Being crowded with thoughts and a busy mind is in our core nature as human beings, but the question is how to regulate and organize these thoughts and make use of them instead of giving in as a victim to such continuous noise?
The mind is a material thing, and it gets attached to materials; thus, the flow of thoughts and the desire to fit in brings about noise and overthinking. At some points, it seems impossible to think clearly. Personally, on many occasions, I find myself trapped between unfinished plans, memories that demand attention or reflection, fears of the future, and excitement for things that have not happened yet (or probably will never happen at all), until it feels like my mind lives in a restless, noisy city. This feeling, or flow of random thoughts, psychologists call it “Mental Noise.” However, I often ask myself, is this just a personal mental state that happens to anyone at some points in the same way and level, or is it a reflection of the culture and society that keeps us in constant alertness? From an anthropological point of view, this so-called mental noise cannot be separated from the social and cultural environment. Modern life, with its relentless pace and culture of achievement, creates a sense of dissatisfaction and keeps the mind flowing with thoughts, urging us to plan, create, and respond without pause, as long as it brings or creates meaning for us.
But what meaning does all that we do truly bring?
Clifford Geertz reminds us that “we are animals suspended in webs of significance we ourselves have spun, when these webs tangle inside us, the mind becomes a battlefield of desires, obligations, dreams, and whatever creates some meaning.” I have come to a realization that mental noise is the echo of too much meaning spilling over our ability to organize it. Between echoes from past experiences, future promises, and present states of being, we find ourselves in a chaotic state of thinking that needs real attention to regulate and organize them. In the balance between release and control, I personally engage in simple practices like writing my thoughts as they come, breaking tasks into smaller steps, or taking a few minutes of silence; these tiny rituals calm the storm inside and turn the chaotic flow of thought into energy I can use to focus, create, and act. I learned from reading Carl J. Jung and Sam Harris that these thoughts are not to be judged, and not clinging to them when they arise gives the mind space to breathe, where clarity naturally emerges.
So, can we ever live without mental noise? I doubt it, because that is a mind thing; it cannot stop making noise. However, within that, it brings freedom and creativity that opens paths toward focus and imagination beyond limits.
