--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people assume that meditation is all…" description: "\"Most people assume that meditation is all about stopping thoughts, getting rid of emotions, somehow controlling the mind. But actually it's ... about s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8b/andy-puddicombe-57273_assuming_most-people-assume-that-meditation-is-al_2753783.jpg" --- # Most people assume that meditation is all about stopping… ![“Most people assume that meditation is all about stopping thoughts, getting rid of emotions, somehow controlling the mind. But actually it's ... about stepping back, seeing the thought clearly, witnessing it coming and going.” quote by Andy Puddicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8b/andy-puddicombe-57273_assuming_most-people-assume-that-meditation-is-al_2753783.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8b/andy-puddicombe-57273_assuming_most-people-assume-that-meditation-is-al_2753783.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8b/andy-puddicombe-57273_assuming_most-people-assume-that-meditation-is-al_2753783.jpg) > “Most people assume that meditation is all about stopping thoughts, getting rid of emotions, somehow controlling the mind. But actually it's ... about stepping back, seeing the thought clearly, witnessing it coming and going.” [Andy Puddicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-puddicombe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Meditation is observing thoughts without attachment, not suppressing them. **In simple terms:** Watch thoughts pass like clouds. Key Takeaway Practice non‑judgmental awareness. Themes mindfulness awareness acceptance mental health Mood calm focused Type instructional philosophical When to use this quote - stress reduction - focus training - emotional regulation Key Concepts cognitive observation psychological flexibility contemplation Questions to Reflect On - How does observing thoughts change reactions? - What habits help maintain this practice? A Different Perspective Some may misinterpret meditation as escapism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Controlling Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controlling-mind/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Stepping back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stepping-back/) ## Related quotes > [Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are more than our thoughts and our feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/meditation-is-not-about-stopping-thoughts-but-recognizing-that-we-are/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [“Shadow turned, slowly, streaming images of himself as he moved, frozen moments, each him captured in a fraction of a second, every tiny movement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/shadow-turned-slowly-streaming-images-of-himself-as-he-moved-frozen/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Sunlight and seeing something that was a thought become a thing and materialize - that makes me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/sunlight-and-seeing-something-that-was-a-thought-become-a-thing-and/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [“Thoughts, by their nature, come and go endlessly in you. But you are not the thought; you are the one seeing the thought, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enza-vita/thoughts-by-their-nature-come-and-go-endlessly-in-you-but-you-are-not/) [Enza Vita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enza-vita/) > [I think it's obvious that the psychedelics are demonized and illegalized by our society because somewhere in our society are controlling minds that realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-hancock/i-think-it-s-obvious-that-the-psychedelics-are-demonized-and/) [Graham Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-hancock/) > [“i could tell that the speed was affecting my heart rate and i could only sleep for a couple of hours at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-kilgariff/i-could-tell-that-the-speed-was-affecting-my-heart-rate-and-i-could/) [Karen Kilgariff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-kilgariff/) > [“The apotheosis of the controlling mind is monstrous and terrifying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/the-apotheosis-of-the-controlling-mind-is-monstrous-and-terrifying/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [“You see, a binge is almost always inevitable when one goes withut eating for such a long period of time. It doesn't just satisfy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leanne-waters/you-see-a-binge-is-almost-always-inevitable-when-one-goes-withut/) [Leanne Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leanne-waters/) > [It is fair to say that science provides no method of controlling the mind. Scientific work on the brain does not explain the mind-not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilder-penfield/it-is-fair-to-say-that-science-provides-no-method-of-controlling-the/) [Wilder Penfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilder-penfield/) > [“The most practical of all methods for controlling the mind is the habit of keeping it busy with a definite purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/the-most-practical-of-all-methods-for-controlling-the-mind-is-the-3/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [“The most practical of all methods for controlling the mind is the habit of keeping it busy with a definite purpose, backed by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-most-practical-of-all-methods-for-controlling-the-mind-is-the-2/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“The pictures on your walls are controlling your mind; prune them, or they make you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anikor-daniel/the-pictures-on-your-walls-are-controlling-your-mind-prune-them-or/) [ANIKOR Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anikor-daniel/) > [“Everything in your current REALITY began with your MENTALITY. By controlling your mind, you can control your destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-bokhari/everything-in-your-current-reality-began-with-your-mentality-by/) Dean Bokhari > [Technologies for stimulating the brain and controlling the mind can have benefits, but they have a dark side that military and intelligence planners have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-begich/technologies-for-stimulating-the-brain-and-controlling-the-mind-can/) Nick Begich > [The most practical of all methods for controlling the mind is the habit of keeping it busy with a definite purpose, backed by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-most-practical-of-all-methods-for-controlling-the-mind-is-the/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) ## More by Andy Puddicombe > [Take time to smell the roses. Appreciating the little things in life really can make all the difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-puddicombe/take-time-to-smell-the-roses-appreciating-the-little-things-in-life/) [Andy Puddicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-puddicombe/) > [“This distinction between headspace and the emotion of happiness is an important one. For some reason we’ve come to believe that happiness should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-puddicombe/this-distinction-between-headspace-and-the-emotion-of-happiness-is-an/) [Andy Puddicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-puddicombe/) > [Meditation is about learning how to rest in uncertainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-puddicombe/meditation-is-about-learning-how-to-rest-in-uncertainty/) [Andy Puddicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-puddicombe/) > [We can't change every little thing that happens to us in life, but we can change the way that we experience it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-puddicombe/we-can-t-change-every-little-thing-that-happens-to-us-in-life-but-we/) [Andy Puddicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-puddicombe/) > [We can’t change every little thing that happens to us in life, but we can change the way that we experience it. That’s the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-puddicombe/we-can-t-change-every-little-thing-that-happens-to-us-in-life-but-we-2/) [Andy Puddicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-puddicombe/) [Explore all 6 Andy Puddicombe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-puddicombe/) ## More Assuming quotes > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/) [Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/) [Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most people assume that meditation is all about stopping thoughts, getting rid of emotions, somehow controlling the mind. 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