading.

Powerful Words
We have the power to achieve, create and change circumstances in our lives. We are born powerful. Our Creator did not leave us helpless, poor and weak. He gave us all the tools to not only survive but fulfill our destiny to the utmost. We are all born for a purpose. It does not matter where we came from or the circumstances of our birth, youth or present lifestyle. Let us consider these Words: “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me: your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the works of your own hands.” (Isaiah 138:8) “I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works.. My substance was not hid from you, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in your book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.(Psalm 139:14-16) “Thus says the Lord, thy Redeemer; the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go.” (Isaiah 48:17) These are just a few Words of Promise that you can stand on and act upon. The Bible is filled with them. Not only is God’s Word better than the thoughts and words of great thinking and creative genius, it transforms people! Why? Because they penetrate the heart! They don’t merely appeal to your intellect, emotions or common sense, like ordinary words. The Word of God is “Quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow (body), and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is Truth, and the Truth will set you free. Freedom from fear, despair, suffering, and anxiety is the greatest gift you can get. It fills you with hope, love and faith which transforms into real Power.. Jesus is also called the Word of God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with of God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) He came to give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord. (Isaiah 61:3) Furthermore, to those who believe in Him He gives the power to become the sons of God. (John 1:12) That amazing power is not just for us to read about in the Bible. That kind of supernatural power is available to each and every one of us, every moment of every day! God's truth allows you to experience His grace and His power. So, instead of solving your problems by your own minute power, allow me to encourage you to reach out and tap into God’s Power. It's available for each one of us, smart or not, rich or poor, happy or miserable - any time we call upon His name.

Ann is author of With Wings As Eagles. http://www.lifealteringwords.com/with-wings-as-eagles Get her newsletter here: http://www.lifealteringwords.com

Calm Your Mind And Spirit Through A Spiritual Retreat
A lot of the busy people nowadays are actually really prone to undergoing all sorts of stress related activities from high tailing it from one meeting to another or giving a presentation or a report that took weeks before it could be finished. Such stressful activities can really be jarring on the nerves which is why a lot of people become cranky and would not care less about how they associate with other people anymore.

1. Regain Self

When this happens and that person has already lost contact with his or her spiritual self as well as a good relationship with God, then it is really time to file for a vacation leave for your self and join a spiritual retreat wherein you will be able to calm your nerves and senses so that you will be able to go back and think about the really important things in life. Acknowledging people's importance in your life and how you greatly appreciate their constant presence in your life will really be able to help you have a successful spiritual retreat.

2. Cater To Your Needs

When it comes to joining a spiritual retreat, you must consider the following things when trying to pick out from the various spiritual retreat venues the ones that will really be able to cater to your spiritual needs as well as will be able to foster your spiritual well being. There really are a lot of spiritual retreat venues that are available nowadays for people who would just like to get away from it all and what is great about it is that you need not worry about being bored to your wits in these spiritual retreats since the organizers of these spiritual retreats have already made it possible that you will actually have a good time in their spiritual retreat programs.

- Talking about your feelings
- Your anger
- The world
- Your frustrations
- Your hopes
- Rekindle your relationship with God

3. Aims And Goals

A spiritual retreat aims to answer all these doubts and reassure you that God is certainly with us, always guiding and protecting us from harm. Like if your car has been bumped by another car and it has left a deep dent on the back, you can be rest assured that God is still protecting you since at least you were saved from any bodily harm and that your car is just a material possession that if you really work hard on it, you can actually still have it fixed or you can just buy a better model. A really enables you to become more objective when it comes to dealing with certain situations and to not get easily angry with others as well as with God.

4. Relaxation In Paradise

Still, there are those who go on to spiritual retreats hoping that they will be able to just have the time to reflect on the things that they have done and let go of all regrets - the chances that they did not took as well all the wrong things that they have done. Because as the clich頧oes, it's all in the past. While a spiritual retreat is really meant for looking back on your past in order to be able to have a better looking future with your newfound faith in God as well as in yourself. It is highly important that you should also be to finally let go of the things that have been bothering you in the past therefore not enabling you to live your life accordingly to God's will.

For more great spiritual retreat related articles and resources check out http://www.weknowgetaways.com

Guided Meditation vs UnGuided Meditation
The challenge new meditators have when learning meditation is whether to use a guided mediation or to use an unguided meditation. Our objective in this article is to look at both meditation types so that you can choose which meditation style will suit your requirements. Guided Meditation involves somebody guiding you through the meditation process. That is they literally talk you through the whole meditation process. There are some advantage and disadvantages to this technique. One of the reasons you may consider guided meditation is to help expand your understanding of the various meditation techniques. The Guided Meditation technique can be presented in a number of ways. You may do a guided meditation session in a small group with a meditation practitioner or you might do a guided meditation session using a meditation cd or meditation dvd. If you are first starting out, the Guided Meditation sessions is a good way to learn meditation as the meditation practitioner will talk you through the experience and to help you identify what you should be feeling and how to move you into the state that your meditation technique is trying to get you in. For example if your guided meditation session is teaching you how to master the deep-breath meditation technique then the practitioner will talk you through how to relax and release the tension within your body. They will also be able to tell you what you should be thinking and feeling. A good practitioner will also give you some exercises during the session to try at home that will help your experiment with the meditation technique. The obvious downside to guided meditation is that someone is actually talking to you during the meditation session. Sometimes what people will find is that it is difficult to get to that state we are trying to achieve when someone is talking during the session. Often what you will have to do is to follow a guided meditation session for a number of times till you can learn and remember the meditation process and then try it for yourself in an unguided meditation session on your own. Some meditation centres also offer unguided meditation sessions in a group. What this means is that the whole group meditates together but the session is done in silence with no-one speaking. Many group meditation sessions though will still use meditation music as the basis of the session. Some meditation classes in remote locations will undertake unguided sessions out in the natural surrounding and will use the sounds of nature as the tool to help bring the group to a point of relaxation. Once again though one of the key elements of these unguided sessions is that no-one is allowed to speak during the meditation period. The group leader will generally use a special sound to bring the group meditation session to an end. Most professional meditation practitioners will recommend that a person who is new to meditation take a guided meditation session so that they can learn how to achieve the state of mind the type of meditation they are trying. Learning to meditate is one of the most important tools any human can master and can help improve your day-to-day life and help you cope with your surroundings. Once you have undertaken a few guided meditation sessions you will certainly be able to pursue unguided meditation sessions on your own and the more practice you get the better you will be at meditation. It is also worth considering purchasing a few different guided meditation cd’s so that if in the future you are unsure of what to do during the meditation session, you can refer to the meditation cd as a reference.

Chris has Baroque Meditation Music available at - Meditation Music (Baroque Music) and a simple six step meditation program - Relaxation Techniques for Stress Management

Meditation: Choosing the Right Meditation Pillow
Whether you realize it or not choosing the right meditation pillow can make a huge difference to the success of your meditation session. Most people when starting out on learning the technique of meditation will simply sit on the floor and try to meditate with no support at all. However, trying to maintain the right posture for any period of time is quite a challenge and will simply lead to an unsuccessful meditation session. Before choosing a meditation pillow you must first understand where you are going to be undertaking the meditation session. For example, you will need a different style of meditation pillow for soft grass to meditating on wooden floors or on concrete. If your meditation session is to be undertaken on grass then you simply need a light weight pillow which has a soft inner fill. Generally a nylon based fill for this type of session will suffice. It is also worthwhile getting a meditation pillow that is machine washable as well because if you are sitting on this pillow on the grass it will get dirty and if you do not wash it, you may find that the grass stains will not wash out after a while. If you are meditating on harder surfaces like wood or concrete, I recommend using a two stage pillow. Essentially, the base of the pillow is a solid style foam, with the top part of the pillow being made of either duck down or a soft synthetic inner fill. You will find that if you use a normal pillow on harder surfaces for any period of time that you will find it difficult to get up or more so, a sore rear. If you are not comfortable during your meditation session then the bottom line is that you will focus on the discomfort rather than the meditation. If you find sitting up straight on the floor difficult to do, you can purchase from quality meditation suppliers, meditation pillows that also include a back support as well. The meditation pillows that contain this are almost like chairs for the floor. The key advantage of this style of meditation pillow is that by keeping your back straight, during the meditation session you will be helping ensure that you control your breathing more effectively. I certainly encourage you to try out your meditation pillow before you buy. Ensure that when you sit on the pillow that it supports your weight and that you are not sitting directly on the floor. Make sure also while you are sitting on your pillow that it does support your back and that you do not naturally slump over on the pillow. For an effective meditation session, you need to ensure that you have a well structured posture, that you are comfortable and that you can relax without any niggling pain or pressure. Be aware that if you feel an unusual pressure as you sit that this is the first warning sign that you are about to experience pain in that area.

If you are looking for effective Meditation Music for your meditation sessions please feel free to visit our website. Downloadable and MP3 versions of our meditation music are also available.