Yes, it is completely normal to have thoughts while you meditate, and no, it does not mean you are doing it wrong. Meditation is not the absence of thoughts. It is noticing that the mind has wandered and calmly bringing it back, again and again. Each time you notice, you have done the practice. Below are six common myths about thoughts in meditation, and what is actually true.
Through my Vipassana practice, I have realised that meditation is not about controlling the mind or forcing thoughts to disappear. The mind will wander, memories will arise, and thoughts will keep coming. The real practice is to observe everything with awareness and equanimity, without reacting or judging. Slowly, we learn that we don’t have to follow every thought that comes into our mind.
Myth 1: Good meditation means an empty mind
Fact: the mind thinks the way the heart beats. Asking it to stop is like asking your ears not to hear. In my book I put it this way: meditation is not about stopping thoughts, it is about improving your relationship with them. A quiet stretch may come, but it is a by-product, not the goal.
Myth 2: If thoughts keep coming, you are bad at it
Fact: the moment you realise “I was thinking about tomorrow’s meeting” is a moment of awareness. That is the muscle you are training. Someone who notices fifty times in ten minutes has had fifty repetitions, not fifty failures.
Myth 3: You should push thoughts away
Fact: pushing is still engaging. Try not to think of a pink elephant and see what happens. The simpler method is to let the thought be, and return to an anchor. In Vipassana the first step, Anapana, uses the breath as that anchor. As the Dhamma Thali centre describes it, “Anapana means observation of natural, normal breath, as it comes in and as it goes out.” You do not control the breath. You only watch it.
Myth 4: You need to sit cross-legged for an hour
Fact: a chair is fine. Five honest minutes a day beat one heroic hour a month. Keep the back upright and relaxed, close your eyes, and watch the breath at the nostrils. When you notice a thought, say to yourself “thinking”, and come back. That’s the whole method for a beginner.
Myth 5: Meditation is a religious practice
Fact: observing your own breath and mind belongs to no religion. Why Meditate draws from neuroscience, Jainism, the Bhagavad Gita, Vipassana and everyday experience, and it belongs to no single tradition. You do not need to change your beliefs to watch your breath.
Myth 6: If you don’t feel calm right away, it isn’t working
Fact: some sessions feel restless, especially at the start. The change shows up over weeks, mostly outside the session: you react a second later in an argument, you notice you are scrolling. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that mindfulness-based practices may help with anxiety, depression and sleep. It also notes that a small share of people report negative effects. If meditation brings up distress, or you are managing a mental health condition, talk to a qualified professional.
Where the book goes deeper
Most guides answer how to meditate. Why Meditate: The Inner-net Journey is about the question before that: why should I? It is set on a train, the Swaraj Express from Jammu to Mumbai, with six strangers in one compartment: a retired ticket checker, a neuroscientist, a psychologist, a sixteen-year-old just out of her board exams, and two friends, one who prays and one who questions. No guru shows up. There are no five steps. Through their conversations the book looks at why we feel mentally tired with the whole Internet in our pocket, and why some answers are only on the Inner-net.
It became a #1 bestseller in Religion & Spirituality on Amazon India; I wrote about that in from 4.2 billion searches to one train journey. The full introduction is on the Why Meditate book page, and all my books are on the books page.
FAQ
How do I stop thinking during meditation?
You don’t need to. Notice the thought, return to the breath, and repeat. Over time the gaps between thoughts tend to lengthen on their own.
How long should a beginner meditate?
Start with five to ten minutes a day at the same time. Regularity matters more than length.
Is it okay to meditate on a chair?
Yes. What matters is an upright, relaxed posture you can hold without pain. If you want a gentler first practice, try my gratitude meditation.
If this question matters to you, read these next
Destiny vs FreeWill: the gap between sensation and reaction, applied to life’s big choices.
Karmajyotir: karma and the inner life, for readers who like the spiritual side.
Dhyaan Shaa Maate: the Gujarati edition, for parents and grandparents.
Also on tejash.me: the top five regrets of the dying, a Vipassana perspective.
Tejash Shah is a Vipassana meditator and the author of Why Meditate: The Inner-net Journey, a #1 Amazon bestseller in Religion & Spirituality.
