How to turn off brain?

[Red Squirrel]

Red bull, vodka, and sleeping pill

 

[olds]

It's your brain, tell it to shut the fuck up. Deep breathing helps. I hesitate to call it meditation but that's what it is.
I've learned to shut off feeling cold (to a degree) and I can stop myself hiccuping within a few seconds.

 

[Williz]

Hit the back of your head with a hammer. If that doesn't work use the claw end.

 

[OverVolt]

Instead of thinking in text and words think in terms of images. Do this for 30 minutes and you should be set.

When you catch yourself with a wordy narrative train of thought just bring it back around to thinking in images. While thinking in images might as well envision stuff that is interesting to look at.

 

[Northern Lawn]

Write it all down. Watch some videos on GTD (management system).

 

[SlickSnake]

Go participate in a TexasHiker P&N thread

That had the exact opposite effect on me, not recommended, unless you get easily bored and eat lead paint off the walls like he does.

 

[Scotteq]

I've got so many things on my mind, it's driving me insane. Insane to the point where I just want to scream. It's not even important things either, just trivial B.S.

I want to turn off my brain. Tips?

Learn meditation. That teaches you to better focus and set aside the internal dialogue. A few minutes, twice a day, every day.

 

[chitwood]

watch porn, wank off

 

[Nintendesert]

Just go lick Slicksnake's cat's ass and get a dose of toxoplasma gondii.

 

[videogames101]

hookers and blow

 

[Mixolydian]

Wow, lots of great suggestions - you guys are awesome! I ended up going to bed early last night, took some melatonin to help fall asleep and that seemed to work. I feel much better today so far.

Will definitely keep this thread bookmarked for future reference.

It sounds like mixy has a weird brain like mine. The docs now call it ADD. When I was a kid they called it "shut the hell up and go to bed!" The caffeine OD works well for me but I will usually only sleep a few hours and I start over.

Yes I have wicked ADHD. It's usually well-controlled with meds but I'll still have days where my mind just goes wild.

 

[Squeetard]

Jesus man. READ A BOOK.

Best thing ever. I read every night and do not get far at all before I doze off.

 

[Kaido]

Early bedtime & cut out the sugar.

 

[BoomerD]

 

[crab]

A Propofol drip.

 

[bradly1101]

Jesus man. READ A BOOK.

Best thing ever. I read every night and do not get far at all before I doze off.

Yes our connected lifestyles with multiple streams of participation opportunities along with keeping up with media sources and stories can put the brain into overload. None of it is natural for our species. Nor is caffeine or concentrated amounts of sugar. It all contributes. We have enjoyed entertainment for millennia, but not so much at a time or as invasively.

I can't speak to mental disorders, but having a quiet mind can be a choice and is as easy as meditating or reading a book. Noise can be a choice too, with available assistance everywhere.

 

[CountZero]

If I can't turn off my brain to sleep I do one of two things:

1) focus on the number zero. The numeral itself and what it represents. Its like trapping my brain in a maze, dunno if it would work for anyone else but for me it nearly always does the trick.

2) Barring that I start focusing on math relations. Usual derivatives and integrals and what they mean and how they reflect each other.

I have a very math oriented mind so these things seem to get me away from actual thoughts long enough to fall asleep.

 

[z1ggy]

Welcome to my every day struggle.

When I want to shut my brain up, I overload it. I'll try to solve a difficult, complex problem. The less information I have, the better. Also, the less the problem has to do with me, the better. I will try to keep myself from sleeping until the problem is solved.

If that doesn't work, I slam strong coffee. If my brain wants to fight, I'm going to win. Stupid brain.

2 + 2 = 4.

There, I've solved your complex problem

 

[BudAshes]

What boomer said. Smoke weed e'ry day.
God put it here for a reason. I'm sure the bible explains it somewhere.

 

[rudeguy]

What boomer said. Smoke weed e'ry day.
God put it here for a reason. I'm sure the bible explains it somewhere.

Genesis 1:12 and Mark 7:18-20 will probably work.

 

[rudeguy]

If I can't turn off my brain to sleep I do one of two things:

1) focus on the number zero. The numeral itself and what it represents. Its like trapping my brain in a maze, dunno if it would work for anyone else but for me it nearly always does the trick.

2) Barring that I start focusing on math relations. Usual derivatives and integrals and what they mean and how they reflect each other.

I have a very math oriented mind so these things seem to get me away from actual thoughts long enough to fall asleep.

I like it.

The key is to get your mind spinning on something other than the real world. I like the zero thing...that's good.

I try to solve things like world hunger, infectious diseases, supply and demand problems. Things I can never solve but are deep enough that my mind can spin on it for hours and with enough levels that my mind can bounce.

Stupid brain.

 

[Benthere]

I like it.

The key is to get your mind spinning on something other than the real world. I like the zero thing...that's good.

I try to solve things like world hunger, infectious diseases, supply and demand problems. Things I can never solve but are deep enough that my mind can spin on it for hours and with enough levels that my mind can bounce.

Stupid brain.

I do the same thing, I call it the walter mitty fantasy.

 

[alkemyst]

I'd love to help, but streetlights you love to collect. I collect women.

If it was me I'd just try to up it a notch and catch them while they fell, or run up them to replace the bulb.

 

[BudAshes]

I collect women.

Tell us where the bodies are buried and we won't push for the death penalty.

 

[bradly1101]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I had the opportunity to see His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama when he was here locally. His subject for the day was The Third Nobel Truth:
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The third truth [simplified] is that suffering [incl. stress and anxiety] can be overcome and happiness can be attained; that true happiness and contentment are possible. lf we give up useless craving and learn to live each day at a time (not dwelling in the past or the imagined future) then we can become happy and free. We then have more time and energy to help others. This is Nirvana.

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His talk was peppered with the words, "Follow the emptiness." This seems unnatural at first, but there's serenity in the spaciousness of emptiness.

I have also heard it this way:

"It may not seem like it but there's a space between your thoughts. Focus on that space."

We seem trained to have our minds constantly filled up from a young age, which is a very noisy path.

Also don't underestimate the importance of good nutrition.
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