Two Months of Meditation: Training the Mind, Not Silencing It

Two Months of Meditation: Training the Mind, Not Silencing It

The first conclusion for anyone who has spent two months sitting and watching their breath is uncomfortable: you cannot empty your mind. Not even for ten minutes. The brain fires off thoughts "like sparks," and you get lost in them repeatedly. Those who describe it say bluntly that you are "absolutely incapable of controlling your mind." Yet they argue that this is precisely where the exercise lies, and that through repetition, the brain gradually "optimizes itself and untangles knots."

The central claim is that meditation works like a gym for the mind. Not as a pill or a state of grace, but as a practice with sets, reps, and days when you just don't feel like it. The attributed benefits range from neural network restructuring to something more mundane: for one person with insomnia, it helped them sleep, "just as I'm telling you."

Is the Goal an Empty Mind?

No, and those most knowledgeable on the subject insist on correcting this basic error. The idea that meditation aims to clear the head is, according to well-documented sources, a "misconception common among Westerners." The brain is always thinking, calculating, imagining; trying to shut it down completely is not only impossible, they add, but can lead to mental issues. The point is different: changing your relationship with what arises, not preventing it from arising.

This distinction orders much of the discussion. Taming thought is not the same as not thinking. Some go further: the intentionality of sitting to meditate negates the benefit, because the useful skill would be knowing how to quiet the mind at any moment of the day, not just during the exercise.

Chemical Shortcuts and Walking Alternatives

Two alternative paths appear to reach the same result. One is entering a trance after walking eight kilometers: basic awareness remains active to avoid being hit by cars, but the mind becomes "totally empty." Another is meditating while swimming, the only activity where some achieve a blank mind. A third, more controversial option proposes accelerating the process with a dose of mushrooms on a calm day.

The problem with these shortcuts is that they aren't reproducible for everyone. Walking eight kilometers requires time and healthy knees; swimming requires a pool. Sitting practice, however, fits on a riverbank, and defenders claim to have seen "a light emitting rays" with eyes closed, attributing it to the pineal gland without much conviction.

What Meditation Doesn't Fix

The most serious counterpoint comes from direct experience: after months of practice, no amazing experiences or superpowers. Just a morning routine alongside training, reading, writing, and cold showers. This profile concludes uncomfortably for enthusiasts: what you do the rest of the day matters more than twenty-five minutes of meditation. What truly makes a difference, they add, is a dopamine detox: disconnecting TV, computer, and phone for days, staying alone with your own thoughts, a notebook, and a pen.

Added to this is the practical obstacle noted by a psychologist with decades of practice: mobile notifications make attention control increasingly difficult. Nine hours of daily meditation on concrete, in silence for days, doesn't compete on equal terms with a screen that buzzes every three minutes.

The Business of Calm and Ideological Suspicion

Not everyone buys the narrative. Some demand detailed explanations of the process and mechanics before accepting testimonials like "it changed my life": without a detailed account, they suspect a tall tale. Others see the practice as a tool for domestication, a way to shut down the brain and lower oneself to a vegetative level so each stays calm while others continue their business. The accusation of voluntary slavery hangs over the topic, and it's not new.

At the opposite extreme is institutional defense: meditation is recognized as a spiritual exercise by the Church, and some present it as "mental hygiene," in the words of Dr. Richard Davidson. Between both poles, the unanswered question remains: if the practice works, why doesn't everyone do it?

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With these elements, the original narrator concludes that within a few years, everyone will meditate. The one who hasn't noticed anything extraordinary for months suggests maybe it's not necessary. Both could be true.