CONVERSATIONS WITH ANNAMALAI SWAMI says : “Q: How can one learn not to react when vasanas arise in the mind? Is there anything special that we should be looking out for?
AS: You must learn to recognize them when they arise. That is the only way. If you can catch them early enough and frequently enough they will not cause you much trouble. If you want to pay attention to a special area of danger, watch how the five senses operate. It is the nature of the mind to seek stimulation through the five senses. The mind catches hold of sense impressions and processes them in such a way that they produce long chains of uncontrolled thoughts. Learn to watch how your senses behave. Learn to watch how the mind reacts to sense impressions. If you can stop the mind from reacting to sense impressions you can eliminate a large number of your vasanas.”