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My favorite scene from Anna Karenina talks about the very same thing. This is the scene where Levin goes farming with the other farmers in his estate. They are so exhausted from manual labor that they are unable to think at all. And Levin considers it to be one of the very best days of his life

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Thank you for this. Is this similar to the concept of flow pioneered by Mihaly?

I have experienced this feeling of thoughtlessness while playing sports, dancing to music (often but not necessarily drunk), deep into solving a technical problem, even on weed (before the paranoia sets in haha)

I had some weird moments of dissociation along with these thoughtless states in my childhood. I was playing catch with a tennis ball with a friend.. and maybe after half an hour of this I suddenly realized I wasn't thinking at all, and then I felt I wasn't myself, that I was dreaming. It was very unsettling. These moments became more frequent over time until I became permanently dissociated for years

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Love as annihilation ...such a powerful concept...

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May 11, 2021Liked by Ava

I identify so much with what you wrote in this post Ava. I have always lived more in my mind than in the real world and ruminating is second nature to me. My only escapes have been long meditation sessions (over an hour), very intense workouts and infatuations (way too frequently).

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You would probably enjoy "The Hidden Spring," which is a book about the nature of thought/feeling and consciousness by the leading neuroscientist on the topic

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May 11, 2021Liked by Ava

Are there any meditation practices/techniques you would recommend for cultivating this feeling?

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