In this blog, thoughtlessness or emptiness is not being discussed from the accepted spiritual or philosophical angle. But a slight introductory description of spiritual aspect is needed from comparative point of view. In spiritual aspect, a man reaches to thoughtlessness, where the conscious of his is free from any kind of thoughts. It’s somewhat position of “meditation.” There he experiences the peace of mind and feels relaxed. To attain this condition he has to give continuous efforts as a part of daily practice. After a lapse of time, the person attains the “yoga dhyan” or Yoga meditation and the next stage comes of Yoga Nirvana or salvation /liberation from all worldly desires. This stage is of “equanimity” and provides a complete mentally satisfaction. We may call it a Positive aspect of thoughtlessness or emptiness.
This blog is focused on another aspect of thoughtlessness. The situation in which one is put without intending to be indulged in that. He is forced to confront the situation as a “captive” of the circumstances. This is a psychological aspect of thoughtlessness. This “mood’ may have different causes, various factors and forms. But the ultimate result is “sudden stop” of flow of thoughts. This situation is always circumstantial and often circumstances are out of the control of the man experiencing the experience. This is somewhat “Negative aspect” of thoughtlessness or emptiness.
We try to comprehend it with the help of certain given examples. A painter’s most liked subject of art drawing is “natural scenery.” He portrays that on his canvas by visiting various spots. Sitting there, he grasps the scenery and being engrossed with colors and brush draws the beautiful painting. Hours after hours he remains engrossed in his artwork. There he longs. ” Alas! If I could collect the entire panoramic view into my one and single canvas!” He feels, his canvas has no sufficient space to contain the entire beauty of the nature. He does it complete in different pieces separately.
But there occurs a day in his life, he loathes to take brush in his hand. Everything looks insipid to him. Nothing inspires him to draw a picture. The same panoramic views that once impelled him to a delighted mood and he longed to contain all that in one and single painting stirs him not an atom. He is embraced in an ennui. At some nook of his heart he feels of painting but he heavily feels also, his creativity suddenly got spent. A big vacuum he experiences and lies idly and helpless. This situation is also of “thoughtlessness” and may hover on for days or months to come. But on a day, he is again filled with animation and desires of painting and resumes to his painting work.
Likely, a man who has been forced to confront some legal hassles and after incessantly being entangled, on a day feels himself completely exhausted. Even, he is not able to think an atom about those legal matters. It seems, if he gives some thoughts about that, his veins of mind may burst out. His mind has stopped working at those hassles. For days to comes he remains lied inside his room idly as blank minded man. This is also a situation of “thoughtlessness.” His mind is demanding some rest on that front to get it restored.
An another instance we take of a sincere and thorough honest gentleman in a crowded market. He falsely been alleged in a crime of stealing some goods which he in fact didn’t. Crowd surrounds him and look at him with despise. Flabbergasted, he is unable even to fly from the spot since he committed no theft. Even, he can’t defend him aggressively because he is a thorough gentle man. Dumbstruck, he feels himself badly insulted and humiliated. He is all alone there; no one to help him. He stands there”numb” and his mind is “frozen.” This situation is also of thoughtlessness.
The situation of thoughtlessness or emptiness we discussed at the beginning of this article were of spiritual comfort and pleasure. But citations after that is quite contrary. In both types of cases, the thought process comes to a “halting point.” Why for, the previous situation is given the name “spiritual” but another situation is some what” psychological.” In both types of cases, the hormonal secretion of bodily mechanism are playing the significant role. In the blissful state of mind, the level of secretion of dopamine and endorphin is higher, but in tragic or tribulation state the level of cortisol hormone is higher. This cortisol level at once puts a person into the stage of helplessness and freezes the man”s “flight or fight ” mechanism. Along with, the level of testosterone dips down and turn a man into a diffident one.
This theory of hormonal secretion is based on medical researches. But, why for our mind goes into this state of idleness or freezes; is there some another reasons also behind. Now, look into another interesting angle of scientific research. Medical research proclaims, our mind by itself can not draw an image. Whatever feedback mind receives, basing upon that it creates the images. This too sounds near to truth. A person born blind by birth can not draw a picture as that of a man with sight. His feedback is supported only by the “sense of touch and hearing.” Until and unless, he is given some education, even he can’t imagine about the spectrum of colors.
In the same way, if you take an Aborigines who has forever lived in dense forest and show him a “train” at a railway station, he won’t call it a train. To him, it’s like a demon found in the city, since the concept of demon he already learnt in the jungle life. That’s his only feed back. Analogous to this, when a child is born, his mind is like a “plain slate.” After taking birth, he begins to hear various types of sounds and watches everything around him, From that moment, he begins to send all these captured signs, pics, sounds, smells etc to his memory bank. All this mind does in automaton and subconsciously. His growth of mind will keep on going up to the fourteen years of age. The growth of brain stops at this juncture. After this age, brain adopts some aptitude, liking or tests and begins to work in selective mode.
But again, why our mind goes into thoughtlessness in grim situation? It has the same reason of “plain slate” angle. In the womb of mother, a child remains caged in a “dark tunnel.” There feeling itself “safe” it develops. No feed back he obtains or filters in. There, mind feels itself secured. Meant, mind is safe there as “vacant minded.” This is why that when a man confronts some extreme unsecured or humiliating situation that agonizes him to the extinction; mind at once lapses back into its “primal stage” of being caged in womb. This is an spontaneous move. Mind is ow not eager to take much more burden on itself. It knows, if it takes the over burden, it may collapse to insanity. Hence mind becomes inert or freezes itself by locking back to primal stage of being caged in womb. Penned by — Vinay Pharasi —–