In my work with clients, the topic of how thought works is an integral component to our conversations. And while I have been talking about this subject for over 30 years, I still find it fascinating how difficult it can be to realize that thought creates experience.

Most people, when asked if they see a connection between thought and feeling would say, “Sure, that makes sense. When I have angry thoughts, I feel anger. When I have sad thoughts, I feel sad,” and so on.

But when I dig a bit deeper to see if they know that all their experience (feelings, emotions, state of mind and moods) is thought created, most will object and offer exceptions. This is very natural because the power of thought is invisible.

I like to say that we don’t have a thought machine hovering above our heads, whirring away and reminding us that we think. So it is easy to pin our experience on something other than thought. This quote from David Bohm says it in a nutshell: “Thought creates our world and says, I didn’t do it.”

The power of thought is invisible and yet it is through our gifts of thought and consciousness that we can experience life. It just looks like our experience or feelings or moods derive from something other than thought in the moment. But it’s a trick of the mind.

Why is this important to know, you might ask? Well, when people attribute their feelings, moods, state of mind, experience to something other than their thinking, they are immediately a victim or at the mercy of whatever “it” is.

For example, when it is cloudy and stormy weather, I often hear people say they are depressed because of the “gloomy weather.” So, the “weather” looks like it is creating their mood. But this isn’t possible. If the weather created moods, then everyone would be affected the same way.

Have you ever noticed how some people get depressed by cloudy weather and others don’t? If you look closely, you can see all kinds of examples of different perceptions and reactions to life events, circumstances and of course weather!

It is very natural and innocent for human beings to attribute their experience to something other than thought because perceptions look real to the thinker. It’s like are we are living in our own thought holograms.

For much of my life, I lived in a misunderstanding about how the mind works. I suffered from anxiety, moodiness, insecurity, and low self-worth. It wasn’t until I realized that all my emotional pain and suffering was thought created and that I was the thinker that I began my journey to consistent well-being and peace of mind.  

I don’t mean to say that bad or frightening things don’t happen in life. But it is so empowering to know that our experience can only come from our own minds and not from the events directly.  

This quote from Theosopher Sydney Banks sums it up well: “Thought is not reality, yet it is through thought that reality is created.”