Nothing Is Boring

Its easy to mistake the experience of boredom as a state in which the mind is not properly stimulated by a present situation; in ‘what's going on isn't interesting.’ But when we examine it closely, we find that boredom is actually felt stirrings of worry and anxiety that arise when the mind is not entranced by the world.

So what are we anxious of, worried about? None other than the unattended, unexplored emotions that inevitably arise after abandonments, break ups, rejections, traumatic fears, times of confusion and on that we've pushed out of awareness.

Its important to understand that, after disappointing events, the mind tends to run off in search of distractions, rather than discern the full articulation of feelings and moods in the body and mind. These impressions don't go away, they lie in the shadows, announcing their presence when the mind isn't distracted by the world.

So boredom can be viewed as an invitation to turn inwards and become aware of what we spent our lives avoiding, the full experience of life itself, not just the inner states that feel good. It's only when we truly attend to our feelings, moods and emotions that we experience depth and real humanity.

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fear

There are times in life when intrusive, fear based thoughts latch hold of us, filling the mind with swarming, buzzing thoughts, distracting us during interactions with others, muting the sensory richness of each moment—the sounds, body sens ations, aromas, feelings and on. Such dire visitors—generally based on past resentments or speculative fears—can easily bait and hook us, threatening us with annihilation, repeating constantly; given how constant the messages can be, releasing such thoughts can feel like ignoring ‘the world is going to end’ new flashes on CNN or city sirens announcing impending hurricanes. The mind can really play tricks that make it all to easy to abandon the present, which is, of course, the only place of true safety and utility. When we find the mind latching onto these narratives, images or moods, and we can’t reassure, reason with or let go, sometimes the only solution is to give up the battle and actually write down what our fears are trying to tell us. If ...

Imagination And Creativity as Spiritual Practice

It’s worth noting how few of childhoods’ freewheeling exercises—the entertainments that were once synonymous with youthful delight—journey through to adult life. To a great degree, we’ve moved, en masse, toward consuming entertainment via television, video games and social media rather than creating our entertainment: drawing, making pottery, dancing, singing, and other inventive endeavors. Those same kindergartners who sing, draw, dance, and engage in all kinds of play, will, in only a few years’ time, be streaming their content via iPad screens, which requires less imagination and effort. Consider the mind’s two dominant cognitive networks: the first is the default mode network (DMN), a mental state wherein we can visualize possibilities or solve problems, but where we often wind up speculating about unknowable future outcomes or ruminating about interpersonal conflicts. DMN is largely activated by subregions associated with inductive reasoning centers of the brain (t...

yoniso

In the 1960s Michael Gazzanega noted that: the human brain is organized in terms of a “mental society.”…alongside our verbal system, there resides any number of “mental units” [that each] have memories, values, and emotions, and are expressed through any of a variety of systems.’ What makes this process so eerie is that these systems may not be in touch with each other but rather, have their own existence outside of language and our logic.’ • reptilian brainstem: homestatic body regulation; breath, digestion, shutdown freeze autonomic systems (digestion, appetite, sleep) are disrupted; hold breath • midbrain: survival impulses that activate core emotions (amygdala); heart racing, terror, panic, addictive craving RH/Emo mind , processes experience emplicitly; impulses lie outside of cons. control; context, connection & security . Early, pre-verbal memories are stored in oFrntl & amygdala; the emotional mind largely sends non-verbal signals • Emo facial cues: tears afte...

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