Thank you for your in depth reply. I massively appreciate your time. I looked up the quote function so will try again. I'll copy and paste your questions from the last email and post my answers underneath for simplicity. See how that works out?!
I saw a giraffe immediately and not the word. I saw my daughter's special giraffe called Wendy too. Perhaps because you provided the word giraffe, I then went to the image whereas when I was trying to play with thoughts and see if i could create them, I came up with the concept, not the image of 'elephant' first.What happens when you read this:
"Giraffe"?
No, it's definitely not possible to predict which animals will come up in which order! I liked sitting waiting for what came and there were clusters of animals that came- an image of David Attenborough's face flashed and then came and lots of animals from The Hunt- my son has the DVD and we have watched the series a lot so suddenly there was a wash of Blue whale, Sargassam fish, tasselled wobegon etc and it was speedy, like my mind/memory was riding a roller coaster as it triggered more animals then it became random again as a badger appeared then I saw my mind attach to British animals- a flurry again, then a gap, then springing back and forth with what ever was thrown up.Some people experience thought far more as words and language than as mental images. But this a probably habit as much as anything. For example, when seeing the word "elephant", is it possible to change the colour of the letters and make the word bigger and smaller? Have a play around and see what happens.
As soon as you suggested playing around with the letters and colour?size I could no longer see the word, only images of elephants! Elmer, cartoon pink bubble ones, one i sat on in a river in Nepal. It made me laugh because I saw again how little control I had over my intention to have particular thoughts. As i settled into it I could then visualise more the word but it wasn't easy. My mind 'wanted' images. I managed to 'write' in my own handwriting in my mind the word 'elephant' and then I was able to 'colour' the word and play more with size 'though it felt unwieldy and like my mind wasn't easily playing ball!
Try to have thoughts about as many animals as possible is a minute. Is it possible to predict what animals will come up in which order?
No. There was no one there conjuring up the animals. My memory and experience had something to do with the animals that came- the fact that I've watched The Hunt so much in two years means those images are in my memory. There wasn't a 'conjuror' but there was memory and experience. Would it be possible for animals to appear that i had never seen or heard of or knew names for?So it is not possible to find a "conjurer" of thought?
No, I don't think it is.So it is not possible to find a "predictor"?
Yes i think it is another thought that says it's possible to interrupt thoughts and I do agree that it is only other thoughts that interrupt thoughts so its a cycle of thought after thought interrupting thought even if at the time "I' believe that 'I' have done the interrupting. So yes, what would be picking or choosing the thoughts? I guess just more thoughts because I'm seeing that i can't get a hold of this me that is having the thoughts, just a sense of thoughts coming and going of their own volition- Thoughts swirling around one after another with this imagined me thinking that I have some control. I guess i can choose to 'annihilate' thoughts through intoxication or numbing. Would that not be this me called Hannah choosing to pick and choose? Actually, as I write that, I see that even in those states, I'm not picking or choosing thoughts, I'm just picking and choosing a different mental state to be in but the control of what enters my mind is even more out of my control.......Could it be another thought that says it is possible to pick and choose thoughts?
It does seem that it is possible to interrupt thoughts .... but only with other thoughts.
What would be picking and choosing thoughts?
No.So it is not possible to find a controller?
It feels familiar from mediation to see that what enters my mind or my experience is out of my control, is not in my hands and that when I have been able to just sit with, really be present to the state of my mind, it's a fascinating flow of thoughts, sensations etc. That subtle changes in conditions can radically change the experience of my mind and that even with very similar conditions I can sit and have an entirely different experience- again a way to show that i can't predict my thoughts or experience, how ever much i might like to think i can. I feel in touch with a sensation that I used to get in meditation, when i would sit a lot, where there was space, a simple but profound sense of space. A loosening of my stories and my tightness. I feel these past two nights were I've really engaged with this, like I've meditated deeply and opened up enough space to just feel that. It's not intellectual, it's a kind of inner felt depth. I still believe that "Hannah' is here as i type. I'm still feeling into the memory/ experience thoughts i've had but I feel closer to something deeper and calmer.And maybe that "Hannah" has an experience of thought, but that experience is not the same as was believed?
How does it feel to have found no controller of thought?
What sensations are there?
What thoughts are there?
The thoughts that are coming aren't quick or panicked or grasping. I can feel a smile forming. I can feel myself getting closer, getting 'back' to something I know.
Thanks Nina, That's all for tonight.
I'm feeling a little anxious that from Thursday to Monday I'm in London on an in-depth psychology 'thing' but i will have time on public transport and i will be able to reply from my phone in the evenings so if you could have that in mind in the next communication, that would help,
Love Hannah x

