The Devil's Mind by Gary Hopkins
May, 2008
What the heck is "Devil Mind"? I said the very same thing when I heard this term for the first time. I first imagined demonic possessions, cult members and the like. However, what I discovered was that this is a reference to a type of anxiety condition where a person will play out several negative fantasies in their head, until they are literally in a state of rage.
Some examples of this could be:
1) You are at work. A co-worker walks by and starts inviting everyone in the office for a drink after work. Maybe in the confusion of chatting with everyone, he/she forgets to invite you in a direct manner (even though it was obviously a general invite for all) and then walks off. You (experiencing the devil mind) may take offense and then quietly you walk off and replay the scene in your head several times with many different outcomes, all of which end in you heroically putting this person "in their place" for being so rude.
2) Or, you have a sour conversation with a friend or loved one late in the evening. Then (experiencing devil mind) over the next several hours, you start to play out that very conversation in your head with all the things that "you should have said" or what you "want to say" when you engage this person the next time. All of a sudden you are angry and it is very late and you have lost sleep.
Sound familiar? More than likely you have your own version of this type of behavior in your life. If you do not, then I say "Bravo" to you. Since, I believe that this effects the majority of the people in our society. The more I encounter this topic with others the more I hear about some version of this in peoples lives. For some this happens daily. Imagine what a living nightmare that would be.
Whatever the scenario may be that puts you in this state of mind doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you have just created a fantasy world within your mind filled with nothing but negativity and sometimes, even rage. Often this gives a person an unfair view of the world and the people around them. Instead of having genuinely happy thoughts, your mind is filled with anxiety and chaos.
In severe conditions, I have seen persons make themselves physically sick from this type of behavior: Stomach problems, severe headaches, flu-like symptoms and on occasion, much worse. Mentally, this can make you highly irritable and in some cases socially withdrawn. Obviously, If this behavior goes unchecked, it can drive a serious wedge into the relationships in your life, or maybe even destroy them.
So, what can we do about this? Well, that cure is different for everyone. For me, A regimen of meditation and a combination of study, consisting of energy work, religion and different cultural philosophies, gave me a lot of insight, not only into myself but also gave me a purpose to steer myself away from this type of behavior.
I believe the Devil Mind to be a bored and unchallenged one. Thus the need to create the fantasies to occupy itself. Anything that can divert your mind in a positive manner (I believe) will have the same effect as my own personal regimen stated above.
Even something as simple as getting a hobby can take your mind and lifestyle in an entirely new and rewarding direction. For some, it may be joining a bowling league, reading, or maybe joining a spiritual circle of some kind, etc. etc. This can be anything you can imagine. So, if you are plagued with this affliction, or even if it is occasional, then try something new. If it doesn’t work on the first try, try something else. The world is filled with possibilities, so you should not have any problem with choices.
Just know that this is much more common place than you might think. You are not alone in this. Almost everyone, if not everyone, has had some form of this in his or her life. What you do about it is what makes the difference, not only in your life but in the lives of the others connected to you.
May, 2008
What the heck is "Devil Mind"? I said the very same thing when I heard this term for the first time. I first imagined demonic possessions, cult members and the like. However, what I discovered was that this is a reference to a type of anxiety condition where a person will play out several negative fantasies in their head, until they are literally in a state of rage.
Some examples of this could be:
1) You are at work. A co-worker walks by and starts inviting everyone in the office for a drink after work. Maybe in the confusion of chatting with everyone, he/she forgets to invite you in a direct manner (even though it was obviously a general invite for all) and then walks off. You (experiencing the devil mind) may take offense and then quietly you walk off and replay the scene in your head several times with many different outcomes, all of which end in you heroically putting this person "in their place" for being so rude.
2) Or, you have a sour conversation with a friend or loved one late in the evening. Then (experiencing devil mind) over the next several hours, you start to play out that very conversation in your head with all the things that "you should have said" or what you "want to say" when you engage this person the next time. All of a sudden you are angry and it is very late and you have lost sleep.
Sound familiar? More than likely you have your own version of this type of behavior in your life. If you do not, then I say "Bravo" to you. Since, I believe that this effects the majority of the people in our society. The more I encounter this topic with others the more I hear about some version of this in peoples lives. For some this happens daily. Imagine what a living nightmare that would be.
Whatever the scenario may be that puts you in this state of mind doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you have just created a fantasy world within your mind filled with nothing but negativity and sometimes, even rage. Often this gives a person an unfair view of the world and the people around them. Instead of having genuinely happy thoughts, your mind is filled with anxiety and chaos.
In severe conditions, I have seen persons make themselves physically sick from this type of behavior: Stomach problems, severe headaches, flu-like symptoms and on occasion, much worse. Mentally, this can make you highly irritable and in some cases socially withdrawn. Obviously, If this behavior goes unchecked, it can drive a serious wedge into the relationships in your life, or maybe even destroy them.
So, what can we do about this? Well, that cure is different for everyone. For me, A regimen of meditation and a combination of study, consisting of energy work, religion and different cultural philosophies, gave me a lot of insight, not only into myself but also gave me a purpose to steer myself away from this type of behavior.
I believe the Devil Mind to be a bored and unchallenged one. Thus the need to create the fantasies to occupy itself. Anything that can divert your mind in a positive manner (I believe) will have the same effect as my own personal regimen stated above.
Even something as simple as getting a hobby can take your mind and lifestyle in an entirely new and rewarding direction. For some, it may be joining a bowling league, reading, or maybe joining a spiritual circle of some kind, etc. etc. This can be anything you can imagine. So, if you are plagued with this affliction, or even if it is occasional, then try something new. If it doesn’t work on the first try, try something else. The world is filled with possibilities, so you should not have any problem with choices.
Just know that this is much more common place than you might think. You are not alone in this. Almost everyone, if not everyone, has had some form of this in his or her life. What you do about it is what makes the difference, not only in your life but in the lives of the others connected to you.
