This unusual ‘Eye Patch’ technique could help calm your mind and stop negative thinking…
We have all experienced lying in bed, trying to sleep, but a never-ending stream of thoughts or ideas keeps following through our mind. Or perhaps you find it difficult to control negative thoughts? If so, you are not alone.
The average person has around 20,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day. For most people, 80-90 percent of those thoughts are negative, and 95 percent are the same repetitive thoughts as the day before. That’s a huge amount of useless, negative stuff rolling around in your head. However, did you know that all negative thinking is generated by one side of your brain in particular?
The Eye Patch Technique is an effective way for quieting the mind and stopping the pattern of negative thinking.
While we only have one brain, there are two halves – a right and a left side. These halves are connected by a cluster of nerves called the corpus callosum, that pass information back and forth. Most of us tend to be either right or left-brain-dominant.
The two sides of the brain think in different ways. The right-brain is visual and gathers information by first looking at the whole picture then the details. The left-brain is verbal and collects information by looking first at the pieces then putting them together to get the whole picture.
The right-brain is more positive, intuitive and emotional and controls the left side of the body. The left-brain is analytical, critical, judgmental and sequential and controls the right. If the left side of the brain is damaged or removed, you are in spiritual bliss! You won’t function very well, but you would be super happy since this is the side of the brain that generates negative thoughts.
People who favour the right side of their brain tend to be more creative and intuitive. They see things as a whole and are interested in art, connecting with others and emotions. They tend to be a bit scattered-brained and not very organised. Left-brain-dominant people tend to find right-brained people’s way of thinking vague, for they can be quite the opposite in the way they think.
Left brainers tend to be more analytical and logical in their thinking and usually excel at maths and literacy skills. This does not mean that someone who is left, or right-brain dominant doesn’t use the other side of their brain. Even though one side may be dominant, the two parts of the brain work together.
So how does the Eye Patch Technique work? By covering the right eye with a patch while keeping the eye open, the left-brain activity is slowed significantly and causes your brain to send more information through the nerves between the brain halves. You should always patch the right eye first and then the left to create balance and strengthen the connection between both sides of the brain. This, in turn, forces your brain to create new neural connections and helps your brain to grow and perceive the world in a more balanced way. The overall effect is a decrease in negative thoughts, a quiet and focused mind, and greater emotional intelligence.
Patching can cause you to develop a new perspective on life. It can help you change your mind about a situation within minutes, and over time, improve your happiness and relationships.