The Gita and the mind

Intrusive thoughts and OCD: a psychiatrist reads the Gita

Doctor saw a great deal of obsessive compulsive disorder, OCD, in his early years as a psychiatrist. In Session 9 of the podcast he explains what it is, how it differs from simply being tidy, and why rituals calm us. Elsewhere in the podcast, reading the Gita, he explains why the mind cannot be forced. This page brings the two together.

Obsessions and compulsions

OCD has two parts. In his words, obsessions are “repetitive thoughts about something or the other that they cannot get rid of from their mind”. Compulsions are “actions things that they do that they cannot stop”. Some people have mostly obsessions, some mostly compulsions, and some a mix of both.

What intrusive thoughts can look like

He gives examples from his practice. One patient, driving, kept thinking they had heard a thud and hit someone. They would stop the car, look around, and drive round the block to check. Others check again and again that the gas is off or the front door is locked. Some wash their hands over and over, or fear bringing dirt into the house.

Other obsessions are unwanted thoughts about sex, religion or harm. A very religious person looks at a holy statue and an unwanted thought crosses their mind, and they ask: “why do these thoughts … come into my head?” There can be aggressive thoughts towards others or oneself, a need for things to be in perfect order, or counting over and over again.

When tidy is not a disorder

He is clear that being meticulous is not an illness. He would want his surgeon to tie off every vessel and his accountant to get every number right. Everyone should take pride in their work and keep their space neat.

The difference is how much distress it causes, to you and to those around you. Fifty years ago, when every home had ashtrays, a husband might bring his wife in and say one speck of ash drove her into a panic. She saw nothing wrong; everyone around her found it hard to live with. A young man who learns in the Marines that everything has a place and everything has to be in its place, and finds peace in that, has no disorder. It gives him peace instead of stress.

Why rituals calm us

Most religions, he notes, offer a repetitive ritual to help people feel calmer, such as saying the rosary a set number of times. Rituals help bind anxiety, and people like orderliness. In OCD the same thing happens, but in his words “it’s run away with itself”.

In his reading of the Gita, a ritual done blindly lets the mind wander. Done with knowledge of why you are doing it, it leads to concentration.

A mind you cannot force

Reading Chapter 6, he describes the mind as carrying fears, jealousy, sadness and guilt from long ago. It is far more powerful than we are. Order it to be quiet and it reacts like a child dragged out of a toy shop: it throws a tantrum.

So the Gita’s way is not force. He suggests making a deal with the mind, the way a parent bargains with a child. If something is nagging at you, acknowledge it, plan what you will do about it, and put it aside for now. “You make a deal with your mind because your mind is much more powerful than you are.”

Every second a new thought

He describes what happens when most of us sit down to meditate: “every second a new thought will pop in or the same thought will keep revising itself over and over again.” That, he says, is why a quieter mind comes slowly, by reducing the desires that make the noise.

Krishna in verse 6.35 says the restless mind can be controlled with practice and letting go. Doctor stresses that this letting go does not come from willpower. It comes from knowledge, and practice is a routine kept up day after day.

A healthy mind is one you do not notice

When your heart and lungs are healthy, you do not feel them. “That’s how your mind should be you should not know that your mind is there.” Instead, he says, the mind keeps sending out worry, fear and other signals that remind us it is there.

More on this: Is your mind your friend or your enemy?.

When to see a doctor

He is clear that OCD itself is a condition for a doctor. Fifty years ago, people came to him at a very advanced stage. “In the last 20 years or so we have very good treatment for it,” he says, and today people come earlier, often because their families tell them to go and get help. The Gita can help with an everyday restless mind. If intrusive thoughts or rituals are taking over your life, talk to a doctor.

More on this: The Bhagavad Gita on anxiety and fear.

These pages share teachings from the Gita, not medical advice. They are not a treatment for OCD. If unwanted thoughts or rituals take up your time, upset you or the people around you, please speak to a doctor. Help is available.