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1. What is the inner monologue

Normally, a person mentally talks to themselves, even in complete solitude. Many people don't notice this constant «chatterbox» in their head and believe that they hear their own thoughts, that it's their inner voice. There are those who say they don't hear their inner monologue, but when, with an effort of will, they pay attention to it, they can easily hear it.

So, some voice that we are accustomed to considering «our own» constantly comments on what is happening around us, our memories, or dreams. When attempting to stop it with willpower, it becomes uncomfortable for a person, as the habit of talking to oneself has firmly rooted itself in our consciousness. We constantly hear within ourselves: «I need to go prepare lunch; tomorrow at work, I'll first do this, then that; my nose is itching; how nice it is outside; finally, spring has arrived…» and so on.

The internal monologue becomes especially strong when a person feels hurt, anger, worry, or other intense emotions. Sometimes we repeat the same thing several times, especially if we are preparing for an important meeting or lacking self-confidence. If we ask psychologists, they will say that it is normal: verbalizing our thoughts is a habit, a common trait of consciousness. However, the more we observe our internal dialogue from an outside perspective, the more we notice that the chatter in our head becomes a wall that separates us from reality. It's as if we retreat inside ourselves and fail to notice anything around us.

In old age, the internal monologue turns into constant muttering "to oneself" and often a person talks to themselves out loud, even when alone.

In Carlos Castaneda's books, the wise Indian Don Juan explains to Carlos that the internal monologue is our first enemy on the path to freedom because it does not belong to our consciousness but is the voice of the embedded mind of a mental «parasite». This topic deserves a separate book. However, within the scope of this training course, we need to understand one thing: in order to delve into the process of recalling past lives and clearly see the images of other worlds, we must first learn to stop the internal monologue, even if only for a short period of time.

2. Why is it necessary to stop the internal monologue?

This needs to be done for two reasons.

Firstly, it is needed in order to maintain a goal you have set for yourselves. For example, if you want to see your first life on Earth, being in a state of inner silence will help you achieve that. However, if the internal monologue interference and you start discussing sensations in your body, your extraneous thoughts and so on, the entire picture will disintegrate.

So, stopping the internal monologue is necessary for concentration during the process of recalling. Secondly, the absence of chatter in the mind helps to remember past life events wit at maximum clarity and to ask pre-planned questions while browsing that life. In other words, it's about gaining control over the flow of memories and your awareness.

There is another benefit to mastering this simple technique: it provides a respite from your thoughts. Sometimes it is helpful to simply sit in silence, disconnect from problems or unnecessary emotions. Inner silence is like a flow of revitalizing energy that helps you to rest, feel new strength within yourself, or gain clarity about your emotions.

Over time, when stopping the internal monologue becomes a familiar practice for you, you can use this technique not only as a starting point for remembering past lives but as a standalone meditation. Twenty minutes without the internal monologue can fill a person with strength and joy – it has been verified repeatedly!

3. Conditions necessary for this practice

Preparation for stopping the inner monologue: necessary conditions

1. Privacy

In order for you to be able to stop the inner «chatterbox», you need privacy, at least for a short time. If there is no such possibility in your house, for example, loud sounds interfere, then you can use meditative music and turn off the «sounds of the world» using headphones. In extreme cases, if you are still being disturbed, for example: the phone rings, your relatives are talking or a noisy animal lives in your house, – you can go for a walk, preferably in a garden or a square and walk there in silence, using the third technique of stopping the inner monologue. In fact, if you firmly and persistently explain to your family that you need half an hour of silence, they will understand you and give you time for your exercises.

2. Twilight

Another optional but desirable condition is the presence of evening light or twilight. In a bright sunny day or under bright artificial light, it can be somewhat more challenging to disconnect from the world around us compared to the twilight, when objects appear blurred in the semi-darkness and our perception of the world naturally shifts, moving away from the familiar picture of reality. Take advantage of these benefits when mastering the techniques of stopping the internal monologue.

4. Three techniques of inner silence

The first technique is the most challenging yet the most effective. Let's call it «Strong-willed effort» In solitude, find a comfortable position that works best for you. This can be lying on your back or sitting with crossed legs. The posture should be as comfortable as possible so that you can sit for 15-30 minutes without needing to change it. If you are sitting, make sure your back has support and is straight.

An exercise to stop the inner monologue

Close your eyes and relax your body. If it doesn't work right away, just mentally observe your body, your hands, feet and the sensations in them. Then release all the sensations. Now concentrate on your thoughts and observe them flow (or inner monologue). You need to imagine yourself as if you are splitting into two consciousnesses. One consciousness continues to think and chatter as usual, commenting on everything that is happening. Especially in this moment, for example, such thoughts may come to mind: «I won't be able to sit in this position for long,» «What if the phone rings now, I'll have to answer it,» «What if I can't do it,» «This is a silly idea, it's better to go have dinner…» and so on.

The other part of your consciousness silently observes the monologue. When you realize that the monologue can flow on its own, without your participation, try to stop it with an act of will. All these exercises are actually easier than they seem, you just need to have the intention to do it.

So, you have managed to stop the flow of thoughts for a short period of time.

At first, it may only be for a few seconds, but even that is an achievement. Don't give up, continue to stop the internal stream of commentary, giving a clear command for your thoughts to quiet down. Gradually, with each attempt, increase the time without inner conversations. Your consciousness will like this simple exercise because it brings energy and a sense of strength and freedom on its own.

This technique can be practiced not only while sitting in a room but also while lying in a warm bath or taking a twilight walk in a park or garden, as long as there is no one else nearby. The best results are achieved in a forest, garden, or by the seaside, where there are no people or loud music. If this technique has helped you and you have learnt to turn off the internal monologue, you can proceed to the process of remembering past life.

The second technique is called «Counting»

If the first technique is difficult for you to perform or you are unable to turn off the inner monologue, try the second technique based on number counting. In time with your breathing, start counting to yourself from 1 to 20. If at least one extraneous thought comes in the process of counting (and at first it is quite possible), start counting again and so on until the result is achieved. Then you may increase the score to 50 or more. As a result, you will achieve a state of inner silence that does not require any effort to maintain it. The same method is used to enter a lucid dreaming, a state between sleep and reality, which can be called a trance.

The third technique. The Gait of Silence

There is one more technique for stopping an inner monologue. It is suitable for those who do not have silence and privacy at home. Let's call it «Dynamic Practice».

It is necessary to find a corner of nature near your home where there are no large crowds of people. As a rule, for small towns these are: parks, gardens, arboretums, fields on the outskirts of the city. And if there are a lot of people walking in the parks in the middle of the day, then in the late afternoon, at dusk, you can always find a quiet corner. For residents of large cities, this can be a problem, because there are a lot of visitors in public parks. Then there is only one option – to go out of town, to the river or to the mountains. Set a goal to find such a place and it will definitely be found.

When you find your special place (a «power spot»), walk slowly, with your eyes half closed. After some time, when you find a comfortable walking rhythm, cross your eyes to the bridge of your nose and continue walking. You can also touch the roof of your mouth with the tip of your tongue. Through all these unusual actions, the inner dialogue in your head may naturally come to a halt. In addition to this method, you can apply the first technique, effort of will, while walking. After a couple of such exercises in nature, you will notice that the duration of stopping the internal monologue increases. After the walk, you will feel cheerful and refreshed, as if the world has infused you with new energy.

Summary: if practicing one of these techniques, or by applying them all at once, sooner or later you will be able to learn how to stop the inner monologue. Someone needs only a couple of days to get a tangible result, someone will have a result in a week, and there are those who will have to practice during a month. If you have an unbending intent, sooner or later you will stop the voice in your head that is used to commenting on everything, because this is just a habit, and through these simple exercises, we are creating a new habit of inner silence to successfully focus on our set tasks.

Now your consciousness is ready to move further along the path of self-knowledge and look into the mystery of your past birth.