Furthering my previous post, apart from effectively managing challenges and unpredictability life throws at us, research says that meditation helps in building focus, by reducing the attentional blink. We have chances of better focus and correct observation. The below link is an example of attentional blink, showing the nature of our monkey mind, flipping from one branch to the other on the mind tree. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfz4ni9TtRU – Attentional Blink Demonstration.
Research also states that, no two people describe an event in the same words. Because every being is unique, and though they look at the same things they do not perceive them the same way. The emotions which arise from looking at the same thing is varied, resulting in a different observation of the same event. We are focusing on different parts of the image and drawing conclusions based on our experiences.
Researcher Marcus E Raichel says that the mind is negative by default –it is the nature of the mind to lean towards negative thinking. Reason offered is that negative experiences teach us and become our life’s learnings. So, the mind creates a repository of such experiences and revisits them. When a similar event occurs, the mind looks at the scene, but is not really focusing on the event playing out in front of them, (explained by the attentional blink), instead the mind dives deep into its repository and relays images connected to or relatable to the events occurring and they become a part of observation.
So, the meanderings of the mind when it is not focusing or doing some constructive work, starts to paraphrase for itself, ruminate about the self, compare about the self, leaning towards the negative aspects. Also, another interesting point to be noted is that the mind is in a state of focus only 50% of the time! In todays’ world, where focus is at the base of your performance, we are unfocused 50% of the time, which is dominated by negative thoughts, and prejudiced observations because of the attentional blink. One can only assess the gravity of this information and the impact it is having on our mental health.
Research says, Monkey mind is less active during meditation. (Judson Brewer and colleagues 2011). Bringing me back to the first line, meditation (mental training of the mind to maintain unwavering focus) reduces the attentional blink. This better focus in the long run enables unbiased and accurate observation, as is, without the blemishes of our experience.
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