The surface meaning of this statement is straightforward: the human mind, in its constant churn of thoughts and plans, deludes itself into believing it can exert mastery over its own processes. It believes it can choose which thoughts to have, when to stop thinking, or how to direct its attention with absolute precision.

In the context of modern non-dual teachings, particularly as articulated by Eckhart Tolle, this illusion is the very foundation of the egoic self. The ego is not a separate entity but a construct of identification with the thinking mind. This identification creates the sense of a 'controller' who is separate from the 'controlled' thoughts. The deeper truth, however, is that the mind is a field of energy and consciousness, not a machine to be operated. The attempt to control it is itself a thought, a product of the very thing it seeks to manage. True freedom, as Tolle emphasizes, comes not from controlling the mind but from disidentifying from it, observing its patterns without judgment, and recognizing the silent awareness that underlies all mental activity. This awareness is the 'Now,' the only reality where the illusion of a separate, controlling self dissolves.

In your life: Notice the urge to control your thoughts when you feel anxious or overwhelmed. Instead of fighting them, try to simply observe them as passing mental events, recognizing the space of awareness in which they arise and pass away.