How to Practice Mind Control
Lessons from 'Every Thought Captive' by Kyle Idleman
“Your life is the person you’re becoming, and we so often think of our life in terms of our accomplishments, but I think that’s a very tragic mistake. What you get out of your life and what God gets out of your life is the person you become.” - Dallas Willard
Let’s discuss mind control. Not the boring kind where you try to control someone else’s mind. I’m talking about the crucial skill of guiding your own mind.
“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” - Proverbs 4:23
Our thoughts shape our brains and create our lives. If water runs over land consistently for a period of time, it will form rivulets, which become streams, and eventually turn into rivers. In the same way, our repeated thoughts are like rivers in our minds. They’ll flow consistently in the same direction unless we change their path.
How do we guide our minds instead of letting them run wild? Here’s the answer Paul gave:
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 10:5
‘Take captive every thought’ means we control our thoughts instead of letting them control us. It’s a conscious choice to direct our thoughts in the way we want them to go. And yes, it’s possible.
Start With Self-Reflection
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” - Romans 12:2
So, how do we change these patterns of thought? In his book ‘Every Thought Captive’, Kyle Idleman begins with a simple exercise to become aware of our thought patterns:
Look in a mirror for a few minutes and ask yourself two questions: ‘Who am I becoming?’ and ‘Is that who I want to become?’
I did this exercise on a short walk and found it enlightening. How about you?
Take Captive Every Thought
Today, I’ll share three techniques for guiding your thoughts and ‘taking every thought captive’:
1. Reframe Your Thoughts
Every thought or experience can be viewed in a positive or negative light. We often default to the negative view, and that can send our minds spiralling. By choosing to view each situation from a positive perspective, our thoughts become more uplifting.
This isn’t just ‘positive thinking’. It’s deciding how you view your life. For example, think of a time you made a mistake. You can either be grateful for the lesson you learned from it, or beat yourself up for what it cost you. The irony of life is that growth shows up disguised as suffering, so there’s always something to be grateful for.
2. Create Your Moods
Our moods depend on the neurotransmitters our brain releases, which we can control. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that affect how you feel, and they’re released by your thoughts and actions.
Here are a few examples:
Dopamine - Think deeply about something you’re excited about, like a goal, trip, or experience. Imagine what it’ll be like to go on that trip or accomplish your goal, and focus on how you’ll feel when it happens.
Serotonin - Spend time thinking about things you’re grateful for. Picture each one vividly and let the sensation of gratitude flow through you.
Oxytocin - Spend time connecting with other people, especially your loved ones. Oxytocin is released by touch, deep conversations, and even eye contact.
3. Challenge Your Assumptions
“Our thoughts provide a filter that interprets what people say and do, which in turn determines our emotional response and personal connection.” - Kyle Idleman
Since we can’t read minds, we must interpret others’ behavior with our own minds. Our thoughts will determine the assumptions we make about their motives. Becoming aware of this helps us avoid misunderstandings by not assuming the motive for someone’s behavior.
Idleman suggests asking yourself these questions to understand how you interpret someone’s behavior:
When I make assumptions about someone’s intentions, do I assume the best, or do I assume the worst?
When I think about my past with this person, what do I remember?
What narrative do I tell myself about this person when I have to fill in the gaps?
It’s Up to You…
Try one of these techniques the next time you find yourself caught in a negative thought loop.
The goal is to get closer to the ideal that Paul shared in his letter to the Philippians:
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” - Philippians 4:8
I recommend reading Every Thought Captive by Kyle Idleman to learn more about this topic. And subscribe below to receive articles on spiritual disciplines (like this one) in your inbox every week!
