The following is a quote from one of the great mystics,“ … incredibly powerful are thoughts and the ability to imagine. They place a person in an illusionary place as if it where really true. At that moment the person is totally elevated from the nonsense and trivia of the corporeal. His awareness and aspirations are carried away, his thoughts are dancing, elevated in the realm of the spirit and soul, and his flesh (if it hurts) is estranged from him…”
The Baal Shem Tov said, “Where a person’s thoughts are, that is where the person is.”
In the Zohar it says “man - he is thought”. What is man and where is he?? In his thoughts.
Through thoughts, the soul of a person, his feelings and his life are drawn and expressed. Strength and weakness in a person’s life are all from his thoughts. Thought is compared to a funnel. Just like through a funnel, the water is given shape and directed; it is through the garment and funnel of thought that the soul streams and is revealed.
When a person’s thoughts take on a certain shape and direction, the soul will follow that direction. Thoughts that accentuate optimism and happy beliefs will bring the soul to those places. Opposite thoughts force the soul and everything about the person to subdue itself to that negative pattern.
The influence of a good thought on the soul is even greater than speech and action, the other garments of the soul, as we explained previously, because of its closeness and constant attachment with the soul.
G-dly words and inspiration, for example the book of psalms, are the ultimate thoughts of wisdom and light, and are particularly beneficial to influence, mold, and direct the soul for the good.
When a person thinks G-dly thoughts, it will surround the soul and encompass the soul with Holiness and this will trigger from within the soul a shine and infinite light that knows no bounds. This will cause the soul, a spark of G-d, to bring out the best and the strongest of goodness from the soul.
Thoughts that are the opposite of Holiness and G-dliness will cause tremendous damage, by surrounding and strangling the soul. This choice, to think non-worthy, negative thoughts will shift the soul away from its light and strength to a place of darkness for the person.
The positive influence from a good thought, finer speech and actions is much greater on the soul than a bad one. “Much greater is the measure of goodness over the measure of punishment.”
A small positive light will chase away much darkness from a large dark room. Positive, inspiring thoughts are more powerful than the darkness caused by negative thoughts.
The more we accustom and train ourselves to think positive thoughts, the more we train our souls to flow in a positive direction and we chase away and cleanse our souls from the negative effects that the bad garments have made on our soul.
The positive influence from a good thought, finer speech and actions is much greater on the soul than a bad one. “Much greater is the measure of goodness over the measure of punishment.”
A small positive light will chase away much darkness from a large dark room. Positive, inspiring thoughts are more powerful than the darkness caused by negative thoughts.
The more we accustom and train ourselves to think positive thoughts, the more we train our souls to flow in a positive direction and we chase away and cleanse our souls from the negative effects that the bad garments have made on our soul.