Animals are alive; they are living beings, same with bugs and insects. What do you think goes through their minds? Especially insects like flies, ants, spiders, etc., especially when they’re so small and can die so easily?
Animals are alive; they are living beings, same with bugs and insects. What do you think goes through their minds? Especially insects like flies, ants, spiders, etc., especially when they’re so small and can die so easily?
I suspect most of them do not have an internal monologue in the same (verbose) sense that humans can have, but the relatively closely related ones (e.g. mammals, probably) likely have similar memory/sensory integration experiences. It’s possible to get your own inner monologue to “shut up” for a bit, and just be and feel and do. You can still remember an experience without talking to yourself about it as well. I suspect that closely related animals’ experience is like that – although differing based on the particular set of senses and drives unique to their species.
The further away you go from that, the less idea I have of what’s going on (besides “state machine” of some sort). I have only the vaguest notion of what it might be like to be a spider, and even less of an idea of what it’s like to be a starfish.
The only way I know how to do this is to go to sleep. This is somewhat impractical except at one specific time, and I need to be tired to do it.
Meditate, man.
Because that is easy.
It’s not really something you succeed at, it’s something you practice. I think a lot of people shy away from it because they feel like they fail if an intrusive thought works its way in, but that is literally all part of it. Even the masters out there are having a random thought or fall asleep from time to time.
The key, in my opinion, is acceptance that there is no real victory or loss in meditation, just a continual practice that is likely to improve at times and get harder at others.
Focus on just your breath. If another thought comes in, allow it, and then return to your breath. If you can get little windows of singular focus, then you suddenly find yourself separated from the stories we tell ourselves to build our mental realities. Of course, even realizing that you’ve succeeded in that means that you failed step one: focus on just your breath.
Hmm. I’m not exactly sure how I got there or what would work for other people, but it can be done.
Maybe try thinking of it like pressing the clutch in a manual drive car? The engine might keep spinning, but if you hold down the clutch and ignore it eventually it’ll run out of gas…
Or maybe think of it like tuning out someone annoying chattering nearby. They might keep talking for a bit but if you ignore them, eventually they’ll get bored and shut up / leave. Even if they come back, just ignore them again if you don’t want to engage.
Or, try focusing on sensory details instead of mental chatter. Really notice what you’re seeing/hearing/feeling without actively describing it or planning anything.
I don’t usually stay in that state all that long, but sometimes it’s nice to just be.