The lost art of being alone with your thoughts...

[damnIam]

So, I ask...because of the new terror alert my office has 3 people flying out for vac. time today and they have been told that they will not be allowed to take their Ipods on board with them. This has been a heated conversation for about the last 45 minutes in here. When did it become so impossible for people (from children all the way up to adults) to SIT FUCKING QUIETLY WITH THEIR THOUGHTS....without having music piped into their heads or cell phones or video games...Jesus you would think these people are going to die by the way they are carrying on. Kids come into my laundry mat and because there is no one constantly attending to their every need they act like little whining brats. Comments? Rant OVER.

[greentea]

i do it all the time. i start to hum ideas to my head so when i get home i play it on the keyboard.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

i can't seem to listen to my iPod on the airplane anyway-------you have to up the volume to painful levels to hear over the white noise of rushing air.

i surreptitiously snuggle the person next to me instead. breathe in their ear when they sleep.

[greentea]

i listen to sigur ros, gaze out to the window..and shed a tear.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

i guess you could listen to BRIAN ENO's MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS or other ambient ENO since they are meant to be listened to at near subliminal levels.

as an aside, instead of listening to your iPOD you could read HOW TO BE ALONE by J. Franzen.

[tangerine]

I think a lot of people are terrified of their thoughts because they are so used to being bombarded by external stimuli. When they are exposed to their own thoughts they panic.

But that's just my theory.

[greentea]

listen to green velvet "thoughts" let your mind go,let your self be free.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

i think i belong to that category. i'm always fumbling for my brain's off-switch. introspection is downright scary and can be paralyzing. i don't recommend it.

[keri]

I would just bring a damn book. I am appalled at how few people actually READ for pleasure today.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

let me offer a mangled herzog maxim: those that read own the world, those that watch tv lose it

not that they are mutually exclusive, but you get the idea

[JesseJB]

Oh no! I do that too. I hate sitting alone, bored. Drives me nuts. But I do love Sigur Ros....therefore I love GreenTea.

[damnIam]

I think some are missing the point here...why is it not possible to just forego reading, listening, watching or otherwise relying on external stimuli during every waking hour. Quiet reflection, comtemplation or just plain old sit down, shut up and have some manners and quit bothering everyone around you with you batman utility belt of external stimuli devices. Is this not possible? Surely I am not the only one who finds it inconceivable that one can sit quietly for a 4 hour plane ride without junking out on something other than quiet relaxation of the mind? I am not trying to offend anyone, I just wonder what some would do if they were transported to ancient era before micro electronics...you know 15 years ago. I remember a time when people sat quietly on the bus, plane, restaurant, library without some device going off or otherwise distracting everyone around them and I am not even 40 years old. My cubicle neighbor listens to her Ipod all day at work while under her breath (out of tune mind you because she can' t hear it) humming away while simultaneouly driving me out of my very sanity. Rant over, I promise this time.

[tangerine]

One flight I was on this very large fellow was tapping his foot so vigorously while listening to his ipod, I could feel the floor of the plane shaking. Not pleasant. No way to tune that out. I was wishing for a tranquilizer gun - er, dart.

[JesseJB]

today on the bus on the way to work ( I stopped listening to my mp3 player on there as soon as all the busses got covered in IPOD ads...tacky) this dude was playing the beggining of Pink Floyd's "Time" with the ringing clocks going off over and over and everyone on the bus could hear it. Then he'd play that part again...and again...and again... I guess he couldnt wake up. But I know now why I brought music to listen to before.

But I think when I get home today, Im going to see how long I can go without external entertainment. Just to see DamnLam's point a little better.

[keri]

when on crowded things, I aprreciate a book or music or something to keep me from being annoyed by external stimuli, but at home I rarely have any of those things, if anything I sit there and knit and think.

[JesseJB]

when on crowded things, I aprreciate a book or music or something to keep me from being annoyed by external stimuli, but at home I rarely have any of those things, if anything I sit there and knit and think.

I would do that...but for some reason when sitting and just thinking, I just start thinking "Im not doing anything, therefore I am bored, therefore I should be living somewhere else."

[damnIam]

when on crowded things, I aprreciate a book or music or something to keep me from being annoyed by external stimuli, but at home I rarely have any of those things, if anything I sit there and knit and think.

knitting and thinking...an excellent combination...that is what I am talking about, reflection, pondering the meaning of things and experiences...not often easy but productive and enriching and definately not a waste of time. I have gleened one thing from this discourse...apparrently this addiction to stimuli is cyclical and can be attributed to the lack of suitable, serene environments that encourage deep thought and demand an equal distraction and thus creating more distraction. FUCK....

[andewhall]

You must reach the zen like state of "No Brain".

Sit quietly and focus. When a thought enters your head, instead of grabbing it, visualise it floating past on the other side of the road. The 'thought' road speeds up and you are not grabbing random brain chatter. You have now enetered No Brain...

Go grasshoppers.....go now and be free or random and self destructive mind mush!!!!

No Brain is the new Selvage

[keri]

You must reach the zen like state of "No Brain".

Sit quietly and focus. When a thought enters your head, instead of grabbing it, visualise it floating past on the other side of the road. The 'thought' road speeds up and you are not grabbing random brain chatter. You have now enetered No Brain...

Go grasshoppers.....go now and be free or random and self destructive mind mush!!!!

No Brain is the new Selvage

and into the sig it goes

[cheapmuthafukr]

You must reach the zen like state of "No Brain".

Sit quietly and focus. When a thought enters your head, instead of grabbing it, visualise it floating past on the other side of the road. The 'thought' road speeds up and you are not grabbing random brain chatter. You have now enetered No Brain...

Go grasshoppers.....go now and be free or random and self destructive mind mush!!!!

No Brain is the new Selvage

that is skateboarding for me. its become a meditation more than anything, real personal.

[sybaritical]

FUCK!

keri beat me to it with the sig.

[werdtoyourmoms]

ipods are making music less exciting. it's not even special to listen to music anymore. i'm tired of music. music is played out.

[red]

i can't seem to listen to my iPod on the airplane anyway-------you have to up the volume to painful levels to hear over the white noise of rushing air.

i surreptitiously snuggle the person next to me instead. breathe in their ear when they sleep.

youll soon be complaining that you cant hear anything.

[darkanimal]

If there is a cute stewardess, fuck ipod, I'm all set, I flirt with them the whole flight. hahaha

[mike lowrey]

I sort of see the point in this, but if I just sit on a plane and stare the seat in front of me I'd start thinking why wouldn't I listen to music / watch a movie / read a magazine?

I think the reason is that you have no choice but to sit there. when youre at home, you can decide whether to go out, walk around, eat, crap or just sit and think. when on a plane, you are pretty much forced to sit so it doesn't feel too appealing to just meditate. in that situation I want something to keep me entertained and forget the fact that I have no choice but to sit there.

kind of hard to explain but I think it makes sense..

[Guest Fade to Black]

I practically live in my own thoughts...no need for music, anything...like i walk with a soundtrack of thoughts where ever i am. It gets quite dangerous, as I zone out quite often walking on the street, imagining i'm in some fantasy land as a completely different person, probably a rock star or something. Nearly got myself hit by cars quite a few times.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

I used to compose my own critical notices in my head.

"The crowd gasp at Cocker's masterful control of the bicycle,

skilfully avoiding the dog turd next to the corner shop."

Imagining a blue plaque

above the place I first ever touched a girl's chest,

but hold on,

you've got to wait for the best.

.............

[keri]

So I've been trying andrews trick before I go to bed, and guess what, I'm sleeping like mad now, I think it may have cured my insomnia. Dont know if that's a good thing though, I love my insomnia, I kind of miss it, but I feel better!

so thanks (kinda, lol) andrew!

[andewhall]

Shit I am glad it works for someone Keri!...........I was up untill 4am drawing dumb pictures, smoking to many ciggarettes and watching the terrible and dangerous lack of health care amoung pregnant teenage women in India.......courtesy of BBC World

Chin up, i'll try again tonight

[mike lowrey]

I gotta give that a try, I'm a terrible sleeper..

talking about sleeping problems, one good way I learned was to just sort of not care about not being able to sleep. keep repeating to yourself stuff like "I might not be able to sleep instantly but thats not the end of the world" etc. "if I dont fall a sleep who cares".

and try not to worry about what time you have to get up, the more stuff you have on your the more stressed you are. the more relaxed you are the easier you fall asleep.

off topic, sorry..