Makes Sense - with Dr. JC Doornick - Making Sense of Not Thinking - Episode 80

Starting point is 00:00:00 Great morning world, great morning humans. This is your boy, Dr. J.C. Dornick, and welcome to another episode of the Make Sense with Dr. J.C. podcast. This is the art of not thinking, a reflection inspired by Alan Watts himself. What if the key to clarity, peace, and true integration wasn't in thinking more, but thinking less? What if the struggle to bring profound experiences back into our daily lives isn't about making sense of them, but more about learning how to stop making sense of everything? Today we're going to dive into a new, unique concept that challenges the very way we engage with reality. I call it the art of not thinking. Inspired by the teachings of Alan Watts and the transformational nature of plant medicine. Yes, we're going to talk some plant medicine this morning. inspired by the teachings of Alan Watts and the transformational nature of plant medicine.

Starting point is 00:01:00 Yes, we're going to talk a little bit about plant medicine. This episode explores why integration after we go through a deep, present moment experience sometimes feels so impossible. We're going to unpack why our thoughts create an endless loop of chatter, why we mistake our inner dialogue as the truth, and how practicing moments of stillness can unlock something deeper. We're also going to connect things, of course, to the interface response system and talk about how pausing, perceiving, and processing can help us transcend automatic, unconscious thought and step

Starting point is 00:01:36 into the richness of a direct experience. Let's explore the power of not thinking. Let's step outside the constant stream of mind chatter and into something more expansive, because when we stop analyzing everything, we might just start experiencing life as it truly is. Let's dive in. This podcast covers topics that expand human consciousness and performance. On the Makes Sense podcast, we acknowledge that it's who you are that determines how well what you do works, and that perception is a subjective and acquired taste. What we know is that when you change the way you look at things, the things that you look at begin to change. Welcome to the uprising of the sleepwalking masses.

Starting point is 00:02:23 Welcome to the Make Sense with Dr. J.C. Dornick podcast. Makes sense. I want to begin by just sharing a little bit about plant medicine because I think it's really relevant. It's a good way to start this podcast episode off. One of the most fascinating aspects of working with plant medicine is recognizing something that most people don't consider, and that is the time frame in which the experience actually takes place.

Starting point is 00:02:52 And what I mean by time frame is, is it happening in the historical past or the mysterious future? Or is it happening in the only place where true transformation exists? The eternal present. Isn't it nice to refer to the present as eternal? My experiences have shown me that plant medicine operates almost entirely in the present moment, a realm we rarely inhabit so fully when we're home. In fact, I've noticed that even when addressing events that may involve my past, like past trauma, childhood trauma and things like that, while in the medicine, it brings it into

Starting point is 00:03:27 the present moment, allowing me to experience it through the lens of my new present time sense-making machine. Does that make sense? In that space, I felt completely untethered from the stories of my past and the anxiety's worries and concerns of my future, submerged in a reality that just simply is. It's quite profound, to be honest with you. At times, even overwhelming. And in many ways, It's the most divine natural state we've forgotten how to live in. Here's the challenge with what happens when people experience something like plant medicine and then come home and begin the process of what we call integration. Note that I say challenge rather than problem.

Starting point is 00:04:08 Why? Because navigating your integration process may just require the acceptance of the challenge and a shift in perspective. Think about it. When we return home from such a breakthrough event, Just like the space shuttle, we re-enter an atmosphere that doesn't function in the present moment. Instead, the atmosphere that we re-enter transcends, almost cloaks, makes the present moment invisible and operates through things like time, memories, future obligations, schedules, expectations,

Starting point is 00:04:40 relationships, responsibilities, etc. It's as if we've been given a beautiful circle and experience fully grounded in the present moment and are expected to come home and force it into a square and rigid hole, a life shaped by past program narratives and future worries and concerns. That's what it's like to come home from these events. Of course it's difficult. The two don't fit easily, which I believe is why so many people struggle post-retreat, post-event, and also so many people struggle to take what they've learned, put it into play, and follow through with it. They struggle to live in the present moment. They struggle to live in the present moment. You see, it's not the experience that's difficult to integrate. It's the environment

Starting point is 00:05:24 you return to that hasn't changed. That environment doesn't support what you've just learned. The world is designed, if you think about it, to pull us back into overthinking, planning, reminiscing, and anticipating. The very moment that we return to quote-unquote normal life, the clarity, the insights, and the deep knowing we touched in the retreat or the event gets swallowed up by the confusing gravitational pull of our old patterns or your regularly scheduled program. We grasp for any way possible to keep the connection alive through things like yoga, breathwork, meditation, even cold plunges, movement, and communal gatherings like we do on Zoom and things like that. Why does it feel so good to be in a gathering of like-minded people?

Starting point is 00:06:09 Well, I contend that they bring us back to the present moment. I like to think of it as bringing us back home to the present moment, even if just for a while. And for a good reason, these practices don't just feel good. They serve as anchors, keeping us tethered to the space where all the answers and clarity exist. What's that space? Right here and now. Maybe integration isn't about figuring out. Maybe integration is not about figuring out how to weave the retreat experience into our normal life. Perhaps the real work is learning how to bring our normal life into the present moment. Integrate our life at home and way of living it because that's where the magic lives. This prompted me to write and share now with you what I call the art of not thinking.

Starting point is 00:06:57 It's going to be a substack blog and a podcast episode that entertains the act of just simply allowing yourself to release from the need to have thoughts about everything in your life and just simply be. Sounds great, but it's not easy to execute on, and we're going to talk about that. It's not about detaching from reality, by the way, and ignoring reality. It's more about stepping fully into it, the actual only reality that exists, unburdened by the noise of the mind, and seeing things as they actually are, just like I did when I experienced plant medicine in that space.

Starting point is 00:07:35 Just like we can, just like we are, right here and now, together. I'm going to start off by a quote that I just love from Fichnachthan. He says, there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. Isn't that beautiful? Huh. It seems this emphasizes that true happiness is not in fact a destination, but a way of being in the present moment by cultivating mindfulness and compassion.

Starting point is 00:08:04 So here's something from Alan Watts. If you talk all the time, and I know what that's all about, You'll never hear what anybody else has to say. Therefore, all you will ever have to talk about is your conversation. Oh, that stinks. The same is true for people who think all the time. It's kind of funny to think about people we consider big thinkers. I'll get to that in a second.

Starting point is 00:08:27 The constant chit-chat of symbols and images and words inside that cranial voltivars. If you do that all the time, you'll find that you have nothing to think about except thinking. Just as you have to stop talking to hear what others have to say, you're going to have to stop thinking to simply find out what life is about. And that's by Alan Watts. Huh, what do you think about the idea of allowing yourself to just simply stop thinking? Wait a second. Am I thinking about not thinking right now? If I were to practice this, this episode would be blank. There would be nothing to say and you'd never know my thoughts on the matter. Okay, this is getting strange. So I'll first share my thoughts about not thinking and then try not thinking after. Deal?

Starting point is 00:09:18 So in one of his many profound lectures, Alan Watts delves into the concept of transcending constant thought to reconnect with the essence of present moment reality. He contends that incessant mental chatter can detach us from the genuine experiences of life, leading us into a realm dominated by mere symbols and abstractions. This in turn posits that our perception of reality is in fact jaded by the chatter in our minds. Makes sense? Watts emphasizes that while thinking is a valuable tool, again, it becomes detrimental when it overshadows the direct experience that's taking place in the now.

Starting point is 00:09:59 He suggests that by silencing the mind, even momentarily, we can break free from the confines of our mental constructs, and immerse ourselves in the present moment. This practice not only enriches our perception, but also fosters a deeper connection with the world around us. To add some color to this, consider the act of just simply listening to music. When we cease analyzing and simply allow ourselves to be enveloped in the melodies,

Starting point is 00:10:27 we experience a profound sense of unity and peace. Similarly, by occasionally pausing our relentless inner dialogue, we open ourselves to the music. beauty and intricacies of life that often go unnoticed. Incorporating moments of mental stillness into our daily routine can also lead to increase clarity, reduce stress, and a heightened appreciation for the present moment, which, if you think about it, is the only thing that's really happening. Isn't that fascinating to think about the present moment and realize that it's the only

Starting point is 00:11:01 thing that's actually happening? Yet we spend most of our time in the past and the future that are not happening. Watts encourages us to embrace these intervals of non-thinking, not as an escape, but as a means of truly living and experiencing the richness of existence. By practicing the art of not thinking, we in fact can allow ourselves to be fully present, fostering a deep understanding and appreciation of the world and our place within it. I like to say that this is one of those things that's easier said than done, but it's also have better done than just said. So let's correlate this to the interface response system and this idea of transcending thought. What Watts is describing, I recognize as a direct validation of what I call the

Starting point is 00:11:47 interface response system or the IRS. And just as a reminder, if you're just coming to the podcast now, that's a four-step approach that allows us to take command of our thoughts, feelings, and responses by controlling our automatically programmed sense-making machines. If you go back to the first 10 episodes of this podcast series, you can go deep into the interface response system. But for the sake of this discussion, the first step of the IRS, which we refer to as perceive, is the one where we acknowledge that the existing thoughts in our head have been externally acquired from our MFTPSE, otherwise known as our mother, father, teacher, preacher, society, and evolution. These inherited thought patterns act as an unconscious filter, meaning we're unaware of what

Starting point is 00:12:35 they're letting in and letting out and shaping our sense-making process before we even realize it. This validates the practice of step two, which we refer to as the pause, which is extremely powerful. This simple act of saying, huh, and remember, HMM stands for, haven't made up my mind yet. This disrupts the automatic loop of the conditioned thinking mind. This pause is not about eliminating or avoiding thought altogether, but rather transcending it, giving it a break, even momentarily, detaching from the unconscious, automatic pull of our reflexive unconscious reactions. This allows us to step outside of our program responses and into the space between the stimulus and the response. There's something that we learned from Victor Frankel and entering the third

Starting point is 00:13:26 phase of the interface response system, which we refer to as process. In the process, phase. So now we can look at reality unclouded by the preconceived mental noise. We become an observer rather than a participant, taking in events without the immediate compulsion to do things like label, categorize, or judge them. By doing so, we step into a more present, fluid engagement with life, free from the rigid grip of reactive thinking and full of new limitless potential. Shout out to my friend Jim Quick. Are you enamored by people that are deep thinkers? The irony, is that while we often equate constant thinking with intelligence and control, true clarity, in fact, comes from when we momentarily step away from the noise. It's in the gap. It's in this gap or this pause

Starting point is 00:14:16 between the subjective perception and our reaction that we gain true mastery over our responses. So the next time you find your mind racing or find yourself lost in the endless mindless loops and chatter in your brain, try not thinking. Try pause. Try pause. Try stepping back from the treadmill of thought and simply experiencing life. The value of stopping is not about escaping reality, but actually seeing it maybe for the first time. Watts says that the easiest way to stop thinking is to focus on something that has no meaning. This caused me to reflect on my daily practice of transcendental meditation. I think I've been doing that for like 150 days now, and it's getting really interesting.

Starting point is 00:15:00 But during it, I often wonder what it is that I'm actually doing in that practice. Because thoughts do rush in because that's what thoughts occasionally do. Yet by focusing on my breath, the mantra, and specifically allowing myself to see the backs of those closed eyelids, which is really fascinating. If you close your eyes, your eyes can still see. They're just seeing the backs of your eyelids. And you will start seeing things. That's my little secret from my meditation.

Starting point is 00:15:29 While I'm doing that, I can transcend the confines of my thought thunderstorm and experience the present moment in its true magical state with wonder and awe. Hey, are you ready to consider or even entertain the art of just simply not thinking? I can tell you something. It's been a game changer for me. Well, it's time for me to go back to not thinking. So I love and appreciate you all. And remember this. If you learn something today, give it away because it's that way that way that it's going to stay. Have a great day. See you next time. Makes sense.

Makes Sense - with Dr. JC Doornick - Making Sense of Not Thinking - Episode 80

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