I was just wondering if there was any form of meditation to get my mind to settle down and stop racing like a NASCAR engine going at full speed?  

After reading sg1008's thread about meditation and trying the "Ice Cube to the temple" to slow down my metabolism, I'm worried that my temple's "engine" is going to drive me insane as I already have too many thoughts to begin with.

Of all the meditation techniques I've tried Scrying, which is relaxing the whole body and letting your mind go into some fantasy world that creates a safe haven, or magical place, sitting in that painful position with your legs over one another and clearing your mind, and staring at some object to improve concentration or something....

None of these techniques worked for me cause my mind slips and I find myself doubting that this form of mediation would work... I have learned to let my mind drift which helped me fall asleep better, but how do I actually get my thoughts to stop?

Am I hopeless or too dim-witted to learn proper meditation ?

PS I have read books on the subject but I want to improve my concentration first so I don't give up, maybe I should make improving my concentration my top priority before learning to clear my mind .....

speaking of Nascar

both the Nationwide and Sprint races are at Indy this weekend

first time at Indy for the Nationwide drivers

Scrying is actually a divination method - divining the future.

As for the busy thoughts - it's something that you just need to practice, you don't think "oh no, thoughts popping up", you have to just let go when you make a mistake and not get worked up over it. This is something difficult to describe but you'll know when you get it right.

The "painful position" you describe is useless and will not help you - change it to a position you're comfortable with.

Proper meditation technique will do precisely that - perhaps you need a tutor if you're seriously struggling.

I would also ask whether you may have ADD, if so you should get that sorted first because otherwise meditation will be VERY difficult.

I think I've found some form of it if this is even considered meditation at all....

Have you ever woken up in the early morning and you find that your so relaxed and your mind is blank that sound, sensations etc, doesn't really register with you?

Just a while ago, I was praticing breathing techniques (short half inhaling) and letting my body relax so much that I could feel the fan moving the hairs on on my arm. After a while I found myself not asleep, but deep in some state of mind that I think I half asleep...

Anyways is this some form of meditation or one I've never heard of? Is this even meditation? :/

There's various forms of meditation but what you're describing sounds to me like the classic "mind awake body asleep" state OR a mindfulness state.

The crazy chattering brain means you're human - in Taoist and Buddhist meditation and tai chi teachings, this is called "Monkey Mind", and working with this is what meditation is about. This is why it takes years to achieve a state where the brain doesn't instantly babble, and even masters still get the chatter - they're just highly skilled at letting go of it.

It doesn't mean you're failing at it or too dumb or whatever to be able to do it - it's basically a sign that you're meditating I think many of us on the spectrum will have high levels of chatter, but stick with it and if you are really getting frustrated, try and find a teacher or a free class in a local church hall or somesuch. Finding a comfortable position is crucial. If you can buy or make a meditation stool, I would strongly recommend doing so - I really have trouble if I don't use one.

I often find having something to focus on helps. I usually use the feeling of my breathing as the anchor, so when I realise I've wandered off, I bring my mind back to my breathing - my ribcage expanding, my diaphragm moving, the temperature of the air through my nostrils. There are times when I have to do this every few seconds! The trick is to be OK with it - that's really the core lesson: to not take our mind so seriously or place so much importance on its activity.

Stick with it! Try not to get upset by the chatter - it's very much part of the deal.

So I guess I know how to be in a mindful state but haven't really mastered it yet. I'm wanting to experiment with this and wonder if people do experiment around with meditation...

I think I understand a little about just letting it go when my mind starts thinking but I don't what a meditation stool is. It's hard to get comfortable when my neck and the back of my head starts hurting, that's why I need some sort of pillow behind my head when I attempt meditation...

This pain in my neck and the back of my head might have to do with my spinal cord or something.

I have a place in the lower of my back where it causes pain to shoot down my leg (either side) and I think somewhere upper is causing my neck to hurt.... :/

@Skyblue  

I used to watch NASCAR but not much anymore... When I did though, Tony Stewart #14 was my favorite driver

Yes, they most certainly do. I used to play around with trying to centre my consciousness somewhere up and behind myself. These days I'm so out of practice that most of what I do is try to ignore the monkeys

OK, if you google 'meditation stool' you'll see all sorts of options - the main thing is to fine one that helps you sit comfortably. Messing about with pillows first to get a sense of what might work is a good idea. I have a padded one with enough height for me to kneel as sitting cross-legged hurts too much, but you might find you need something different.

Sounds like you need to see an osteopath or a chiropractor to help sort your back out too... I have old whiplash injuries in my neck that can be a bit troublesome and my osteopath is brilliant at realigning me.

Yes, they most certainly do. I used to play around with trying to centre my consciousness somewhere up and behind myself. These days I'm so out of practice that most of what I do is try to ignore the monkeys

Center your consciousness somewhere up and behind yourself? :/

Was this what your talking about?

Long story but I think I might be suffering from whiplash

After I'd been meditating and doing tai chi for a couple of years, I got to this point where when I meditated, I felt as though my mind (although not the chattering) was expanding up and out the back of my head, as though the physical barrier of my skull and scalp was totally arbitrary. I started increasingly to consciously work with that and let my consciousness go there as quickly as possible. The chatter by that stage was largely silenced, or I was watching it from a distance, which was pretty nice

More like this one, although without the curved base to the supports and with adjustable seat height and angle. I've left it as an external link as the image is enormous...

http://www.simplywoodcrafts.com/imagepop...tProdID=89

Long story but I think I might be suffering from whiplash

It's worth getting someone to check that out.

I get like a buzzing sensation, more like noisy static actually, in my head when I am depressed. And MLB, I'm pretty sure you are depressed. This is where a hobby or interest that takes your full concentration can really help.

I have symptoms of ADD most of the time, which is probably one of the reasons I have. Ever got anywhere with meditation.

I read on another thread here - someone miswrote and said "Budhist scriptures"  and mentioned it in the same sentance with some religion I think it was Islam I forget, YET budhism is a philosophy.... I think that meditation (techniques)and advice from people who "practice" at Buddhism can be VERY helpful.

in fact I think that will be my special project this coming week... to read more on it... maybe practice some meditating as well...