Where Do Our Thoughts Come From? The Monkey Mind’s Storm

We’ve been talking about the cyclone outside and the cyclone inside—the storms of emotion, thought, and reaction.

And today, as our outside storm passes, let’s take a closer look at the monkeys in the storm. 🌀🐒

Because if we step back, we can see something fascinating: our minds follow the same patterns as the world around us.

1. The Layers of Thought: From Awareness to Chaos

Let’s break down the levels of thinking, using the recent storm as an analogy.

At the center of the storm is pure awareness. ☁

At the outer edges—things get wild. 💨

Level 1: Pure Awareness (The Bureau of Meteorology 🛰️)

• This is raw data.
• “The pressure is dropping.”
• “The wind speed is increasing.”
• No opinions, no emotions, just facts.

This is the closest we get to the truth.

It’s like watching your breath, noticing your thoughts, feeling a sensation in your body—without judgment.

Level 2: Useful Thinking (Weather Reports 📡)

• Now we interpret the data.
• “The storm is moving south.”
• “People in Brisbane should prepare for heavy rain.”

At this level, monkeys are working with reality.

This is problem-solving.

• "I feel anxious. Maybe I should take a walk."
• "I notice my breath is shallow. Let me slow it down."

It’s thought used wisely.

Level 3: Emotional Hype (Sensationalist News 📰)

• “This could be the storm of the century!”
• “We may be looking at a Category 13 cyclone!”

Now the monkeys start swinging.

• Emotions fuel thoughts.
• Thoughts fuel emotions.
• It becomes a feedback loop.

It’s like when we take a tiny moment of stress and suddenly…
💭 “This means I’ll fail.” →
💭 “If I fail, I’ll lose everything.” →
💭 “My life is ruined.”

From one drop of rain → to a hurricane of fear.

Level 4: Full Monkey Cyclone (Conspiracy Thinking 🤯)

• “The government controls the weather.”
• “They created this storm on purpose.”
• “The whole thing is fake.”

Now thought is completely detached from reality.

It happens in our minds, too:

• “Everyone is against me.”
• “I will always be unhappy.”
• “I’ll never get better.”

None of these are based on real data.

But the deeper we go, the more real they feel.

2. How to Catch Your Monkeys 🐒

💡 Ask yourself:

• Am I dealing with raw data (awareness)?
• Or am I lost in a thought-storm?

☀ Pull yourself back to Level 1.

• Instead of “I’m failing at everything” → “I feel anxious right now.”
• Instead of “I’ll never be happy” → “Right now, I feel low.”

That shift cuts through the storm.

Because awareness never lies.

3. Today’s Practice: Be Your Own Meteorologist

🌪 Notice your thoughts.
💭 Are they pure facts? Or are they spinning?
📡 Can you bring them back to just what’s happening right now?

Every time we do this, we step out of the storm.

Not because the storm stops.
But because we stop believing it’s everything.

So today, watch your inner weather. ☁

Because you are not the storm.

You are the one watching it. 🌿