Post No. 3: The Quiet Mind

The mind is a peculiar, complicated and strange thing. We speak of the mind is if we know what it is yet no one can point to it or grasp it in anyway. Humans have what psychologists term a “theory of mind”.  We not only imagine we have our own minds but that other people have minds.  Imagining what might be in others’ minds promotes healthy interactions and better communications.

A paradox is that being able to quiet this imagined mind helps us to live a more enjoyable life. Even the effort to quiet the mind can be enjoyable in itself. How can this be?

I think we all know this to be true intuitively. Think back to the last time when you were fully focused on a task. It was a good feeling, no?  We can have this feeling with virtually every activity.  All we have to do is enjoy the sensations of the specifics of that activity.  To give a simple example, imagine putting your underwear on in the morning. You stand on one foot and feel the sensation as the sides of the material slide up your leg.  Then you balance on the other foot and repeat the process but on the opposite foot, all the while noticing the sensations until your underwear fits snugly around your butt.  Well, maybe you can’t do it standing up. That’s OK it holds true even if you sit down and do it! It also holds true for any activity and it is available virtually every moment of your life: eating, having sex, driving, talking, reading, listening to music and on and on.

Of course there are obstacles that are built into us as humans. We are always trying to predict the next thing and perhaps even worrying about it.  So we are never going to be able to do what I’m suggesting all the time or perhaps even most of the time. But even the effort at trying it can be enjoyable.  Be aware that the AI’s built into TikTok, Facebook and other sites want your attention. I suggest you give your attention to putting on your underwear!