freddymac, I understand the 'overactive' mind thing.
So I'll ask you, what are your thoughts?
Energy.
Chunyi once said that our pain can be our greatest teacher. I am really starting to see this as true. Not only is our pain a good teacher, but our erratic and wandering mind is the very key you need to control it.
One of the most important parts in your SFQ right now is to recognize when you have left the state of concentration/meditation. It's very easy to let the mind wander, but it's seemingly more difficult to recognize it. So, everytime you are AWARE of the fact that your thoughts/focus slipped and you bring them back to meditation...that is progress.
I'm not saying that I'm right and that my method is absolute, just telling you what worked for me. If it doesn't solve your problem, I hoped to have atleast helped. Here goes:
Everytime your thoughts carry you away, just view them as vibrating orbs of light (or whatever works for you) and watch them dissipate. The very fact of observing energy has a dramatic impact on it's behavior. If you THINK of your thoughts, they will carry you away. If you observe your thoughts and emotions as what they really are (Energy) then it's much harder for them to carry you away.
The process goes:
Thought arises->Observe as energy->go back to Emptiness*
Repeat as often as thoughts arise. Gradually, you will get better and better at staying into the Emptiness. In fact, anytime a thought arises, it will be your instant gate-back into meditation.
Stay with it, you'll get it!
I hope to have helped!
~Z
