Meditation: On Standing Porter At The Door Of Thought

Mary Baker Eddy, the 19th-century author and founder of the Christian Science movement, advised (in her book Science and Health) that we “stand porter at the door of thought.”

The notion has really stuck with me since first hearing it in a podcast a couple of years ago. I like to imagine a teeny-tiny me stood in front of a huge portcullis of a gigantic castle armed with nothing more than a little lantern and a few choice words to stop any invading thoughts and ideas from getting inside.

Many of our beliefs are not our own. We’re high susceptible to status quo and mob mentality and nothing takes root quite so firmly as the ideals and beliefs that our primary caregivers instilled in us while our minds were permanently switched to “receive”.

It can be an uncomfortable and even distressing experience to realise that we don’t truly believe in our own beliefs and that much of our behaviours are determined by a program we would not have installed if we were given the choice.

So to “stand porter at the door of thought” is of the greatest importance, perhaps now more than ever in this information age. Don’t worry, this isn’t a ‘delete all your apps and join my commune’ kind of piece but we should definitely start with social media. How many people do you follow? How many do you know and trust? How many make you feel truly good about yourself and where you’re at in life? I imagine the numbers decreased with each question.

We absorb everything whether we realise it or not. A recent study suggested that the human brain has the capacity to store 1 ‘petabyte’ of data (that’s about the entire internet!) and it’s a bit of a “what goes up…” situation which means we need to be more intentional with where we place our attention.

The same rules apply to the people with whom we socialise and work. Jim Rohn famously said “you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. Consider this for a moment. Are the people you keep around you empowering, encouraging, enlightening and enthusing you? Or are they toxic sacks of sh*t? Hopefully, it isn’t that clear cut. But if you do have a lot of negative nellies around you then you should consider what effect this has on you and how you might protect yourself.

We should consider our own effects on those around us too.

“If you're playing a poker game and you look around the table and and can't tell who the sucker is, it's you.”

• Paul Newman

Going back to social media… How many people follow you? A good friend of mine finds the phraseology so bizarre. Following. I have to agree. It’s creepy and conceited all at once. Either way, you have a responsibility to your followers/disciples/fellow humans. Are you being intentional and conscious with what you’re sharing? Are you, before posting, following Bernard Meltzer’s simple mantra: “is it true? is it kind? is it necessary?”

Those held at the lofty heights of society’s attention and focus i.e. leaders and celebrities have the greatest responsibility and we find that any abuse of that is swiftly judged in our increasingly black and white cancel culture. This shouldn’t surprise anyone though. Great attention and following does not equate to great love and compassion.

“Always remember that the crowd that applauds your coronation is the same crowd that will applaud your beheading.”

- Terry Pratchett

In my experience: the smaller your circle is, the richer your relationships are.

Even so, we must stand porter. We have the ability to falsely and negatively influence ourselves and, in my even greater experience, if the mind is allowed to run unchecked you can find yourself facing some big challenges.

This year I have begun journaling and, I find, being able to filter my thoughts through the pen and seeing them laid out objectively on the page is a great way to unburden the mind and buttress a positive disposition.

Ultimately, it’s not about denying the existence of negative thoughts and influences but limiting your exposure.