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> Bringing the mind to its unmoved state, a state of no-thought, leads to an indescribable bliss. Do you have evidence to support this claim? I can empty my mind, and it is not blissful. It is nothing. > A wandering mind is more prone to distraction, which can be fatal. Assuming, of course, we are speaking of survival factors. Tradeoffs. Personally, I would want to be distracted by an event that might otherwise prove…
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The two areas highlighted in the article show prefrontal cortex (front of brain) and PCC (towards the back) shutting down. The prefrontal cortex is associated with executive attention and reasoning, while PCC appears to be differentially dialed up or down in conditions with altered states of consciousness (like people under anesthesia, in a coma, or apparently meditating.) Shameless plug: We're using these neuroscien…
Of course, the very idea of tracking and working on "improving" via meditation goes against the core idea of zen meditation itself. But I'm interested in your startup anyway. :) edit: in fairness, there are many types of meditation beyond zen.
I'm getting increasingly interested in meditation, mainly because it seems like it could make me use my brain better. I have no clue where to start though. Anyone has info to share? I'm a total noob to this. Thanks!
Krishnamurti has a lot to say about meditation, I also recommend the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gita (Jack Hawley translation is very thorough, it's subtitled A Walkthrough for Westerners) and lastly The Upanishads (the one with commentary by Eknath Easwaran is excellent.)
The real question is whether it's a good thing to stop "mind wandering" when it hasn't reached the level of disorder. From the perspective of evolution, it almost certainly has a purpose. Paul Graham pointed out that its probably useful for problem solving: http://www.paulgraham.com/top.html I wonder if it would be good to have the ability to better focus one's self when one's mind is wandering into unproductive subj…
The real question is whether it's a good thing to stop "mind wandering" when it hasn't reached the level of disorder. From the perspective of evolution, it almost certainly has a purpose. Paul Graham pointed out that its probably useful for problem solving: http://www.paulgraham.com/top.html I wonder if it would be good to have the ability to better focus one's self when one's mind is wandering into unproductive subj…
if was about stopping the mind from wandering only, well there are drugs for that.
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>This empty state of mind allows for better problem-solving This is the claim I'd like evidence for.
Also, it's not 'suppressing' anything, it's just not paying the 'me' thoughts the attention you normally would.
I'm getting increasingly interested in meditation, mainly because it seems like it could make me use my brain better. I have no clue where to start though. Anyone has info to share? I'm a total noob to this. Thanks!
Start sitting for five minutes twice a day and build up from there. Longer is better, but only if you stick to it. Don't get annoyed at yourself when you get distracted. Don't get proud if you don't. Don't think you are doing anything special. Just count your breath.
If you would like to learn more, search for 'Taking the path of Zen' where the late Robert Aitken goes into detail about Zen meditation and talks about positions and stretches to help you to comfortably sit in them.
If you are serious about this, find a teacher and a group to sit with. Not only will it make you more likely to sit, a good teacher can offer you advice you'll never find on a message board. Specific advice that is specific to you.
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I've pondered the same thing. However, personally from meditation I feel I have greater focus, a clearer mind, and less stress (or a much better handle on stress), which I couldn't imagine being without today. Concerning shower-insights -- I find myself having less mind wandering in the shower, and instead more deliberate focused insights.
Then what evolutionary purpose do you think mind-wandering serves? We clearly tend to think about various current problems of ours (whether technical, social, or other) when our mind wanders; it's not an accident.
I'm getting increasingly interested in meditation, mainly because it seems like it could make me use my brain better. I have no clue where to start though. Anyone has info to share? I'm a total noob to this. Thanks!