Goodnight Mind by Rachel Manber Page B

cherry as you bite into it. Also do not think, I will not think of banana splits . After all, thinking of the absence of a banana split also constitutes thinking of banana splits.
    You get the picture. The answer to this conundrum is to find alternatives to “stopping” unwanted thoughts from occurring. We will discuss several, and in a later chapter we will discuss the power of being open to the experience. First we discuss the strategy of finding something compelling to occupy your mind.
    Have you ever been told to count sheep to help you fall asleep? Try this little experiment right now. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Imagine a field with a single fence. What does your fence look like? What color is it? How high is it? Is it made of wood? Does it stretch the entire vista of your mind? Or is it only one or two sections of fence? Once you have a clear vision of what the fence looks like, imagine a sheep approaching the fence and jumping effortlessly and slowly over the fence. As the sheep’s front feet touch the grass on the other side, a second sheep jumps with exactly the same height and velocity. As the second sheep’s feet touch the ground on the other side, a third sheep begins the jump. Watch a fourth sheep jump. And a fifth sheep. And a sixth sheep. All of your sheep jump with the same form, speed, height, and arc. And then a seventh sheep jumps. And an eighth. A ninth and a tenth. Then open your eyes and read on.
    What did you notice? Some people find the monotony of this visual experiment relaxing and notice nothing except the image of the sheep jumping. Others are distracted by thoughts during the exercise. Perhaps you had thoughts such as “This would never work at night” or “This is boring,” or perhaps you thought of other things that were on your mind.
    What does the sheep exercise tell us? Engaging your mind in an exercise in which you picture something in your mind’s eye occupies space in your busy mind. However, this exercise also tells us that if the picture is boring, you may become distracted by unrelated thoughts. In other words, there is a strategy here: engage your mind in a visual image that will compete with other thoughts. Perhaps sheep jumping over a fence isn’t quite engaging enough to hold the attention of your overactive mind, particularly in a dark, quiet bedroom. What, then, may work better?
    Consider the human fondness for stories. Many of the things people like to do to unwind involve following a storyline. People generally seek out stories—whether told on the radio, in a book, on television, or in some other form—for diversion and entertainment. You may be surprised to learn that there is a way you can enjoy stories in bed without using your eyes or ears.
    Tonight when you get into bed, think about a story with particularly compelling characters or a fascinating plot. It can be a story from a book, a movie, a television show, a play, or your imagination. Follow the plot from whatever point you like. You may like to imagine what happens after the end of a favorite movie or book. Or you may like to come up with an alternate ending. If you have a vivid imagination, you may imagine a completely new story for a character you find compelling. The only rule is to avoid selecting a story that is likely to be so exciting that it would keep you awake. You want something that will hold your interest more than sheep jumping over a fence, but not so much that you become wide awake. Be sure to focus on the details in your imagined scenes. Details help make the image vivid and engaging. What are people wearing? What are they saying? What does the room or setting look like? Focus on what would happen next. Occupy your mind and enjoy the story you create. If you find it difficult to think of a story, you may like to incorporate a hobby. For example, imagine that you are decorating a home room by room on an unlimited budget or that you are golfing a perfect game on a fantasy course. As