In Raja Yoga, Swami Vivekananda famously compares the human mind to a wild, drunken monkey.
Most people make the mistake of trying to force their mind to be completely still the moment they close their eyes. Vivekananda warns that this is like trying to violently fight a wild animal – it only makes the mind fight back harder.
Instead, he recommends a practice called Pratyahara, which involves consciously withdrawing the senses from external objects.
Here is how the technique works:
- Grant Total Freedom: Sit quietly and let the mind run wherever it wants. Give it absolute freedom to jump from thought to thought. Do not judge it, do not try to stop it, and do not get angry with it.
- Become the Witness: Act as if you are a third-person spectator watching a movie. Mentally say to yourself, “I am the witness; I am simply watching my mind think.”
- The Exhaustion Effect: Vivekananda explains that if you hold onto this posture of non-judgmental awareness, a fascinating shift occurs. The mind, realizing it isn’t receiving any emotional reaction or “fuel” from you, gradually begins to tire itself out.
If you practice this daily, you will notice the erratic jumps of the mind naturally starting to slow down. Eventually, it becomes perfectly still and calm – like a lake without a single ripple.
Vedik Mind 