Every person, at some point in life, faces mental and emotional ruins which become negative thinking patterns.

We explored the One Brain method in a previous article, it’s worth checking it out before.

Negative thinking patterns are the remains of past failures, spiritual confusion, emotional blockages, and ingrained habits that seem impossible to break. In the language of Kabbalah, this is the concept of Shevirat HaKelim, the shattering of the vessels that occurred in the early stages of creation (the primordial Sefirot of the world of Nekudim).

Just as the world was built from a broken starting point, so too the human mind often begins its work from the wreckage of past experiences.

But within the ruins lie sparks waiting to be redeemed. Rebuilding the mind is not simply a psychological process. It is a spiritual act, rooted in the soul’s mission to uplift what Hashem has given us throughout our lives.

The process of uprooting negative patterns is tied to the work of birur (“sifting” of the sparks). With the right tools from authentic Jewish sources, a person can move from inner chaos to clarity, from confusion to directed purpose. Essentially this means bringing down the missing 9 Sephirot of the name Ba”N (=52) and the 10 new Sephirot of the name Ma”H (=45) to the relevant Partzufim that are missing them.

1. Recognizing the Ruins: Where Do Negative Thinking Patterns Begin?

Before a person can begin to rebuild, they must first recognize what lies broken. In every session I use the One Brain method, we talk about what is most bothering the patient. The problem is that negative thinking patterns are often so deeply ingrained that they feel like personality traits. They feel often “justified” and “right”, sometimes even a “Mitzvah”.

In truth, they are layers of spiritual concealment. The Arizal teaches that every soul descends with a specific tikkun, a mission that often brings a person into contact with specific weaknesses embedded into their energy body. These weaknesses are not random. They are rooted in the 7 lower Sephirot that fell, which need to Mokhin to be rectified.

In many cases, negative thinking patterns come from spiritual residue (from gilgulim, reincarnations), trauma, generational habits passed on, or sinful thoughts that were never corrected. With proper energy work and sometimes Teshuva, it’s possible to free oneself from them.

Moreover, Rav Chaim Vital explains that these patterns create a spiritual blockage, known as timtum ha’lev or timtum ha’moach, a dullness of heart and mind. This dullness causes the person to live reactively, falling into the same cycles again and again without clarity or intention.

Recognizing these ruins is the first act of inner truth and humility and of course, of healing.

2. Kabbalistic Tools for Uprooting Patterns

The Torah does not leave us empty-handed.

The teachings of the Arizal, the Rashash (R’ Shalom Sharabi), and other masters give us precise tools to repair what is broken. One of the main paths is through focused intention during daily mitzvot. For example, saying Shema Yisrael with full kavanah (mindful focus) is not just a ritual. It is a spiritual reset that grounds us in Emunah and Bittul (nulification) to God.

Another powerful tool is the use of yichudim (holy unifications) where specific names of Hashem are meditated on to reconnect fragmented parts of the soul. These are not vague mystical ideas. They are practical techniques that, when learned properly, begin to strip away the old layers and allow new clarity to enter.

Even simple acts like netilat yadayim in the morning or saying Modeh Ani with intention can begin to reverse years of mental stagnation. Rebuilding the mind begins with honoring small acts of spiritual discipline, done with deep presence.

One simple intention a person can use is imagining the thinking pattern leaving him (as a smudge, for example) and vanishing completely. It takes time and practice because many times one may think that the thinking pattern left, when in reality it didn’t, or at least not entirely.

3. The Role of Da’at: Consciousness and Choice

We saw in many articles and webinars that Da’at is not just knowledge.

In Kabbalah, it is the channel that connects intellect to emotion, allowing higher understanding to flow into lived experience. Without Da’at, even the holiest concepts remain theoretical. When a person strengthens Da’at, they begin to see the root of their behavior with honest clarity and make deliberate changes rather than acting on impulse.

The Zohar teaches that Da’at is the “soul to all the lower Sefirot.” It is the power of choosing what to focus on, what to internalize, and what to reject. Strengthening Da’at involves guarding one’s thoughts, filtering out harmful mental images, and replacing them ideally with words of truth and that have a higher vibrational frequency.

When we activate this power, we begin to live with awareness and this awareness is the first step to breaking the cycle of habit by introducing presence and responsibility into every decision.

4. Traditional Healing Meets Inner Work

While the spiritual tools of Torah repair the soul, the body also carries the imprint of mental patterns. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), though not part of Jewish tradition, offers practical insights that aligns perfectly with Kabbalistic thought.

TCM identifies organs not just as physical systems but as emotional centers. For example, the liver holds anger and frustration, the lungs hold grief. These teachings mirror what Rabbi Chaim Vital taught in his work Shaarei Kedusha, about the correlation between spiritual deficiencies and physical ailments. He explains that transgressions can cause spiritual blemishes, which in turn may lead to physical manifestations in the body.

The Baal Shem Tov, as recorded in Keter Shem Tov, also emphasizes that negative emotions and spiritual misalignments can impact one’s physical health. He teaches that joy and spiritual clarity are essential for maintaining both spiritual and physical well-being.

By combining somatic practices, such as acupressure, breathing techniques, or mindful movement, with intention rooted in Torah, a person can begin to release not only mental tension but also stored emotional energy. These tools help move what Kabbalah calls koach hanefesh (vital soul energy) back into proper flow. The result is not just awareness but a physical shift toward calm, order, and resilience.

5. From Ruin to Renewal: Becoming a New Vessel

The final stage in uprooting negative patterns is not just avoiding the past but building a new internal structure that integrates it, thereby bringing a person from a “state of no-choice to a state of choice”. Even if you do need a job because of money, it will be because you choose it, not because you are coerced.

The Rambam teaches that real teshuvah occurs when a person faces the same test and chooses differently. Now this doesn’t mean to put oneself in the same dangerous situation of a sin, but rather that if he was put in that situation, he’d choose differently. This is the creation of a new vessel. One who does this is no longer defined by previous failure but becomes a builder of inner holiness.

Kabbalistically, this is called becoming a kelim chadashim, new containers for Divine light. It requires consistency, boundaries, and a new rhythm of life. Establishing fixed times for Torah, choosing uplifting environments, and limiting access to distractions all shape the new mind. Over time, the ruins become foundations.

What was once a cycle of destruction becomes a pattern of growth.

Conclusion

The mind can fall into ruin through negative thinking patterns, but it can also be rebuilt with holiness, order, and strength. Uprooting these thinking patterns is not a modern concept. It is the ancient, sacred work of refining the soul.

Da’at is the beginning and through practical tools, spiritual alignment, and embodied healing, a person transforms and can radiate blessing.

The journey may be hidden from the world, but it is recorded above with every small act of repair.

In the end, this is what we were created for, to lift the sparks buried within us and build vessels that hold the light of Hashem in thought, word, and action.

May we all merit it.