“these thoughts occur” (Page 24, Big Book)
Thoughts are like letters. The postal service is constantly posting letters through the door.
One does not need to open every letter and ruminate on it. Even if the letter has to be opened, one can leave it to later. On some letters one merely writes, ‘Return to sender,’ and takes them out to pop them in a postbox.
Depression and anxiety are the emotional correlates of depressing and anxious thoughts.
One might be bombarded by post, like the Dursleys were bombarded by owls in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, but one need not open any of the post.
Unlike Hogwarts, which will eventually send Hagrid so that the message gets through, the ego will eventually give up if one holds fast to the trust that God will provide salvation.
Evagrius of Pontus: counter each thought with ‘speaking the word of God’ out loud.
The voiced word is more powerful than the thoughts that merely occur and drop onto the mat.