Imo the way meditation works is, you learn how to focus on 1 particular thing, whenever you mind goes out of focus, wanders off, you are able to take it back to the task at hand. If you are having negative thoughts, you're able to block them out, to stop thinking at all or to think about something else. That's why meditation is good for your mental health. Of course this is assuming that you have done a lot of meditation to reap the rewards.
Basically you are able to switch tasks and change your thinking in a flexible way. If the thoughts you're having are negative you can switch to something else. If you're doing something unproductive you can switch to something more productive.
Seems to me like stimulants have a different effect, instead of making you be able to switch your thoughts at will, you basically get really focused on 1 particular thing, or on particular thoughts you're having at the moment. So you're not able to use your mind in a flexible way and change your task at hand.
For example: You're supposed to be studying for an exam, instead you're playing video games, you'll be really focused on the video game that you're playing and it will be hard to break that focus to start studying.
If you're thinking about something negative or maybe just thinking about things that are inconsequential, you'll keep thinking about them because you're so focused.
Does this actually teach your mind to be unflexible?
Does this make any sense? Any thoughts on this?
Edited by newguy5, 20 November 2014 - 03:52 PM.