Do Not Believe Everything You Think
Your thoughts don’t always tell you the truth!
We all grow up assuming our thoughts tell the truth. If the mind says “I’m not good enough,” it feels like a fact. If it says “Something bad will happen,” the body reacts as if danger is real.
From a transpersonal perspective, though, thoughts are more like weather passing through the sky of awareness. They can be intense, convincing, even useful, but they are not the sky itself.
What do I mean by this?
This idea means that your thoughts can feel very real and important, but they are not who you are. A helpful way to picture it is to imagine that you are the sky, and your thoughts are the weather passing through. Some thoughts are like dark storm clouds, others like light, sunny patches, but all of them come and go. Even when a storm feels intense, the sky itself isn’t harmed or changed, it remains steady behind it all. In the same way, you can experience worried, critical, or hopeful thoughts without them defining you. They are temporary mental events, not the whole truth about you.
When we react as if these temporary thoughts are of importance, it can lead us to make very bad decisions in our life.
You are bigger than your thoughts
Transpersonal psychology, explored by people like Stanislav Grof and Abraham Maslow, suggests that who we are is not limited to our personal story, roles, or our inner commentary.
Below this is a deeper layer of you that;
Notices thoughts
Watches emotions come and go
Remains present through every life change
That observing presence is sometimes called the observer or the witness.
A friendly way to notice it is that;
A thought appears: “I messed that up.”
Another part of you notices: “Ah, there’s self criticism.”
Most people may immediately react to the “I messed that up” thought, shrinking themselves, feeling inadequate, outwardly withdrawing, heaping criticism on themselves. Whereas the part that notices, is already free.
Why the mind makes up stories
Your mind isn’t broken, it’s protecting you. Your mind evolved to;
Predict danger
Avoid rejection
Maintain a stable identity.
So it creates narratives like;
“I must not fail.”
“They probably don’t like me.”
“I should be further along by now.”
But, and here’s the important thing, these narratives are not truths, they are just survival strategies.
From a transpersonal therapy view, believing these narratives unquestioningly keeps us confined to a small version of ourselves, rather than allowing us to expand into our true abilities.
Thoughts are not the be all and end all
A helpful metaphor to keep in mind (excuse the pun) is;
“ You are the sky. Thoughts are the clouds”.
Some clouds are dark and heavy and others are light and fleeting. But no cloud, no matter how dramatic, defines the sky.
When you stop believing every thought, something inside softens and you;
Don’t have to fight your mind
Don’t have to obey it either
Gain space to choose your response.
What changes when you loosen belief in thoughts
When you shift this mindset, it doesn’t make you passive, it makes you more free.
As your mindset shifts you may start experiencing;
Less overthinking
More compassion toward yourself
Greater resilience during difficult emotions and happenings
Moments of calm clarity that feel surprisingly natural.
Maslow called some of these moments ‘peak experiences’ and they are glimpses of inner connection, wholeness of being and deep meaning.
A small practice you can try
The next time a stressful thought appears, gently ask yourself “Is this thought actually a fact, or is this a story my mind is telling?”
There is no need to force an answer or even to find an answer, just asking creates space for introspection and awareness.
When you ask, you might feel:
Your breath deepen
Shoulders drop
A sense that you are not trapped inside the thought
A subtle lightening of energy.
That space, that feeling, is the beginning of transpersonal awareness, an awareness that includes your mind but is not limiting you to it.
The deeper invitation
“Do not believe everything you think” isn’t about distrusting yourself, it’s about discovering that you are larger, kinder, and more spacious than the voice in your head. Your thoughts are part of you but they are not the whole of you.
If you want, we can explore how this idea connects to mindfulness, spirituality, or everyday stress, wherever it feels most relevant to your life, please feel free to contact me, Geraldine
Everyday Examples from my Clients
Example 1: Let’s call him Gerard.
One day at work, Gerard thought: “I messed up that email. My boss probably thinks I’m useless.”
So what’s happening here? Gerard had stress response that produced a worst case scenario.
If Gerard believes the thought he will;
Feel anxious all day
Avoid speaking up in meetings
Feel his confidence drop
However, if Gerard sees it as it really is, a passing thought, he will think “I’m having a worry thought because I care about doing well” and he might then decide to
Double check the email
Clarify if needed
Move on with his day
The situation is exactly the same but Gerard’s response to this thoughts has changed and so he doesn’t create unnecessary suffering for himself..
Example 2: Denise has just started a new relationship. She sent him a text and hasn’t received a reply several hours later.
Denise thought: “He is taking hours to reply. He must be losing interest.”
So what’s happening here? Denise’s mind is trying to protect her from rejection, so it produced the ‘losing interest’ thought. If Denise believes her thought, she might;
Feel hurt or defensive
Send a tense message
Create distance that wasn’t there
If Denise merely observes her thought, she will observe that she is feeling insecure and is telling herself a story. Now her most likely response will be to;
Wait calmly
Remember that he may be busy
Respond warmly when he does reply.
The relationship benefits from Denise not reacting to the storm cloud - the presumptive negative thoughts her mind is producing.. In trying to save her from rejection, Denise’s mind will have sabotaged the possibility of a loving relationship. This kind of self sabotage is very common.
Example 3: Niall suffers from social anxiety. During interactions he thinks “Everyone noticed how awkward I was.”
What’s happening here? Niall’s mind is assuming that the others are focusing on him more than they actually are. If he believes his mind he will;
Replay the moment all night
Avoid future gatherings
However, if Niall has developed the ability to be the observer of his thoughts he will know that his mind is exaggerating and that most people are thinking about themselves and may not have even noticed him at all.
Niall has maintained healthy perspective and emotional freedom.
Example 4: Paula is middle aged and has been unhappy in her job for some time. She thinks “It’s too late for me to change careers at my age.”
What’s happening here? Paula’s mind had disguised her fear of uncertainty as a fact, which is it not, it is merely a mond generated thought.
If Paula believes her thought she will;
Stay stuck in a job she hates
Feel regret as more time goes by
Most likely feel anger or disappointment in herself.
If Paula questions the validity of her thought she will realise that it is mind fear talking and not a proven truth.
This realisation will allow Paula to explore her options without committing to anything before she is ready. She will allow curiosity to replace paralysis.
If you’re noticing thoughts or beliefs that feel limiting, I offer a supportive space to explore them with clarity and care. Together, we can examine patterns that may be holding you back and open the way to more constructive perspectives. If you feel ready to take this step, you’re welcome to contact me to schedule a session.
I meet clients online via Zoom, Google Meet or Whatsapp Video. Kind regards, Geraldine.
If you’re curious whether this approach can help you, you’re welcome to start with a free, no-obligation 15-minute consultation. This is simply an informal conversation where you can ask questions, talk about what’s been troubling you, and see whether this approach feels like a good fit.
