Can we control our thoughts? Why do thoughts pop into my head as I'm trying to fall asleep?

Esther Robison, New York City

Barry Gordon, professor of neurology and cognitive science at the Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine, replies:
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. Slips of the tongue and
accidental actions offer glimpses of our unfiltered subconscious mental life.
The intrusive thoughts you may experience throughout the day or before bed illustrate the
disconcerting fact that many of the functions of the mind are outside of conscious control. Whether we
maintain true control over any mental functions is the central debate about free will. Perhaps this lack
of autonomy is to be expected as the foundations for almost all the mind's labors were laid long before
our ancestors evolved consciousness.
Even deliberate decisions are not completely under our power. Our awareness only sets the start and
the end of a goal but leaves the implementation to unconscious mental processes. Thus, a batter can
decide to swing at a ball that comes into the strike zone and can delineate the boundaries of that zone.
But when the ball comes sailing through, unconscious mental functions take over. The actions required
to send him to first base are too complex and unfold too quickly for our comparatively slow conscious
control to handle.
We exert some power over our thoughts by directing our attention, like a spotlight, to focus on
something specific. The consequences of doing so can be amusing, as in the famous experiments in
which about one third of the people watching a basketball game failed to spot a man in a gorilla suit
crossing the court. Or the consequences can be disastrous, as when a narrow focus prevents a driver
from noticing a light turning red or an oncoming train.
Although thoughts appear to pop into awareness before bedtime, their cognitive precursors have
probably been simmering for a while. Once those preconscious thoughts gather sufficient strength, the
full spotlight of consciousness beams down on them. The mind's freewheeling friskiness is only partly
under our control, so shutting our mind off before we sleep is not possible.
This article was originally published with the title "Can we control our thoughts? Why do thoughts pop
into my head as I'm trying to fall asleep?."




Controlling our thoughts: How do we deal with thoughts flooding our mind?
One of the most common issues humans confront with today is the constant flow of thoughts in our
mind. The process is continuous, which is a good thing, it comes naturally and it is what differentiates us
from other mammals. However, most of our thinking develops subconsciously, only few thoughts make
their way into consciousness. Spontaneous behavior, lapsus linguae, these are reflections of our
subconscious thinking. Being in control over your mind it means you are aware of your free will and you
are true to yourself. There is often a discrepancy between ones intentions and their real thoughts, and
what happens then is that they say inappropriate things, make a fool of themselves or betray their own
true intentions.
Staying true to oneself allows the individual to pursue their way into achieving a real goal. It also comes
with a huge amount of peace of mind because you only focus on what you have to do and the
subconscious works with you in the same direction. The overflow of thoughts often comes up when a
person is hiding something or is fearful, worried or troubled. Thats when your subconscious becomes
uncontrollable and one may often experience negative thoughts, a distorted view over the world, or the
repetition of the same destructive way of thinking or those out of control-pop into awareness
thoughts that appear mostly before sleep.
Getting out of this situation may often be difficult, but there are some solutions to it.
Dr. Steve McSwain, on beliefnet.com, states that one big mistake people often do is that they think they
ARE their thoughts. People often take for granted what they think. It is true as long as I tell it to
myself, I wouldnt lie to myself, I must think like this for a reason, maybe intuition. These are kinds
of thoughts that wont let you change your way of thinking. What everyone must understand is that
their power is greater than that, and that they can control what they think and, maybe most important
of all, WHEN to think.
Observing your thoughts is developing that kind of thinking as a witness of your entire existence. You
are able to identify and ascertain the way you think. Being conscious of your thinking empowers you to
decide whether you should go on like this or switch your mindset for your own advantage. There are no
true or false thoughts, and not even right or wrong. They are just thoughts you have and can develop
into achieving your goal. Managing your mind is getting to know yourself and not allow your mind to
play on you anymore.
More, McSwain supports the idea of cultivating the space between thoughts, the ability to say Stop
and to take a break of thinking. It may sound weird or even impossible to do this pause in thinking, but it
is a good way to refresh your mind. You can shut it up by focusing on listening to the silence,
controlling your breath, moving your body parts consciously or getting aware of where you are. This way
you will become aware of how free you actually are to think whatever you want to think.
Keep in mind that people can choose to change or switch their mindsets, the flow of thoughts coming
into their mind. As a proof, I can tell you to remember the last time you met a person you admired or
looked up to. You most likely admired that person because of their way of thinking. There are always
new things to learn from the people around you. Feel free to experiment that certain way of thinking or
any other way you want!