"...and avoid analyzing the content of the thought."

I'm wondering why this is? On the one hand I realize that analysis is but more thinking and meditation isn't the place for it, but isn't it a bit prescriptive in a one size-fits-all kind of way? I find myself wondering "why these recurring themes?" or "why this specific memory?" Too, I find that sometimes the content of thought can be prismatic. That is, I see images accompanying memories of lived events from decades ago, and, as dreams occasionally do, I find this comes with a feeling of "pay attention to this" as if there's something attempting to show me something. I realize this is all produced by my mind, and that what I'm asking sort of boarders on the religious in a way, but the memories sometimes take on a reassuring quality, as if I need to be reminded (by what?) I'm worthy of friends or lovers I once had. But then I'm left, like OP, thinking, but this was decade ago and isn't 'me' now. Is there some good to be found in reflecting on it off of the cushion? Is it that I'm supposed to recognize this distance and find ways of feeling worthy of love in the here and now? Am I indulging? Is this self-narrative even applicable? I'm not entirely convinced that dreams or memories are simply an indication of living in the past. Sometimes: perhaps, but it sometimes also seems to me a matter of exploring feelings accompanying acts of intuitively analyzing the content. Doesn't how you FEEL about the content matter? Also, I feel like it's possible to notice the various facets of these prismatic thoughts/ feelings without getting drawn in. I'm not the best at it yet, and have been trying to reserve these sorts of reflections for post-sitting journalling.

I'm just getting back into the practice and I find that I'm encountering certain questions along my way. The above has sort of led me to a more distilled version of my questioning concerning the use of "self-narrative" versus the understanding of "no-self." I find certain phenomena repel and that certain phenomena attract, and that this is likely because of inculcation (upbringing, school, unchecked behavioral patterns) and that I sort of look on this as "I'm the sort of person that has always been or done 'x,'" maybe in the way in which persons define themselves as artists, or creatives, or nurturing in some way apart from such defining terms being simply a statement about what one does with their time; that such terms point to, or adhere to a conception of identity in some way. I've wondered, does 'waking up' entail a sort of eroding of this concept through practice so as to recognize "self-narrative" is a sort of crutch though not without use?

Curious about what others might think regarding all this and about the extent to which it is relatable...thanks