Rewiring Your Brain Through The Power Of Thought: Huff Post alive

REVIEW OF FREE THE MIND: A documentary film by Phie Ambo

The movie will be in theaters on June 7th, 2013 (Toronto)

Playdates in US 2013
VENUES	CITY		DATE
May
USA Film Festival	Dallas	TX	4/24 - 4/28
Rubin Museum of Art	New York	NY	Starts 5/3 +
The Screen	Santa Fe	NM	Starts 5/10 +
Sundance Cinemas	Madison	WI	Starts 5/15 +
Stanford University	Palo Alto	CA	5/17
Laemmle Music Hall	Los Angeles	CA	Starts 5/17 +
Laemmle Monica	Santa Monica	CA	5/18 - 5/19
Laemmle Playhouse 7	Pasadena	CA	5/18 - 5/19
Laemmle Claremont	Claremont	CA	5/18 - 5/19
Kimball Theater	Williamsburg	VA	5/31 - 6/5
Real Art Ways	Hartford	CT	July tba
Northwest Film Forum	Seattle	WA	Starts 7/26 +

To watch the trailer click on the link below

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/freethemind/

Huff Post Live:

https://s.embed.live.huffingtonpost.com/HPLEmbedPlayer/?segmentId=517fca2e02a7601798000026

Synopsis

In 1992 Professor Richard Davidson, one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, met the Dalai Lama, who encouraged him to apply the same rigorous methods he used to study depression and anxiety to the study of compassion and kindness, those qualities cultivated by Tibetan meditation practice. The results of Davidson’s studies at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, are portrayed in FREE THE MIND as they are applied to treating PTSD in returning Iraqi vets and children with ADHD. The film poses two fundamental questions: What really is consciousness, and how does it manifest in the brain and body? And is it possible to physically change the brain solely through mental practices?

Review

This movie clearly shows us the power of the mind - how we can let go of the unhealthy and unskillful feeding patterns of our mind towards a more healthy and skillful feeding, just by being mindful in the present, for example being aware of the breath. This shows that Mindfulness can be used by anyone, irrespective of the age, their personal experiences or belief systems. Although we have not yet uncovered all the mysteries of the brain and how the consciousness  works, it is reassuring to know that we can help ourselves by being our own therapists using mindfulness as the tool. The movie Free The Mind gives us a powerful message that we can unlock our preoccupations with unskillful habits of the mind with mindfulness. This movie also gives us a glimpse of hope that true happiness is still possible and it is not too far beyond our reach.

-Piyal Walpola, MD, PhD

"Ruts" in the mind

Imagine a stream of water flowing over a large rock. Over time it will make small tracks on the rock that will gradually become grooves and eventually become big ruts.  It is similar to what happens in the mind.  The mind learns patterns though our habitual ways of thinking. As we discussed in the last post (How can we train ourselves to be kind and compassionate?) what we keep thinking and pondering about becomes the inclination of our minds. If we have thoughts of sensual desires, ill will and harm all the time, that will become the inclination of our mind. The result will be greed, anger and hatred.  If the ruts we have made are deep no matter how we try to pour water on the rock the water will travel only in the direction of the ruts. However the good news is that in the mind we can wipe all these old ruts and make new ones. This requires work. This is the training of the mind through meditation, specifically loving-kindness meditation.  When we have thoughts of non-sensuality (less greed), loving-kindness and compassion that will become the inclination of our mind. This will result in more generosity, loving-kindness, compassion and altruistic joy. Now these "ruts of the mind" will benefit you and people around you.

There is now much evidence in neuroscience to show that we can form new neural pathways according to how we train our minds. This is known as  Neuroplasticity.  Here is some of the latest research to  show how compassion meditation can change your neural pathways in the brain:Imaging finds different forms of meditation may affect brain structure Meditation’s positive residual effects.

Also see:

Two Kinds of Thoughts

The five hindrances: Like a "bowl of water" (mind) with different contaminants

The Five Hindrances- Like a "clear a bowl of water" (still mind) with different contaminants or situations. 

(Please click on the picture to enlarge)

The five hindrance obstuct the path to our right concentration or stillness of the mind. So it is good to identify these as we meditate and be mindful when they come to our mind. In Sangarava sutta (SN 46.55) Buddha give 5 beautiful similes to illustrate the mind obstructed by the five hindrances.  The mind when covered with the five hinderances is like clear a bowl of water (still mind) with different contaminants or situations.

1. Sensory desire kāmarāga: - Imagine a bowl of water mixed with lac, turmeric, dark green or crimson dye. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was.

2. Ill will -vyāpāda - Imagine a bowl of water, heated on a fire, boiling up and bubbling over. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was

3. Sloth and torpor - thīnamiddhā - Imagine a bowl of water covered over with slimy moss and water-plants. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was 

4. Restlessness and remorse - uddhaccakukkucca - Imagine a bowl of water ruffled by the wind, so that the water trembled, eddied and rippled. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was. 

5. Doubt - vicikicchā - Imagine a bowl of water, agitated, stirred up muddied, put in a dark place. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was.

Sangarava sutta (SN 46.55)

What gets in the way of our right concentration or stillness: The Five hindrances

The five hindrance obstuct the path to our right concentration or stillness of the mind. So it is good to identify these as we meditate and be mindful when they come to our mind. We have to use the antidotes for each one of them as and when they come up during meditation.

According to the book "Mindfulness bliss and beyond" (page 47),

Type of Hindrance and How to overcome it:

1. Sensory desire - Just take the attention away from the five senses little by little and apply it to the breath or the mind.

2. Ill will - Do some loving- kindness.

3. Sloth and torpor - Remember to “give value to awareness.”

4. Restlessness and remorse - “Contentment, contentment, contentment” or practice forgiveness.

5. Doubt - Be confident and be inspired by the teachings.

The  "Mindfulness bliss and beyond"  book also says: "Whenever you meditate, apply the solutions methodically. That way, the obstacles you experience won’t create long- term barriers. They’re things that you can recognize, overcome, and move beyond. 

Buddhism and Science:Introductory Video, Oxford University

The complete set of recordings is on www.voicesfromoxford.org Click on Events, then on Buddhism and Science.

There is no separate entity called the subconscious mind.

The mind is not divided into two separate compartments called the conscious and subconscious minds. It is whether we see or not see the complete activity of the five aggregates: the form, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness. We must see clearly how the five aggregates work together to generate our stress or suffering with insight. There is no person or self- it is just a process. It is the activity of the five aggregates. That is all. Everything that happens from the time you wake up till you go to bed is the arising and passing away of these five aggregates. There is nothing other than this. When you realize this within, with mindfulness practice and insight, you bring everything to the conscious awareness. Then there is no need for a separate entity called the subconscious mind.

Impermanence...

How the cross-fertilization of Classical Enlightenment and the Modern Mind could radically alter the course of human history.

Buddhist Geeks

Shinzen Young's opening keynote speech from the Buddhist Geeks Conference 2011.

Towards a Science of Enlightenment from Buddhist Geeks on Vimeo.

How to fix your mind?

If your car is broken you cannot fix it unless you know how it works. To know how it works you need to stop the car first, examine and then learn. Working with the mind is the similar to this. You cannot fix your mind (to get rid of greed, hatred and delusion) unless you know how it works. This knowledge or wisdom comes from insight meditation. Stopping the car can be compared breath meditation. This is how you still (concentration) your mind.

What Science Can Teach Us About Practice: The Neuroscience of Mindfulness

http://youtu.be/jMsatDwx07o

What is the definition of right mindfulness?

Simile of the person who is carrying a bowl of oil

What is the definition right mindfulness?

The term mindfulness and mindfulness meditation is now being used commonly and is becoming a popular term in research and treatment modalities such as mindfulness based stress reduction(MBSR) and mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT). The purpose of this post is to revisit the true meaning of mindfulness as taught by the Buddha and in Buddhist texts. This is called the right mindfulness.

Mindfulness is generally defined as a technique in which a person becomes intentionally aware of his or her thoughts and actions in the present moment, non-judgmentally.

There have been definitions of mindfulness given by several different authors in recent years. Here are some examples:

“Bringing one’s complete attention to the present experience on a moment-to-moment basis” (Marlatt & Kristeller,1999) and as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1994).-Mindfulness Training as a Clinical Intervention: A Conceptual and Empirical Review :Ruth A. Baer, University of Kentucky

"We propose a two-component model of mindfulness. The first component involves the self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on immediate experience, thereby allowing for increased recognition of mental events in the present moment. The second component involves adopting a particular orientation toward one’s experiences in the present moment, an orientation that is characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance."- "Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition [Scott R Bishop, et.,al.,Clin Psychol Sci Prac 11: 230–241, 2004]

Introduction of right mindfulness and mindfulness meditation by the Buddha dates back 2600 years. In Buddhist practice however, in right mindfulness there is judgement of perception, feelings, thoughts as well as mental phenomena for what is skillful and what is not. We judge to leave out the unskilful and cultivate the skillful ones. Buddha compared this to a gate-keeper at a well guarded city.

"Just as the royal frontier fortress has a gate-keeper — wise, experienced, intelligent — to keep out those he doesn't know and to let in those he does, for the protection of those within and to ward off those without; in the same way a disciple of the noble ones is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago. With mindfulness as his gate-keeper...

Therefore in right mindfulness we are being ardent with right effort and alert (with clear comprehension) on the workings of the mind and skillfully removing roots of unwholesomeness. One simile Buddha gave on this was "like a skilled carpenter removing a rusty nail". Therefore there is a certain element of wisdom that has to be in place in the form of right view for right mindfulness. According to the generic definitions of mindfulness stated above, you accept every thought that arises with openness, non-judgmentally. The danger here is you allow any thought that may arise. These could be skillful thoughts or unskillful thoughts such as greed, anger, etc. So we may end up with wrong mindfulness in the wrong path leading to adverse results that may even harm us. Skillful thoughts belong to right intention in the noble eightfold path. Buddha also taught us the importance of abandoning wrong intention (unskillful thoughts) and cultivating the right intention (skillful thoughts) in a sutta based on the two kinds of thoughts.

According to Thanissaro Bhikkhu* "Buddha himself defined sati as the ability to remember, illustrating its function in meditation practice with The Four Satipatthanas (The four foundations of mindfulness/ frames of reference), or establishings of mindfulness.

“And what is the faculty of sati? There is the case where a monk, a disciple of the noble ones, is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago. (And here begins the satipatthana formula:) He remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves... the mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.”—SN 48:10

Mindfulness Defined-

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

If we are within the Four frames of mindfulness we become very skillful in avoiding any danger that causes unhappiness or stress. This is also illustrated in a sutta in the Pali Canon by the buddha in the simile of the quail. The difficulty of being mindful within these four frames is also illustrated in the Canon by the simile of the person who is carrying a bowl of oil. How you train your senses to be mindful of the body is also illustrated in the sutta in the simile of the six animals.

The Four Satipatthanas (The four foundations of mindfulness/ frames of reference)

1. Mindfulness of the body - One example is mindfulness of the breath and initially this is the perception of the breath. For example, long breath, short breath, whole body of the breath (breath immersed in the body).

2. Mindfulness of feeling- pleasant, painful and neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling

3. Mindfulness of mind- these are mainly thoughts/intentions

4. Mindfulness of mental phenomena/ mental qualities/ mental objects- This to me is mainly the mechanism of how the six senses work and is the source or the origin of all perceptions, feelings and thoughts. This is where everything starts and Buddha called this "the all." In practice of right mindfulness according to satipatthana is like stating at a base of a pyramid and climbing up gradually

(working through body perception, feeling, thoughts)

to the pinnacle (mental phenomena) of it. At the pinnacle you see everything. This is insight.

Therefore mindfulness should be defined as

a technique in which a person becomes intentionally aware of his or her perceptions, feelings, thoughts and mental phenomena in the present moment, skillfully.

*Also please listen to this excellent talk called "The Boundaries of Mindfulness" by Thanissaro Bhikkhu which inspired me to write this post. Here is the link:"The Boundaries of Mindfulness"

The "real pirates" of the mind

Imagine there is an anchored ship that is about to be hijacked by pirates. There are six pirate ships competing against each other to hijack the ship and bring it to their respective island. If the ship is not anchored well, it will be hijacked by the strongest pirate ship. However, if the ship is anchored very well the pirate ships are going to get exhausted and will eventually give up.

This is like what happens when we sit to meditate. If you do not anchor your breath well to the your whole body (breath fully immersed in the body*) your senses will "hijack" you. The ear may "hijack" you to the sound. Alternatively, our mind will "hijack" you to ideas (thoughts). The same may apply to the other senses too.** Whatever the strongest sense may be, it will hijack the perception of your breath. If you anchor the breath to your body strongly enough, eventually the senses will give up. This is one of the tasks in the early stages of breath meditation.

Buddha used a beautiful simile on this about the six animals in Chappana Sutta -The Six Animals.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu explains this well in few of his talks. Here are some links:Mind on a leash, The Breath All the Way (16 Steps), Breath Training, Animals in the Mind

*The breath "anchored" to whole body (breath fully immersed in the body)

In Buddhas words:

"He trains himself, 'I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body."

Anapanasati Sutta: Mindfulness of Breathing

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"'Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe in,' thinking thus, he trains himself. 'Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe out,' thinking thus, he trains himself."

The Way of Mindfulness

The Satipatthana Sutta and Its Commentary

by

Soma Thera

**In formal sitting breath meditation usually mind/ideas, ears/sounds, nose/smells and body/sensations will distracts you the most as your eyes are closed (no eyes/objects) and there is no activity of the tongue/tastes. However in usual day to day life activities too we could apply this method of anchoring the breath when we are challenged with our senses, to prevent the mind getting agitated or stressed. Perhaps we already use this method instinctively without any formal training by "taking a deep breath" when we are stressed. However if you train yourself with formal breath meditation it will be much easier to anchor senses to the breath, restraining the senses and ultimately calming the mind more effectively.