Blissful Brain

The Blissful Brain is published by Gaia Thinking. For more information on how to order your copy, please click here.

Guardian G2: Mind over matter by Andy Darling

"Neuroscientist Shanida Nataraja has proven meditation does more than clear your head, it can put both halves of your brain to work, improving your concentration, memory, and decision-making...". To read more, please click here.

Upcoming talk: Yoga Ananda, Reigate, Surrey on Friday the 4th of June

Shanida Nataraja will be speaking at a seminar on The Blissful Brain on Friday, 04th June 2010 at 19:30 at Yoga Ananda Ltd. 46 Albert Road North, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 9EL. For more information, please click here.

Knee Jerk Reactions and Conditioning

The practice of detachment is also sometimes referred to as mindfulness. This is described beautifully in a book entitled “The Miracle of Mindfulness” by the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh [46]. Mindfulness involves the focusing of all attention on the present now moment. Take the following example. If I am washing the dishes, my mind is not filled with thoughts of my goals for the rest of the day nor the wonderful weekend I had, merely the process of washing the dishes. It also involves a detachment of one’s response to a present now event from one’s past or anticipated future. Instead of letting our conceptual map take over and determine our response, a pause is inserted between stimulus and response. This acts to focus the attention to the present now, and allows the normal unconscious drives dictating our behaviour to be acknowledged consciously. Not only does this increase our awareness of the extent to which our behaviour is determined by our conditioning, but it also allows us to choose how we respond to a certain situation. Knee-jerk reactions are replaced by personal choice.

A spiritual discipline that helps one stay in the present moment, such as watching the breath or repeating a mantra, can help access the unconscious, leading to insightful awareness of conditioned responses and drives. If someone makes a critical comment, for example, our reaction is often amplified by the memories stored in our unconscious of moments in our past in which we were, perhaps unfairly, criticised. The knee-jerk reaction to criticism therefore usually involves upset or aggressive behaviour. Since this response is determined by a number of past events, not just a single present now event, the knee-jerk reaction is often more extreme than the actual situation warrants. If, however, a gap is inserted between stimulus and response, the individual can take a moment to acknowledge the fact that they have been unfairly criticised in the past and that this might drive them to overreact to the present now event. By inserting this gap, the individual can respond to the criticism in a way that is not driven by an underlying fear for survival, but a desire for self-improvement. It is possible, for example, that consideration of the criticism might provide some insight that could further the individual’s personal development. Alternatively, it is possible that consideration of the factors driving the critic to make the inflammatory remark might provide some insight into the unconscious drives of their behaviour, and therefore open ways for conflict resolution. Mindfulness is therefore the practice whereby we train our minds to regain conscious control over our behaviour, thereby avoiding the familiar but confining reflexes of our conditioning and “waking us from our sleep”.

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