node.js - Doing a proper MongoDB Query (TypeError: Converting circular structure to JSON)

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I am querying something that I have done multiple times. Take a look, I can't seem to understand.
/* GET all things */
app.get('/things', function(req, res) {
    var search = req.query.search;
    console.log(search); //works properly and prints strings
    Thing.find({ name: {$regex : search}}, function(err, val) {
        if(err) throw error;
        console.log(val); // returns some horrible JSON
        res.send(JSON.stringify(val)); // Throws TypeError
I thought maybe my query was wrong and that perhaps maybe it's the Mongo shell throwing issues, but when I went into the Mongo shell. 
use dbname
> db.booking.find({name: {$regex: "G"}})
>{ "_id" : ObjectId("58238283565e2c1940b16d48"), "name" : "Go to Lesters"}
This is what happens when I print val. 
Readable {
  pool: null,
  server: null,
  disconnectHandler: 
   { s: { storedOps: [], storeOptions: [Object], topology: [Object] },
     length: [Getter] },
  bson: {},
  ns: 'vectio.booking',
   { find: 'vectio.booking',
     limit: 0,
     skip: 0,
     query: { name: [Object] },
     slaveOk: true,
     readPreference: { preference: 'primary', tags: undefined, options: [Object] } },
  options: 
   { skip: 0,
     limit: 0,
     raw: undefined,
     hint: null,
     timeout: undefined,
     slaveOk: true,
     readPreference: { preference: 'primary', tags: undefined, options: [Object] },
      EventEmitter {
        domain: null,
        _events: {},
        _eventsCount: 0,
        _maxListeners: undefined,
        s: [Object],
        serverConfig: [Getter],
        bufferMaxEntries: [Getter],
        databaseName: [Getter] },
     promiseLibrary: [Function: Promise],
     disconnectHandler: { s: [Object], length: [Getter] } },
  topology: 
   EventEmitter {
     domain: null,
     _events: 
      { reconnect: [Function],
        reconnectFailed: [Function],
        timeout: [Object],
        error: [Object],
        close: [Function],
        destroy: [Object],
        serverDescriptionChanged: [Function],
        serverHeartbeatStarted: [Function],
        serverHeartbeatSucceeded: [Function],
        serverHeartbeatFailed: [Function],
        serverOpening: [Function],
        serverClosed: [Function],
        topologyOpening: [Function],
        topologyClosed: [Function],
        topologyDescriptionChanged: [Function],
        attemptReconnect: [Function],
        monitoring: [Function] },
     _eventsCount: 17,
     _maxListeners: undefined,
     id: 0,
      { options: [Object],
        logger: [Object],
        Cursor: [Object],
        bson: {},
        pool: [Object],
        disconnectHandler: [Object],
        monitoring: true,
        inTopology: false,
        monitoringInterval: 5000,
        topologyId: -1 },
     ismaster: 
      { ismaster: true,
        maxBsonObjectSize: 16777216,
        maxMessageSizeBytes: 48000000,
        maxWriteBatchSize: 1000,
        localTime: 2016-11-09T20:41:56.152Z,
        maxWireVersion: 2,
        minWireVersion: 0,
        ok: 1 },
     lastIsMasterMS: 6,
     monitoringProcessId: 
      Timeout {
        _called: false,
        _idleTimeout: 5000,
        _idlePrev: [Object],
        _idleNext: [Object],
        _idleStart: 255,
        _onTimeout: [Function],
        _repeat: null },
     initalConnect: false,
     wireProtocolHandler: {},
     _type: 'server',
     clientInfo: 
      { driver: [Object],
        os: [Object],
        platform: 'Node.js v6.2.1, LE, mongodb-core: 2.0.13' },
     lastUpdateTime: 0,
     lastWriteDate: 0,
     staleness: 0 },
  cursorState: 
   { cursorId: null,
      { find: 'vectio.booking',
        limit: 0,
        skip: 0,
        query: [Object],
        slaveOk: true,
        readPreference: [Object] },
     documents: [],
     cursorIndex: 0,
     dead: false,
     killed: false,
     init: false,
     notified: false,
     limit: 0,
     skip: 0,
     batchSize: 1000,
     currentLimit: 0,
     transforms: undefined },
  logger: { className: 'Cursor' },
  _readableState: 
   ReadableState {
     objectMode: true,
     highWaterMark: 16,
     buffer: [],
     length: 0,
     pipes: null,
     pipesCount: 0,
     flowing: null,
     ended: false,
     endEmitted: false,
     reading: false,
     sync: true,
     needReadable: false,
     emittedReadable: false,
     readableListening: false,
     resumeScheduled: false,
     defaultEncoding: 'utf8',
     ranOut: false,
     awaitDrain: 0,
     readingMore: false,
     decoder: null,
     encoding: null },
  readable: true,
  domain: null,
  _events: {},
  _eventsCount: 0,
  _maxListeners: undefined,
   { numberOfRetries: 5,
     tailableRetryInterval: 500,
     currentNumberOfRetries: 5,
     state: 0,
     streamOptions: {},
     bson: {},
     ns: 'vectio.booking',
      { find: 'vectio.booking',
        limit: 0,
        skip: 0,
        query: [Object],
        slaveOk: true,
        readPreference: [Object] },
     options: 
      { skip: 0,
        limit: 0,
        raw: undefined,
        hint: null,
        timeout: undefined,
        slaveOk: true,
        readPreference: [Object],
        db: [Object],
        promiseLibrary: [Function: Promise],
        disconnectHandler: [Object] },
     topology: 
      EventEmitter {
        domain: null,
        _events: [Object],
        _eventsCount: 17,
        _maxListeners: undefined,
        id: 0,
        s: [Object],
        ismaster: [Object],
        lastIsMasterMS: 6,
        monitoringProcessId: [Object],
        initalConnect: false,
        wireProtocolHandler: {},
        _type: 'server',
        clientInfo: [Object],
        lastUpdateTime: 0,
        lastWriteDate: 0,
        staleness: 0 },
     topologyOptions: 
      { host: 'localhost',
        port: 27017,
        disconnectHandler: [Object],
        cursorFactory: [Object],
        reconnect: true,
        emitError: true,
        size: 5,
        socketOptions: {},
        clientInfo: [Object],
        readPreference: [Object],
        promiseLibrary: [Function: Promise],
        bson: {} },
     promiseLibrary: [Function: Promise],
     currentDoc: null },
  sortValue: undefined }
/home/dilraj/Documents/Vectio/scenario-dilraj/node_modules/mongodb/lib/utils.js:99
    process.nextTick(function() { throw err; });
TypeError: Converting circular structure to JSON
I am trying to get something like
  _id:  ObjectId("58238283565e2c1940b16d48"),
  name: "Go to Lesters"
or something similar, as long as it makes sense! I just haven't seen anything like this.
I am using Node's Express JS framework, and the only modules I have are Nodemon, Express, bodyParser and Mongo. Nothing else! Thank you, appreciate the love!
The object you are logging is the Mongo cursor. This can be useful at times but to just get the document that is not what you need.
Thing.find(query).toArray(function(err, result){ ... })
Should just return the documents that match your query.
                You are answering an old question but not providing a full answer, please post the working code including any useful comments.
– 5202456
                Aug 30, 2018 at 20:49
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