Meditation for carders

[Teacher]

Meditation - (lat. "Meditatio", from "meditor" - thinking, pondering) is a mental action aimed at bringing the human psyche into a state of deep concentration, followed by detachment from everything that is the basis of feeling, perception and thinking. In different meditation practices, this process, usually consisting of several successive stages, is carried out in different ways. However, the fact that meditation (albeit in different variations) is present in almost all any significant religious, mystical, occult and even philosophical teachings speaks volumes! ?

The highest development of the practice of meditation was in Indian and Buddhist yoga. It was widely used in the ancient "philosophical ecstasy" of the Platonists and Neoplatonists, in the Orthodox "clever work" (the so-called "logos-meditation" or "Jesus Prayer"), in the exercises of the Jesuits, in the doctrine of the "Way" of Muslim Sufis etc. Some schools of modern psychoanalysis (for example, Jung's school) do not shy away from meditative practices.

Experiencing the state of meditation radically changes a person's idea of the Universe, its laws and about himself. This experience can completely change your life, transforming it, endowing it with higher meaning and opening up new perspectives for you. And although the purpose of meditation is, first of all, meditation itself, it will help you solve a number of problems.

Having mastered this practice, you will be able to improve health, get rid of chronic diseases, significantly increase efficiency, find harmony of spirit and body, reveal your abilities and talents, experience Enlightenment, merge with the Absolute and much, much more ...

Describing what a person is experiencing while in a state of meditation is not only thankless, but also meaningless. You must experience it yourself! Any, even the most accurate and scrupulous descriptions, at best, will turn out to be an "abstract sketch", but will not reflect what a person gains and feels. An example is the description given by the famous Russian psychotherapist E. A. Tsvetkov:

"... As the meditation process deepens, the" I "expands more and more, and a moment comes when the" I "as such ceases to exist. Its boundaries dissolve, the personality loses outlines, and new and qualitatively different - transpersonal - experiences appear . Goes beyond the limits of his own existence. A person acquires new experience, new knowledge. In the intuitive flow, he opens up new perspectives, a new panorama of Being. The shackles of his own ambitions are torn, and the being gets a feeling of absolute inner freedom ... ".

As you can see, despite all the efforts of the author, despite the fact that he is familiar with the subject not by hearsay, but by personal experience (Ernest Tsvetkov studied meditation in India, USA, Thailand, in the mountains of Jamaica, etc.), his entire description is reduced to dry statement of facts. By learning to meditate correctly, you will understand how far such descriptions are from the true experiences of the meditator!

Most meditation techniques begin with an appropriate posture. As a rule, this is the "Lotus Pose" or poses close to it. It is important that the head, neck and back form a strictly vertical line. Absolute immobility, inaction, gradual extinguishment of bodily sensations - all this saves energy ("Kundalini"), which is concentrated in the sacrum area, at the very base of the back, and which, as it deepens into the process, begins to rise along the spinal column ...

Most often, two types of meditation are distinguished: "concentrating" and "revealing". The methods of the first are reduced to concentrating attention on a certain object or phenomenon. This could be a point on a wall, a star in the sky, or a bodily sensation such as breathing. If, in the process of concentration, attention deviates from the selected object, it must be smoothly returned to its place. The internal monologue in the head must be stopped. Consciousness must be completely cleared of thoughts that do not directly relate to the object of concentration. Nothing outside should interfere. Otherwise, all work can go down the drain.

The methods of "revealing" meditation are just the opposite. A person seeks to achieve maximum sensitivity and openness to the consciousness of everything that happens outside and inside him. However, realizing, or rather fixing what is happening, the meditator does not think about it, but only notes the phenomena of his psyche. Thus, consciousness observes but does not react.

The essence of the method is as follows: a person should contemplate everything that happens to him or his environment, not rejecting anything as unworthy attention, but also not giving priority attention to anything. Realizing the emptiness of consciousness, the meditator should not try to fill it. Thoughts and images flickering in the mind follow in the general flow easily and freely, leaving no traces, "like birds flying easily through the sky and silently disappearing in the distance" ...

In both cases, the meditator, in fact, strives for the same thing: a complete (!) Cessation of the internal monologue. If you understand this now, then later you will not have to experience the frustration of sitting uselessly facing the wall. A fixed posture, concentration or scattering of attention is far from the most important thing. The most important thing is inner silence!

In a complex prepared especially for you (see below in the text), I tried, as far as possible, to combine the best aspects of both the "revealing" and "concentrating" types of meditation. In addition, the method is simplified as much as possible and adapted for those who are just beginning to master this difficult, but useful art in all respects. With the correct implementation of the exercises given here, practicing every day (!) For at least 15-20 minutes, you can achieve tangible results in a few months, or even weeks. Here, as in any other business, the main thing is regularity ...

 

[Tomcat]

The Neurophysiology of Mindfulness: How Meditation Affects Our Brains​

This is a translation of an article by Brian Penny, a former heroin addict who recovered from addiction and became a mindfulness neuroscientist.
I have spent most of my life thinking about the past and the future. My mind was torn apart by doubts, I was constantly worried about something, but did not understand what was the cause of suffering.
I used drugs to numb the pain, which ended in fifteen years of chronic heroin addiction. The drug drove me to the brink, but I was lucky. The worst night in my life forced me to quit addiction. After her, I looked at the world in a new way.

In October 2013, the concept of mindfulness was explained to me. Since then, I have stopped taking drugs, became an author, lecturer and enrolled in doctoral studies at the second most important university in Ireland.
Understanding the scientific side of mindfulness and meditation can be of great help to those new to these practices. Knowledge of the neurophysiology of the brain is especially useful for those who want to evaluate the potential results of developing new habits. (Gretchen Rubin called such people "Inquirers").

How the brain works​

Neurons​

Neurons are the basic building blocks of the brain. We have about 86 billion of them. One neuron fires five to fifty times per second. On average, each neuron has more than five thousand connections with its fellows. As you read this sentence, billions of neurons are transmitting signals in your head - a very complex system.
The neurons made it possible to feel and record the experience of every action, thought and sensation that you have ever had. This is how our training proceeds from a biological point of view. By repeating certain behaviors more often - for example, by practicing mindfulness or worrying - you develop connections between individual neurons.
Neural connections become more active, transmit signals faster, and are used more often. To conserve energy, the brain creates new structures for specific tasks. This is how we learn new things, using what scientists call the neuroplasticity of our brain.

Neuroplasticity​

Our brain is very malleable, just like plasticine, our life experience determines its structure and shape. The process is very similar to exercise. For example, thirty reps at the gym won't make your muscles tighter, but thirty reps every day for a year can have that effect. The same is true for the brain: over time, its shape changes.
As an eternally worried person, I have always felt shyness, anxiety and excitement. If my brain wasn't scanning the world around it for potential threats, it was looking for a way to deal with anxiety. I turned my brain into a well-tuned excitement machine with my own hands.
The same goes for other negative feelings, thoughts and emotions. Whatever arises within you, whether it be anger, self-doubt or fear, your brain will reflect it in its form.

Reptilian brain​

The human brain can be divided into three areas: the reptilian brain, the limbic system, and the cortex.
The reptilian brain is the oldest of the regions and was the first to emerge during evolution. This area of the brain is responsible for life support functions such as body temperature, heart rate, and respiration. This structure drives our instincts and drive for self-preservation, which ensures the survival of the species.
This primitive part of the brain is responsible for all of our reckless and impulsive actions, and which often causes serious problems in life. The need for survival is so strong that it can end up in a confrontation between the reptilian brain and the cortex responsible for logical behavior.
It's like two people are arguing: "Will you have a drink?" "No, I will refuse!" "I'm sure you want!" "Yes, but then I'll regret it!"... If you are an anxious person, like me, the reptilian brain may view feelings of anxiety as a threat, the cause of which it does not understand.
Through experience I have found for myself that alcohol can relieve anxiety for a short time. So when it agreed to drink, the reptilian brain prevailed. I often recall the years in the captivity of drug addiction, when my impulsive behavior was determined by the decisions of this area of the brain. There was no fight, only unconditional surrender - the crocodile always got his drugs.

Limbic system​

The limbic system combines several structures above the reptilian brain. The main components include the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus.
The limbic system supports many functions. The hippocampus is responsible for forming memories. The nearby amygdala plays a major role in emotions such as fear, anxiety, or anger. It also determines the accuracy of our memory, which is why emotional memories are usually the most vivid.
The hypothalamus connects the brain to the endocrine system and helps us respond to stress. It sends chemical signals that stimulate or interfere with the production of hormones that help cope with stress.

Cortex​

Of the three regions we are talking about, the crust is the latest to emerge. It consists of gray matter surrounding the deeper white matter of the cerebral hemispheres. The gray matter contains the bodies of neurons, and the white matter holds several gray cells together with connective fibers.
The cortex is the part of the brain involved in higher-order activities: abstract thinking, problem solving, hazard assessment, and the ability to speak. This malleable structure empowers people with learning opportunities that are unmatched in nature. Thanks to the cerebral cortex, humans are capable of things that other species cannot.

Stress response​

During stress, the three main structures of the limbic system - the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus - work in ligaments.
Consider how this happens in life. You stand in a field and notice something that looks like a snake. Memories in the hippocampus tell you that you are afraid of snakes. This activates the amygdala - the fear center of your brain - which in turn acts on the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus sends signals to the pineal gland, which communicates information to the adrenal glands, which release cortisol into the bloodstream. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone that prepares the body to fight or flee.

Thoughtless neurophysiology​

It's not a matter of life and death​

The cortex, reptilian brain, and limbic system work together. They are connected to each other by complex neural pathways (white matter) and constantly influence each other.
In the snake example, the reptilian brain's survival instinct activated the limbic system, releasing cortisol into the body. This instantaneous, programmed reflex could pull you out of sudden potential danger.
At the same time, the rational part of the brain, its cortex, was assessing the situation. It's a slower process and if you're lucky, the snake is just a piece of hose. When you realized this, the cortex deactivated the amygdala, which in turn limited the release of cortisol through the hypothalamus, which returned your body back to a balanced state (homeostasis).

This is a very simple example, but in real life, things are never so unambiguous. Especially in our congested world. When I start thinking about how the neurophysiology of the brain relates to my long-standing anxiety and destructive addiction, my head hurts right away. But let's try to figure it out together.
My anxiety was a consequence of childhood trauma based on bodily sensations. From a young age, I was scared to hell by my own heartbeat, breathing or pulse. If someone offered to listen to how my heart beats, or I just talked about it, my amygdala flared up with incredible power like a Christmas tree.
My reptilian brain, caring about self-preservation, said: "Now I will get you out of this nightmare, boy." What did I do? Anything to escape from myself, anything to calm my overactive brain - drugs became the solution for me.

I wondered what my rational mind, the cerebral cortex, was doing at that time. Heartbeat is a normal process. I've never been in real danger. Of course, my logical brain knew this. Wasn't he supposed to calm the limbic system?
Neuroscientists have supplied me with many theories that potentially answer this question. The cerebral cortex may not be able to cope with the increased activity of the limbic system, or it may not be able to logically drown out irrational fears. The truth is that we do not know how everything actually works there, but understanding the basics of the structure of this system helped me to make sure that there is nothing to worry about. It's still not a matter of life and death.

Hijack emotions​

Has it ever happened that fear caught you off guard? I have it all the time! I could not cope with it before and throughout my addiction - I was afraid of everything. Daniel Golman calls it emotion hijacking, when your amygdala screams like a siren.
This happens when something in your environment causes stress. For example, your partner raised his voice, a work colleague criticized you, you escaped an accident on the road, or someone scared you.
From a neurophysiological perspective, the visual and auditory cortex - depending on what is the stimulus - send messages to the amygdala, which triggers a stress response.

This is how most people cope with stress, this reaction is the crown of the evolution of our species. But in the modern world, much more often stress occurs not because of external stimuli, but because of our own thoughts.
There are two types of inner experiences: obsessions about the past that you cannot change, and fantasies about the future. These internal stressors are the worst triggers. What happens around is changeable, but the struggle with one's own thoughts is constantly going on. When it comes to stress, it's like not closing the cortisol tap completely ... You hear a drip, drip, drip.

Conscious neurophysiology​

If you are constantly anxious, angry, or hate yourself, the brain will eventually reflect those experiences in its form. And exactly the opposite, you can direct thoughts in a more positive direction and thus change its structure with your own hands.
By exercising neuroplasticity in regular mindfulness practices, you can become resistant to stimuli, develop a keen focus, and deal with emotions more effectively.
Below are pictures of my brain. The left one became part of a study conducted in 2013 on the second “clean” day after 15 years of addiction. The right one was made in May 2018 as part of a stress documentary.

Source: raw images of my brain in 2013 and 2018. Here is a sectional view showing the anterior commissure, a standard anatomical representation used to compare different brain scans. It was difficult to make a direct comparison of the incisions because different MRIs were used and the images were taken at different resolutions

My brain was so different that the person who analyzed it could not compare the standard visual markers by eye (I give a more technical explanation above).
It is also difficult to understand what led to such dramatic changes. Four and a half years have passed between the scans, and I have significantly changed many aspects of my life, including diet, exercise and sleep. I went back to college and of course stopped using heroin.
But I myself see that the transformation of the brain was the result of the fact that I developed sensitivity to the moment here and now. Everything changed when I was told about awareness. I was given a tool to defeat my worst enemy - anxiety - that turned the game around.

Managing emotions​

Research shows that regular mindfulness practices weaken the amygdala's ability to hijack your emotions. There are at least two reasons for this. First, the size of the amygdala itself is reduced. Secondly, it weakens the connection between the amygdala and the parts of the cortex responsible for fear. And vice versa, the connections of the cortex zones associated with high-level activities (for example, self-awareness) are strengthened.
Mindfulness practices have endowed me with both of these gifts. I literally squeezed the fear center of my brain, and as a result, I stopped being afraid and worried for nothing. Stress still provokes me, but because of the space that has arisen between action and reaction, my mind is no longer hijacked by emotions.

Attention and focus​

Our attention is directed by the anterior cingulate cortex. It is also associated with self-determination and the flexibility of the mind - the age-old opponents of obsessions and formulaic thinking.
Researchers have found an increase in the size of this area of the brain after meditation practices. More importantly, when the connection between the amygdala and the cortex weakens (that is, the zone associated with stealing emotions loses control), it becomes easier to manage attention.
One study shows that practicing mindfulness for twenty minutes a day for five days leads to improved attention span, and a later study reports that small mindfulness practices improve attention even in beginners.

Self-awareness​

"Identity" is your idea of yourself. It expresses a sense of who you think you are. If you are suffering over something, as I am because of anxiety, disconnecting from “identity” helps you feel inner relief.
Self-awareness developed through mindfulness techniques can separate you from "identity." Instead of surrendering control over yourself to the idea of your own "I", you can distance yourself: observe or know yourself as if from the outside.
And although the study of this area is just beginning, some very revealing conclusions have already been made about the network of the passive mode of operation of the brain (it is also called the "default system of the brain").

The brain goes into a passive mode of operation when you do not have a specific task: you wander from one thought to another. This regime affects the phases of deep reflection and obsession, which in turn are very detrimental to our well-being.
Mindfulness reduces the number of activations of the passive mode of the brain, and as a result, it calms our minds. In one study, the activity of the brain regions responsible for the default system was reduced in people who practice meditation compared to those who did not. Scientists found that the former had a reduced tendency to introspection.

Simple steps leading to results​

Often, psychological phenomena such as stress, deep thinking and anxiety are perceived by us as abstract concepts that cannot be touched, felt or seen. But in fact, all this is directly related to our biology.
It is fortunate that mindfulness allows you to cope with most of the suffering of the modern world. I have struggled with anxiety and addiction for most of my life, and only mindfulness helped me return to my normal state.
By practicing mindfulness all the time, I didn't feel better, but it physically changed the structure and state of my brain. I no longer feel anxious, anxious, and focus more easily and deeper than ever before.

Bad habits are hard to break, but good ones are even more difficult. My anxiety was replaced by a feeling of calmness, which is deeply embedded in the fibers of my brain and became my new norm.
Everyone can reshape their brains, and improve their ability to think and feel. All it takes is to constantly practice mindfulness in life. Enough 10 minutes a day.
My last request: do this every day. Developing a habit is important if you want to reshape your brain, increase sensitivity, focus, and control over your emotions. I don't think I'm asking much.