Just a Thought

The term thought is widely used in contemporary society. For example, most people
probably dont go for more than a day or two before they say or hear an expression such as
Ive just had an interesting thought, What are your thoughts on the matter?, or Ive thought more about
what you said. However, although common human experience tells us that thoughts
definitely exist and are a normal aspect of human functioning, have you ever tried
explaining to another person exactly what a thought is? It is difficult to outline in precise
terms exactly what constitutes a thought, and even the dictionary definitions of this term
are somewhat ambiguous. For example, the Oxford English dictionary describes a thought
as An idea or opinion produced by thinking, or occurring suddenly in the mind. Although this
dictionary definition informs us that thoughts are the product of thinking, it doesnt
actually provide us with a definitive account of what constitutes a thought.
An object such as a table can be described to another person without too much difficulty.
According to the Oxford English dictionary, a table is a piece of furniture with a flat top with one
or more legs, providing a level surface for eating, writing, or working at. This definition introduces a
number of defining characteristics (such as a level surface, one or more legs, and surface
for eating) which whilst allowing for differences in interpretation would probably make
it reasonably easy for a person to picture in their mind what a table is, and then try to locate
one should they wish to do so. A thought, on the other hand, doesnt really have any
tangible characteristics that would allow a person to create an accurate picture in their
mind. For example, thoughts as far as we know do not have a shape, colour, texture,
size, sound, or smell. They do not have a top or a bottom and their surface (if indeed they
have one) cannot said to be level or undulating.

Neuropsychological studies allow us to study certain aspects of thoughts by measuring (for

example) electrical impulses and changes in blood oxygen levels in the brain. However,
although such studies provide important information relating to thoughts, they cannot
measure thoughts directly (i.e., an electrical signal that corresponds to a thought is not the
thought itself) and are not able to observe the raw material that thoughts are made of.
Likewise, neuropsychological studies are unable to ascertain the precise location from
which thoughts originate or how many levels of thought can manifest simultaneously.
Therefore, although through scientific study and shared human experience we have learned
a lot about thoughts, it is arguably fair to say that contemporary understanding of thoughts
is still at an elementary level.
It is perhaps also fair to say that in general, people (and to a certain degree modern science)
have a tendency to take thoughts for granted and to overlook their importance. For
example, with each and every thought that we have, we change the trajectory of the present
moment and reset the future. This may sound like a remark by one of those authors who
has jumped on the meditation and mindfulness bandwagon, and who is trying to impress
readers by writing a book full of (what they deem to be) deep and meaningful remarks.
However, its not meant to be a deep or meaningful remark and if you stop and think about
it, its a perfectly true statement. The world as we know it is shaped by (amongst other
things) the words and actions of human beings. Our thoughts influence (and in many cases
underlie) our words and actions, and our (and other peoples) words and actions also
influence our thoughts. A persons decision and intention to pursue a particular career
might have originated in a single thought. The same applies to the words and actions of
leaders such as Mahatma Ghandi or Martin Luther King perhaps their motivation to
inspire political and spiritual change traces back to a single thought that they once had.
From this perspective, it is fair to say that thoughts are incredibly creative. With our
thoughts, we shape who we will be in the future. We also shape how other people (and the
world more generally) will be in the future. With each new thought, an entirely new future,
and an entirely new world, is born. In many respects, thoughts are the creative energy of
the universe. In fact, perhaps it is conceivably possible that thoughts are made of the same
raw material that caused the universe to be created (i.e., during the big-bang). If this
statement is correct it would mean that during the process of giving birth to a single
thought, the mind draws upon the underlying primordial energy of existence, and that it

serves as the strata within which thoughts explode into existence and thus create an entirely
new universe. What a marvellous thought!
Ven Edo Shonin & Ven William Van Gordon