Neuroscience and Practice of Meditation

The Neuroscience and Practice of Meditation
Andrew S. Bonci, BA, DC
Private Practice

Abstract:
Meditation is an ancient practice whereby the mind, its processes, and content are brought into conscious awareness. Although meditative practices are steeped in religious and cultural dross, work over the last three decades has delineated the neuroscience underlying the meditative practice. A recent search of the Fort Hays State University comprehensive electronic holdings returned over 70,000 peer-reviewed articles on meditation. Meditation has entered into the mainstream of objective scientific study and healthcare practice. The challenge is to parse the fact from the fiction, the systematic from the unscientific. This lecture will examine the neuroscience behind the practice of meditation, as discussed in the peer-reviewed literature.

Keywords: Meditation, Mindfulness, Neuroscience, Neurology, Diagnosis, Physical Examination, Wellness

Approach:
Meditation, both focused attention and open monitoring methods, has been shown to enhance neural networks, white matter tracts, and gray matter densities of select brain regions via functional resonance magnetic imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies. These neuroplastic changes are associated with better impulse control, anger management, as well as a measurable reduction in blood pressure, anxiety, and gastrointestinal complaints. This lecture will focus on the neuroplastic brain changes seen in meditation practice and their significance for the chiropractor and the chiropractic patient. A portion of the lecture will be devoted to the practice of the method of Jon Kabat-Zinn taught through the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Mindfulness called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

Lecture Outline:
The Therapeutic Goal(s) of Meditation
Focused Attention versus Open Monitoring Meditation in the Medical Literature
Default Mode, Salience, Dorsal-Ventral Attention, Executive Networks codified in Meditative Practice
Elements of Mindfulness
The Practice of Mindfulness
Summation

Note on Citations:
Citations will accompany all materials where appropriate according to the American Psychological Association style and format for academic documents such as scholarly journal articles and books. Emphasis will be placed on high academic standards.

Transcript

1. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 1 1 of of 141 141 The Neuroscience and The Neuroscience and Practice of Meditation Practice of Meditation Andrew S. Bonci Andrew S. Bonci Private Practice Private Practice Life-Long Learner Life-Long Learner
2. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 2 2 of of 141 141 Get the Slides www.neurophilosopher.com Get the Printer-Friendly Notes www.subluxationstudygroup.com Title Slide Photo Credit: Brain imaging differences evident at 6 months in infants who develop autism | UNC Health Talk. (2012, February 17). Retrieved July 14, 2019, from UNC Health Talk website: https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/brain-imaging-differences-evident-at-6-months-in- infants-who-develop-autism/
3. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 3 3 of of 141 141 Disclosures Disclosures I have no conflicts of interest. I have no interests in proselytizing you to any particular worldview. Meditation is not a recreational pursuit like jet Meditation is not a recreational pursuit like jet skiing or snowboarding. Likewise, meditation is skiing or snowboarding. Likewise, meditation is more than the experience of phosphenes. It more than the experience of phosphenes. It presents a challenge to your sense of self and presents a challenge to your sense of self and worldview. Please proceed with caution. worldview. Please proceed with caution. Please enjoy yourself and your time with your colleagues as we take this journey.
4. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 4 4 of of 141 141 Lecture Objectives Lecture Objectives Theory of Mindfulness Meditation Contemplative Neuroscience Focused Attention versus Open Monitoring Meditation in the Science-Based Literature Default Mode, Salience, Executive Networks in the Context of Meditative Practice Underpinnings of the Practice of Mindfulness Pitfalls to Practice Contextualization: Postmodernism
5. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 5 5 of of 141 141 Why is it that we might need Why is it that we might need meditation in our lives? meditation in our lives? An Intellectual Entente. (2009, September 10). Retrieved October 21, 2019, from Harvard Magazine website: https://harvardmagazine.com/breaking-news/james- watson-edward-o-wilson-intellectual-entente
6. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 6 6 of of 141 141 Etymology of “Meditation” Etymology of “Meditation” According to the Online Etymology Dictionary the term “meditation” derives from the Proto-Indo- European root “med-” which means to "take appropriate measures." meditation | Origin and meaning of meditation by Online Etymology Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved July 9, 2019, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/meditation – According to the Monk Anâlayo's (2003) analysis found in Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization, the Buddhist word for meditation most commonly used in the Pali language is “sati” which means “clearly knowing” and is often translated as “mindfulness.” Analayo. (2003). Satpatthana: Direct Path to Realization. Cambridge: Windhorse Publications.
7. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 7 7 of of 141 141 Meditation: Meditation: A systematic inquiry into the folly A systematic inquiry into the folly of the human mind and social structures. of the human mind and social structures. Mindfulness: Mindfulness: Living in the awareness of this folly. Living in the awareness of this folly. Clipart Credit: https://tchol.org/explore/flag-circle-png.html
8. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 8 8 of of 141 141 bribery crime exploitation extortion bribery crime exploitation extortion fraud graft malfeasance nepotism fraud graft malfeasance nepotism crookedness demoralization crookedness demoralization jobbery misrepresentation payoff jobbery misrepresentation payoff payola racket shadiness shuffle payola racket shadiness shuffle skimming squeeze unscrupulousness skimming squeeze unscrupulousness venality breach of trust bribing venality breach of trust bribing fiddling fraudulency on the take fiddling fraudulency on the take shady deal shady deal You Will Witness You Will Witness The Roots of Exploitation The Roots of Exploitation
9. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 9 9 of of 141 141 Meditation Keys to Remember Meditation Keys to Remember – The purpose of meditation is to gain insight. – To gain insight, you must put distance and delay between you and your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. – To gain distance and delay, you must dis-identify with your thoughts, feelings, and emotions on some level. – This requires access to both your natural bicamerality and cultivated executive function.
10. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 10 10 of of 141 141 The Ecstatic Experience The Ecstatic Experience Your Mind Your Mind Your Your Thoughts Thoughts Your Your Feelings Feelings Your Your Emotions Emotions You Need to be Here You are Here
11. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 11 11 of of 141 141 Beginner's Mind Beginner's Mind In the zen classic Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind Shunryu Suzuki (1970) deliciously states ... – “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.”
12. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 12 12 of of 141 141 Caveat Meditator Caveat Meditator – “Heinrich Himmler, the head of the Nazi SS and master architect of the Holocaust, was a fan of yoga and meditation — he even planned retreats for elite SS members at a medieval castle.” Purser, R. (2019). McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality. London: Repeater Books. (See pp. 225-226) Meditation is not all sunshine, rainbows, and baby farts, as such powerful spiritual practices are easily weaponized outside of an “ethical” framework.
13. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 13 13 of of 141 141 Start By Doubting Everything Start By Doubting Everything The iconoclastic philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) taught that we are victims of cultural conditioning. This conditioning entrenches us in the violence and tyranny of a socially constructed self. Krishnamurti, J. (2007). As One Is: To Free the Mind from All Conditioning (e-book). Chino Valley, AZ: Hohm Press. “So meditation is to understand the futility of all systems. Doubt everything. Be skeptical about your sacred books, about your gurus, about your politics, about yourself. Doubt and skepticism cleanses the brain and gives clarity.” Krishnamurti, Jiddu. Krishnamurti: The Essential Collection (p. 13-15). Kindle Edition.
14. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 14 14 of of 141 141 Overstated Overstated Postmodern Postmodern Neoliberal Neoliberal Tripe Tripe
15. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 15 15 of of 141 141 Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness In Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness Jon Kabat-Zinn (1990) defines mindfulness as paying attention in a particular way. Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. (Revised). New York: Bantam. – “I define mindfulness operationally as the awareness that arises by paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non- judgmentally.”
16. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 16 16 of of 141 141 Langer's Mindfulness Langer's Mindfulness In The Power of Mindful Learning social psychologist Ellen Langer (1997, p. 23) writes that mindfulness revolves around the following psychological states. Langer, E. (1997). The Power of Mindful Learning. Cambridge, Mass: Da Capo Press. – Openness to novelty – Alertness to distinction – Sensitivity to different contexts – Implicit awareness of multiple perspectives – Orientation in the present
17. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 17 17 of of 141 141 Siegel's Mindfulness Siegel's Mindfulness Daniel Siegel (2007) sets the stage for a clear understanding of mindfulness in The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being. Siegel, D. (2007). The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being (1 edition). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. – “Mindfulness in its most general sense is about waking up from a life on automatic, and being sensitive to novelty in our everyday experiences.” (p.5) – “The essential proposal is that this ancient and useful form of awareness harnesses the social circuitry of the brain to enable us to develop an attuned relationship within our own minds.” (p. 3)
18. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 18 18 of of 141 141
19. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 19 19 of of 141 141 Mindfulness Misconceptions Mindfulness Misconceptions In Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante Gunaratana (2011) dispels a number of misconceptions that serve as traditional barriers to understanding mindfulness. Gunaratana, B. H. (2011). Mindfulness in Plain English (20th Anniverary). New York: Simon & Schuster Digital Sales Inc. – Meditation is just a relaxation technique – Meditation is about going into a trance – Meditation is running away from reality – Meditation is about lofty thoughts – A couple of weeks of meditation and all my problems will go away.
20. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 20 20 of of 141 141 My Experience with My Experience with (Soto) (Soto) Zen Zen Sensei Gaku Homma taught Aikido as “dynamic zen meditation” Nippon Kan 1365 Osage Street Denver, CO 80204 (My dojo time: 1982-1986)
21. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 21 21 of of 141 141 One Day in 1984 One Day in 1984 While meditating before practice, I experienced the sensation of “falling backwards as if into a well.” – This was a metacognitive state where one becomes an active witness of “oneself” and one's thoughts in a fully objective manner. Sensory-Motor Sensory-Motor Metaphor Metaphor My simple definition of mindfulness is clearly seeing through life's illusions for direct engagement in the world.
22. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 22 22 of of 141 141 Witness Consciousness Witness Consciousness: : Frontoparietal Control Frontoparietal Control Network (FPCN)/ Network (FPCN)/ Executive Control Network Executive Control Network (ECN) (ECN) Photo Credit: http://clinicalpsychreading.blogspot.com/2014/04/cognitive-reserve-and-recovery-from.html
23. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 23 23 of of 141 141 Focused Attention Meditation Focused Attention Meditation In focused attention meditation (FAM), meditators focus their attention on a target object, such as the physical sensations caused by breathing or by performing a body scan. Fujino, M., Ueda, Y., Mizuhara, H., Saiki, J., & Nomura, M. (2018). Open monitoring meditation reduces the involvement of brain regions related to memory function. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 9968. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018- 28274-4 – Having a target object enables meditators to keep their attention away from distractors and to disengage their attention from these distractors more easily. – CAVEAT: FAM may contribute to Inattentional Blindness. Simons, D. J., & Chabris, C. F. (1999). Gorillas in our midst: Sustained inattentional blindness for dynamic events. Perception, 28, 1059–1074.
24. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 24 24 of of 141 141 Open Monitoring Meditation Open Monitoring Meditation In Open Monitoring Meditation (OMM), meditators keep a non-reactive and non-judgmental awareness of anything that occurs in their experience of the present moment. Fujino, M., Ueda, Y., Mizuhara, H., Saiki, J., & Nomura, M. (2018). Open monitoring meditation reduces the involvement of brain regions related to memory function. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 9968. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28274-4 – While maintaining this awareness, the contents of experience such as bodily sensations, feelings, and thoughts are not distractors but simply contents for observation. – CAVEAT: OMM may contribute to depersonalization, dissociative tendencies. Michal, M., Beutel, M. E., Jordan, J., Zimmermann, M., Wolters, S., & Heidenreich, T. (2007). Depersonalization, mindfulness, and childhood trauma. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 195(8), 693–696. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmd.0b013e31811f4492
25. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 25 25 of of 141 141 Vago, D. R., & Zeidan, F. (2016). The brain on silent: Mind wandering, mindful awareness, and states of mental tranquility. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1373(1), 96–113. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13171
26. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 26 26 of of 141 141 Neuroscience of Meditation Neuroscience of Meditation Cognitive Neuroscience – Michael Gazzaniga, PhD and Antonio Damasio, MD Neurophilosophy – Patricia Churchland, PhD, George Lakoff, PhD, and Mark Johnson, PhD Neurotheology/Neuroethics – Andrew Newberg, MD and Michael Gazzaniga, PhD Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction® (MBSR®) – Jon Kabat Zinn, PhD Contemplative Neuroscience – Richard Davidson, PhD and Daniel Goleman, PhD
27. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 27 27 of of 141 141 Meditation Meets Neuroscience Meditation Meets Neuroscience In 2000, the Dalai Lama challenged Richard “Richie” Davidson, PhD to refocus the formidable power of his neuroscience lab The Center for The Center for Healthy Minds Healthy Minds (centerhealthyminds.org) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison to investigate the mechanisms and benefits of meditation. Goleman, D., & Davidson, R. J. (2018). Altered Traits: ScienceReveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body (Reprint edition). Avery.
28. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 28 28 of of 141 141 Matthieu Ricard, PhD in Molecular Genetics Much of the research on mindfulness is derived from seasoned meditators who have a long history of meditation as part of their religious practice. This necessarily means that religious-philosophical thinking must be acknowledged to some degree in the contextualization of our study of mindfulness. Your patience is appreciated.
29. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 29 29 of of 141 141 We are Philosophical Heirs We are Philosophical Heirs In his book On the Road with Saint Augustine, Calvin College philosophy professor James K. A. Smith (2019, p. 20) muses on the contemporaneous nature of Augustinian thought on life in the postmodern world. Smith, J. K. A. (2019). On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press. – “We are philosophical heirs even if we don’t realize it. We have inhaled invisible philosophies in the cultural air we breathe. Our everyday quests for authenticity and identity are grooves in the heart laid down by the ripple effects of an existentialism we’ve perhaps never heard of.”
30. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 30 30 of of 141 141 Bumper Sticker Postmodernism Bumper Sticker Postmodernism Jean-Francois Lyotard* (Stories) – Incredulity towards Metanarratives Jacques Derrida* (Language) – There is nothing outside the Text Michel Foucault* (Power) – Power is Knowledge Gilles Deleuze** (Desire) – Politics precedes Being *Smith, J. K. A. (2006). Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism: The Church and Culture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. **Bell, D. (2012). Economy of Desire: Christianity And Capitalism In A Postmodern World. Baker Academic.
31. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 31 31 of of 141 141 Cartesian Confusion Cartesian Confusion Descartes’s (1641) Meditations on First Philosophy is a narration of his personal intellectual journey into the Res Cogitans. Our ontological beliefs and self-identity have been forged in this Cartesian furnace. Cahoone, L. (2010). The Rationalism and Dualism of Descartes. In Modern Intellectual Tradition: From Descartes to Derrida (pp. 10–12). Chantilly, VA: The Great Courses. – Substance Dualism (res extensa/res cogitans) – The biggest injustice is the conflation of mind with soul. – Inaugurated the sub-field Philosophy of Mind
32. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 32 32 of of 141 141 Western/Eastern Dualism Western/Eastern Dualism Body Body Mind Mind Soul Soul Body Body Mind Mind Soul Soul West West Theoretical/ Theoretical/ Rational Rational East East Experiential/ Experiential/ Empirical Empirical Grim, P. (2017). Mind-Body Philosophy. Video Presentation presented at the The Great Courses. Retrieved from https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/mind-body- philosophy.html Essentialism Essentialism Existentialism Existentialism
33. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 33 33 of of 141 141 Liberated by Locke Liberated by Locke The English enlightenment philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) writing of identity in his Essay Essay Concerning Human Understanding Concerning Human Understanding argues that all ideas come from sensation and reflection. – “Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas:—How comes it to be furnished? [...] To this I answer, in one word, from experience.” – Tabula Rasa … there are no innate ideas. – I am the sum of my experiences and memories.
34. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 34 34 of of 141 141 Humbled by Hume Humbled by Hume David Hume (1711-1776) published, at the age of 26, his Treatise on Human Nature sought “the application of experimental philosophy to moral subjects.” Hume, D. (2014). A Treatise of Human Nature (ePub). Toronto: Harper Torch Classics. – “I may venture to affirm of the rest of mankind, that they are nothing but a bundle or collection of different perceptions, which succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a perpetual flux and movement.” – Bundle Theory: We are a Pastiche.
35. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 35 35 of of 141 141 Neurophilosophy Neurophilosophy In the mid-seventies, academic philosopher Patricia Smith Churchland (1986) became disillusioned with the “anti-scientific” bias of mainstream philosophical inquiry into the nature of the mind. Churchland, P. S. (1989). Neurophilosophy: Toward a Unified Science of the Mind-Brain (Reprint edition). Cambridge, Mass.: A Bradford Book. – She sought to marry “philosophy of mind” with the exploding field of cognitive neuroscience. – In 1986, she published Neurophilosophy: Toward a Unified Science of the Mind/Brain.
36. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 36 36 of of 141 141 Neurophilosophical Assumptions Neurophilosophical Assumptions In Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind & its Challenge to Western Thought, George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (1999) radically restructure the philosophical assumptions of what it means to be a human being in terms of cognitive neuroscience. Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1999). Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind & its Challenge to Western Thought. New York, NY: Basic Books. 1.Embodiment of the Mind 2.Cognitive Unconscious 3.Thought is Metaphorical 4.Morality is about Human Well-Being
37. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 37 37 of of 141 141 Philosophy in the Flesh Philosophy in the Flesh 1. 1.Embodiment of the Mind Embodiment of the Mind – Mindfulness is sensorimotor. 2.Cognitive Unconscious – Mindfulness exposes the unconscious voice. 3.Thought is Metaphorical – Mindfulness uses metaphoric language. 4.Morality is about Human Well-Being – Mindfulness engenders moral well-being.
38. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 38 38 of of 141 141 Damasio's Embodied Mind Damasio's Embodied Mind In The Strange Order of Things: Life, Feelings, and the Making of Cultures, neurologist and neuroscientist Antonio Damasio (2018) argues that the mind is an engendered “space” where neurologically constructed maps of the body, feelings, thoughts, memories, and other sensoria are integrated and experienced. Damasio, A. (2019). The Strange Order of Things: Life, Feeling, and the Making of Cultures (Reprint edition). Vintage. – “The mind is made of images from the representation of objects and events.” – “Images are the universal token of mind.”
39. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 39 39 of of 141 141 Engendered Narrative Space Engendered Narrative Space In The Psychology of Narrative Thought, psychologist Lee Roy Beach (2010) describes the complex assembly that constitutes narrative thought. Beach, L. R. (2010). The Psychology of Narrative Thought: How the Stories We Tell Ourselves Shape Our Lives. United States: Xlibris Corporation. – “It is a rich mixture of memories, of visual, auditory, and other cognitive images, all laced together by emotions to form a mixture that far surpasses mere words and visual images to capture context and meaning.” (p. 22)
40. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 40 40 of of 141 141 The Mindful Brain/Community The Mindful Brain/Community Doll, et. al. (2015) extend the metaphor of the embodied mind to include a series of interacting brain networks. Doll, A., Hölzel, B. K., Boucard, C. C., Wohlschläger, A. M., & Sorg, C. (2015). Mindfulness is associated with intrinsic functional connectivity between default mode and salience networks. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00461 – “In the context of mindfulness and functional connectivity there are three central neurocognitive networks of interest: the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN) and the central executive network (CEN).”
41. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 41 41 of of 141 141 Embodied Themes Embodied Themes In The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell (1988, p. 49) and journalist Bill Moyers discuss what the myths of premoderns and Romantics had to say about the origins of thoughts, musings, and imaginations. Campbell, J., & Moyers, B. (1988). The Power of Myth. New York: Anchor Books. – “The imagination is grounded in the energy of the organs of the body, and these are the same in all human beings. Since imagination comes out of one biological ground, it is bound to produce certain themes.”
42. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 42 42 of of 141 141 Philosophy in the Flesh Philosophy in the Flesh 1.Embodiment of the Mind – Mindfulness is sensorimotor. 2. 2.Cognitive Unconscious Cognitive Unconscious – Mindfulness exposes the unconscious voice. 3.Thought is Metaphorical – Mindfulness uses metaphoric language. 4.Morality is about Human Well-Being – Mindfulness engenders moral well-being.
43. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 43 43 of of 141 141 Cognitive/Adaptive Unconscious Cognitive/Adaptive Unconscious In Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious, American social psychologist Timothy D. Wilson (2002) describes the adaptive unconscious. Wilson, T. D. (2002). Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. – “Evolutionary adaptative nonconscious thinking conveys the ability to size up our environments, disambiguate them, interpret them, and initiate behavior quickly and nonconsciously [thus conferring] a survival advantage.”
44. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 44 44 of of 141 141 Thinking Fast and Slow Thinking Fast and Slow In his book Thinking Fast and Slow psychologist and Nobel laureate in economics Daniel Kahneman (2013, p. 20) describes two systems of thinking that he ties to heuristic methods, biased thinking, and error detection. Kahneman, D. (2013). Thinking, Fast and Slow (1st edition). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. – “System 1 operates automatically and quickly, with little or no effort and no sense of voluntary control.” – “System 2 allocates attention to the effortful mental activities that demand it, including complex computations and error detection.”
45. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 45 45 of of 141 141 A Glimpse of the Unconscious A Glimpse of the Unconscious Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor (2008) describes her stroke (1996) experience in My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey. Bolte-Taylor, J. (2008). My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Group. – “My left hemisphere had been trained to perceive myself as a solid, separate from others. Now, released from that restrictive circuitry, my right hemisphere relished in its attachment to the eternal flow. I was no longer isolated and alone. My soul was as big as the universe and frolicked with glee in a boundless sea.” – This is the result of a disinhibited right hemisphere.
46. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 46 46 of of 141 141 Hemispheric Dominance Hemispheric Dominance Rhawn Joseph (1992) concludes in The Right Brain and the Unconscious: Discovering the Stranger Within that the unconscious mind resides in the “mute” right hemisphere. Joseph, R. (1992). The Right Brain and the Unconscious: Discovering the Stranger Within. New York, NY: Plenum Press. – In Iain McGilchrist's (2019, p. 17) tome The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World we learn that the corpus callosum contains an estimated 300–800 million fibers a large number of which actually inhibit their contralateral counterparts. McGilchrist, I. (2019). The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World (2nd, New Expanded edition ed.). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
47. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 47 47 of of 141 141 Corpus Callosum in Meditation Corpus Callosum in Meditation Luders et. al. (2012) in Bridging the Hemispheres in Meditation found that long-term meditators (upwards of 45 years) have enhanced fiber connectivity within the anterior callosal tip occupied by the forceps minor. Luders, E., Phillips, O. R., Clark, K., Kurth, F., Toga, A. W., & Narr, K. L. (2012). Bridging the Hemispheres in Meditation: Thicker callosal regions and enhanced fractional anisotropy (FA) in long-term practitioners. Neuroimage, 61(1), 181–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.02.026 – “Thicker callosal regions in meditators indicate greater connectivity, possibly reflecting increased hemispheric integration during cerebral processes involving prefrontal regions.”
48. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 48 48 of of 141 141 Fitsiori, A., Nguyen, D., Karentzos, A., Delavelle, J., & Vargas, M. I. (2011). The corpus callosum: White matter or terra incognita. The British Journal of Radiology, 84(997), 5– 18. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr/21946513 Diffusion MRI of the Diffusion MRI of the Corpus Callosum Corpus Callosum Diffusion MRI allows the mapping of the diffusion process of molecules, mainly water, in biological tissues, in vivo and non-invasively. A special kind of D-MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), has been used extensively to map white matter tractography in the brain. Diffusion MRI. (2019). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php? title=Diffusion_MRI&oldid=916012261
49. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 49 49 of of 141 141 Midha, M. (2009). Mahout Bathing an Elephant, India. Retrieved November 24, 2019, from National Geographic Photo of the Day website: Midha, M. (2009). Mahout Bathing an Elephant, India. Retrieved November 24, 2019, from National Geographic Photo of the Day website: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/2009/2/bathing-elephant-pod/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/2009/2/bathing-elephant-pod/ In the In the Happiness Hypothesis Happiness Hypothesis, moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt (2006) likens , moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt (2006) likens right brain consciousness to an elephant and that of the left brain to the mahout. right brain consciousness to an elephant and that of the left brain to the mahout. Haidt, J. (2006). The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. New York: Basic Books. Haidt, J. (2006). The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. New York: Basic Books.
50. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 50 50 of of 141 141 Philosophy in the Flesh Philosophy in the Flesh 1.Embodiment of the Mind – Mindfulness is sensorimotor. 2.Cognitive Unconscious – Mindfulness exposes the unconscious voice. 3. 3.Thought is Metaphorical Thought is Metaphorical – Mindfulness uses metaphoric language. 4.Morality is about Human Well-Being – Mindfulness engenders moral well-being.
51. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 51 51 of of 141 141 Meta + Pherein Meta + Pherein In the article Dementia As a Cultural Metaphor, British gerontologist Hannah Zeilig (2014) defines the saliency of metaphor in daily life. Zeilig, H. (2014). Dementia As a Cultural Metaphor. The Gerontologist, 54(2), 258–267. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gns203 – “A metaphor works by making an implicit comparison between two unlike things; thus, what is unfamiliar is described by something that is familiar.” – “Metaphors are not only essential to communication but are also innately connected to the ways in which we see and process the world.”
52. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 52 52 of of 141 141 Kiki or Bouba? Kiki or Bouba? In 1929 German-American psychologist Wolfgang Köhler showed two figures to Spanish speaking natives of the Canary Islands and asked them which of two names applied to each of them. Bouba/kiki effect. (2019). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bouba/kiki_effect&oldid=903021646
53. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 53 53 of of 141 141 Synesthetic Metaphors Synesthetic Metaphors Writing in I is an Other: The Secret Life of I is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How It Shapes the Way We See Metaphor and How It Shapes the Way We See the World the World, James Geary (2011) writes: Geary, J. (2011). I Is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How It Shapes the Way We See the World (Reprint edition). New York: Harper Perennial. Many of the metaphors we use every day are synesthetic, describing one sensory experience with vocabulary that belongs to another modality. – “Silence is sweet; facial expressions are sour. Sexually attractive people are hot; sexually unattractive people leave us cold.” – Along with pattern recognition, synesthesia may be the neurological building block of metaphor.
54. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 54 54 of of 141 141 Self as Metaphor Self as Metaphor From Philosophy in the Flesh Lakoff and Johnson (1999) make the syntactical and linguistic argument that there are two general reference points to a “person.” Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1999). Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind & its Challenge to Western Thought. New York, NY: Basic Books. – The Subject is that part of the person that is experiencing consciousness and is the locus of reason, essence, will, and judgment. – The Self/Selves are everything else not picked out by the Subject such as the body, social roles, past states, and actions in the world.
55. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 55 55 of of 141 141 Photo Credit: http://clinicalpsychreading.blogspot.com/2014/04/cognitive-reserve-and-recovery-from.html
56. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 56 56 of of 141 141 I-Me Sensory-Motor Metaphors I-Me Sensory-Motor Metaphors I was beside myself! I am out of my mind! I was turned upside down. I am not myself today. I could kick myself! I was uplifted! I can't get a grip on myself! I can wrap my mind around it. I was taken aback by the notion.
57. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 57 57 of of 141 141 Neural Correlates of Metaphors Neural Correlates of Metaphors Schmidt and Seger (2009) demonstrate in Neural Correlates of Metaphor Processing: The Roles of Figurativeness, Familiarity and Difficulty that comprehension of metaphor requires the recruitment of brain processes located in the prefrontal cortices (“I”) and the insula (“Me”) . Schmidt, G. L., & Seger, C. A. (2009). Neural Correlates of Metaphor Processing: The Roles of Figurativeness, Familiarity and Difficulty. Brain and Cognition, 71(3), 375–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2009.06.001 – This confirms the contentions of Lakoff and Johnson (1999) that metaphors especially of the abstract inner world of the “self” are constructed from sensory-motor mechanisms.
58. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 58 58 of of 141 141 The Constructed Self The Constructed Self In The Self Illusion: How the Social Brain Creates Identity the British developmental psychologist Bruce Hood (2013) details the manner in which the brain constructs a central figure or protagonist in our inner narration. Hood, B. (2013). The Self Illusion: How the Social Brain Creates Identity (Reprint edition). Oxford England; New York: Oxford University Press. – Based on current understanding across academic disciplines, he suggests that our brains are constructing simulations or stories to make sense of our experiences while our memories mark the passage of time.
59. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 59 59 of of 141 141 Monophrenic Monophrenic (Modern) (Modern) Narrative Narrative In Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age, sociologist Anthony Giddens (1991) describes the existential challenges presented to identity formation in the transition from modernity to postmodernity. Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and Self Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Stanford University Press. – “The existential question of self-identity is bound up with the fragile nature of the biography that the individual 'supplies' about herself.” (p. 54) – “A person's identity is not to be found in behavior, but in the capacity to keep a particular narrative going.” (p. 54)
60. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 60 60 of of 141 141 Multiphrenic Multiphrenic (Postmodern) (Postmodern) Narrative Narrative In The Saturated Self: Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life, the psychologist Kenneth Gergen (1991) investigates the fragmenting impact of postmodern culture on a person's coherent sense of identity. Gergen, K. (1991). The Saturated Self: Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life. New York: Basic Books. – “In an important sense, as social saturation proceeds we become pastiches, imitative assemblages of each other.” (p. 71) – “All the selves lie latent, and under the right conditions may spring to life.” (p. 71)
61. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 61 61 of of 141 141 Photo Credit: http://clinicalpsychreading.blogspot.com/2014/04/cognitive-reserve-and-recovery-from.html My name is legion ...
62. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 62 62 of of 141 141 Where is the Self Located? Where is the Self Located? In 2001 the neuroradiologist Marcus Raichle's pioneering studies in fMRI of the brain identified a resting state/task negative brain network whose main function was identified in self-referential processes. Raichle, M. E. (2015). The Brain’s Default Mode Network. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 38(1), 433–447. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-071013-014030 – This self-referential network became known as the default mode network as it occupies itself with daydreaming, mind wandering, stimulus- independent thoughts and is our brain's default state.
63. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 63 63 of of 141 141 Neurology. 2012 Dec 4;79(23):2226-32. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31827689d6. DMN Anatomy DMN Anatomy
64. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 64 64 of of 141 141 DMN Functional Hubs DMN Functional Hubs Posterior Cingulate Cortex (PCC) & Precuneus: – Related to the self and others, remembering the past, imagining the future. Andrews-Hanna, J. R., Smallwood, J., & Spreng, R. N. (2014). The default network and self-generated thought: Component processes, dynamic control, and clinical relevance. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1316(1), 29–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12360 Angular Gyrus/TemporoParietal Junction: – Connects perception, attention, spatial cognition, and episodic memories. Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) & Anterior Cigulate Cortex (ACC): – Decision making about self processing, considering others, autobiographical memories, emotional regulation, goalsetting, and reward.
65. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 65 65 of of 141 141 Horn, A., Ostwald, D., Reisert, M., & Blankenburg, F. (2014). The structural–functional connectome and the default mode network of the human brain. NeuroImage, 102, 142–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.09.069 Diffusion Tensor Image of the DMN
66. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 66 66 of of 141 141 DMN through the LifeCycle DMN through the LifeCycle Writing in the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Judith Daniels (2011) notes the developmental course of the default mode. Daniels, J. (2011). Default mode alterations in posttraumatic stress disorder related to early-life trauma: A developmental perspective. Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, 36(1), 56–59. https://doi.org/10.1503/jpn.100050 – Infants demonstrate a lack of anterior–posterior integration due to less well-developed white matter tracts. – By 1 year of age anterior–posterior integration begins to emerge. – By 9 years of age, the default mode network anterior–posterior integration appears comparable to adult integration levels.
67. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 67 67 of of 141 141 Function of the DMN Function of the DMN Cognitive Scientist from the University of Colorado at Boulder Jessica Andrews-Hanna (2012) describes the role of the DMN in internal mentation. Andrews-Hanna, J. R. (2012). The Brain’s Default Network and Its Adaptive Role in Internal Mentation. The Neuroscientist, 18(3), 251–270. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073858411403316 Neurological basis for the self: – Autobiographical information and self-reference, Thinking about others: – Theory of mind, empathy, basic moral reasoning, interpersonal evaluations Remembering the past and Imagining the future: – Episodic memory and story comprehension
68. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 68 68 of of 141 141 Mirror Neurons Mirror Neurons Molnar-Szakacs and Uddin (2013) discuss how the privileged access we have to our own physical and mental states allows us to gain insight into others’ physical and mental states (mental state attribution or theory of mind) through the processes of embodiment and mentalizing. Molnar-Szakacs, I., & Uddin, L. Q. (2013). Self-Processing and the Default Mode Network: Interactions with the Mirror Neuron System. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00571 – These cognitive processes are supported at the neural level by two large-scale, interacting networks, the mirror neuron system (MNS) and the DMN, respectively.
69. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 69 69 of of 141 141 Neural Basis of Empathy Neural Basis of Empathy In his book Mirroring People: The New Science of How We Connect with Others neurologist and neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni (2009) makes the argument that it is through the mirror neuron system and its extensive neural connections that we have the ability to simulate the feelings and presumptive thoughts of others. Iacoboni, M. (2009). Mirroring People: The Science of Empathy and How We Connect with Others (First edition). New York: Picador.
70. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 70 70 of of 141 141 Mindfulness and Empathy Mindfulness and Empathy Lamothe et. al. (2016) conducted a meta-analysis examining the impact of MBSR® on empathy in health care providers across 39 separate studies. Lamothe, M., Rondeau, É., Malboeuf-Hurtubise, C., Duval, M., & Sultan, S. (2016). Outcomes of MBSR or MBSR-based interventions in health care providers: A systematic review with a focus on empathy and emotional competencies. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 24, 19–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2015.11.001 – Their analysis demonstrated that MBSR® improved cognitive empathy (not emotional empathy) over three key emotional competencies: identification of one's own emotions, identification of other's emotions, and emotional acceptance of self and others.
71. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 71 71 of of 141 141 Mind Wandering Mind Wandering In The Craving Mind, psychiatrist/neuroscientist Judson Brewer (2017) describes the role of the default mode network and the wandering mind. Brewer, J. (2017). The Craving Mind. New Haven: Yale University Press. – “Recent work has shown that when people are asked to do nothing (in an fMRI scanner while their brain activity is being measured), they default to mind wandering, and much of those wandering thoughts take the form of an ongoing narrative about oneself, “the story of me,” we could say: my future, my past, my successes, my failures, and so forth.”
72. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 72 72 of of 141 141 Rumination Rumination Zhu, et. al. (2017) examined the correlation between the default mode network and rumination in young medication-naïve patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Zhu, X., Zhu, Q., Shen, H., Liao, W., & Yuan, F. (2017). Rumination and Default Mode Network Subsystems Connectivity in First-episode, Drug-Naive Young Patients with Major Depressive Disorder. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 43105. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep43105 They found that: – The MDD patients showed increased intra-DMN network connectivity and decreased inter-system connectivity.
73. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 73 73 of of 141 141 Automaticity of Thought Automaticity of Thought Krishnan et. al. (2018) discuss the source of the automaticity that drives the resting state activities of the default mode network. Krishnan, G. P., González, O. C., & Bazhenov, M. (2018). Origin of slow spontaneous resting-state neuronal fluctuations in brain networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(26), 6858–6863. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1715841115 – Using computational modeling, it was shown that spontaneous resting-state fluctuations arise from dynamic ion concentrations and are influenced by the Na+/K+ pump, glial K+ buffering, and glutaminergic and GABAergic synaptic currents. – Intrinsic, task negative thought may be as spontaneous as breathing.
74. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 74 74 of of 141 141 Whistling Teakettle Whistling Teakettle In the Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, Michael Singer (2013) gives a metaphorical explanation for our mind wandering and ruminations. Singer, M. A. (2013). The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself (Gift Edition w/ Ribbon Marker edition). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. – “The mental voice talks for the same reason that a teakettle whistles. That is, there’s a buildup of energy inside that needs to be released.” Photo Credit: ID 151360123 © Chernetskaya | Dreamstime.com
75. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 75 75 of of 141 141 FAM and the DMN FAM and the DMN In fMRI studies, focused attention meditation (FAM), Fujino et. al. (2018) have demonstrated a reduction in the connectivity between the anterior medial prefrontal cortex (amPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus, which are core hubs of the DMN. Fujino, M., Ueda, Y., Mizuhara, H., Saiki, J., & Nomura, M. (2018). Open monitoring meditation reduces the involvement of brain regions related to memory function. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 9968. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28274-4 – “Activity in the anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) increases at moments when meditators realize their mind is wandering during FAM.”
76. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 76 76 of of 141 141 OMM and the DMN OMM and the DMN Fujino et. al. (2018) have shown that open monitoring meditation (OMM) reduces activity in the hippocampus and the retrosplenial cortex “memory gateway” which are DMN components associated with self-reference in the past and future. Fujino, M., Ueda, Y., Mizuhara, H., Saiki, J., & Nomura, M. (2018). Open monitoring meditation reduces the involvement of brain regions related to memory function. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 9968. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28274-4. AND Kaboodvand, N., Bäckman, L., Nyberg, L., & Salami, A. (2018). The retrosplenial cortex: A memory gateway between the cortical default mode network and the medial temporal lobe. Human Brain Mapping, 39(5), 2020–2034. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.23983 – “Meditators who practice OMM develop a more acute, but less emotionally reactive awareness of their experiences, including the autobiographical sense of identity that projects back into the past and forward into the future.”
77. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 77 77 of of 141 141 Neurology. 2012 Dec 4;79(23):2226-32. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31827689d6. DMN & Retrosplenial Cortex DMN & Retrosplenial Cortex Episodic Memory & Episodic Memory & Emotion (Amygdala) Emotion (Amygdala)
78. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 78 78 of of 141 141 Emptiness or Murder Emptiness or Murder In the Prajñaparamita Heart Sutra Avalokiteśvara Buddha finds that all things are empty of a separate sense of self. Hanh, T. N. (1988). The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra. Berkeley, Calif: Parallax Press. In Philippians the Christ chooses emptiness. “Have this mind (phroneo) in you … but emptied (kenosis) himself …” (Php 2:5-7 ASV) In July 2011, Anders Behring Breivik used a form of Zen meditation to numb the full spectrum of his emotions and kill 77 people in Norway. Staff, B. the C. W. (n.d.). Norway’s Breivik gives chilling account of gun massacre. Retrieved November 9, 2019, from CNN website: https://www.cnn.com/2012/04/20/world/europe/norway-breivik- trial/index.html
79. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 79 79 of of 141 141 Salience Salience Etymologically the term “salience” derives from (L) “salire” meaning to leap or spring forward. Skeat, W. (2007). Concise Dictionary of English Eytmology (1st ed.). London: Wordsworth Reference. The nervous system dynamically selects specific stimuli for additional processing from a constant stream of incoming sensory inputs. Menon, V. (2015). Salience Network. In Brain Mapping (pp. 597–611). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-397025-1.00052-X – Bottom-Up Salience of perceptual information – Top-Down Salience of conceptual information
80. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 80 80 of of 141 141 Salience Network Salience Network Stamford neuroscientist Vinod Menon (2015) describes the Salience Network as follows. Menon, V. (2015). Salience Network. In Brain Mapping (pp. 597–611). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-397025-1.00052-X – The SN is an intrinsically connected large-scale network anchored in the insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and may include portions of the somatosensory cortex. – The SN also includes three key subcortical structures: the amygdala, the ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens, and the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area. – The SN is concerned with alerting and orienting attentional resources.
81. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 81 81 of of 141 141 Arias-Carrión, O., Stamelou, M., Murillo-Rodríguez, E., Menéndez-González, M., & Pöppel, E. (2010). Dopaminergic reward system: A short integrative review. International Archives of Medicine, 3, 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/1755-7682-3-24 Salience is mediated through dopaminergic and reward pathways.
82. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 82 82 of of 141 141 Nekovarova, T., Fajnerova, I., Horacek, J., & Spaniel, F. (2014). Bridging disparate symptoms of schizophrenia: A triple network dysfunction theory. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00171
83. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 83 83 of of 141 141 Meditation & Network Toggling Meditation & Network Toggling Lippelt et. al. (2014) examined the toggling mechanism during mind wandering. Lippelt, D. P., Hommel, B., & Colzato, L. S. (2014). Focused attention, open monitoring and loving kindness meditation: Effects on attention, conflict monitoring, and creativity – A review. Frontiers in Psychology, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01083 – The moment of awareness of mind-wandering was associated with increased activity in the ACC. – As the mind starts to wander during meditation, the ACC detects this “error” and feeds it back to executive control networks so that attention can be refocused.
84. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 84 84 of of 141 141 Mindfulness and Salience Mindfulness and Salience Froeliger, et. al. (2012) demonstrated that functional connectivity of both the meditation and resting states are increased in the salience network of mindfulness practitioners. Froeliger, B., Garland, E. L., Kozink, R. V., Modlin, L. A., Chen, N.-K., McClernon, F. J., … Sobin, P. (2012). Meditation-State Functional Connectivity (msFC): Strengthening of the Dorsal Attention Network and Beyond [Research article]. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/680407 – “Such changes in functional connectivity may be reflective of increased trait mindfulness, cortical and subcortical remodeling via neuroplasticity, and fundamental changes to the sense of self over time resulting from repeated mindfulness practice.”
85. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 85 85 of of 141 141 Embodied Angst Embodied Angst In The Wounded Storyteller: Body, Illness, and Ethics sociologist Arthur Frank (2013) discusses how the body gives language to the socially muzzled need for expression. Frank, A. W. (2013). The Wounded Storyteller: Body, Illness, and Ethics, Second Edition (Second edition). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. – “The body is not mute, but it is inarticulate; it does not use speech, yet begets it. The speech that the body begets includes illness stories; the problem of hearing these stories is to hear the body speaking in them.” (Frank, 2013, p. 27)
86. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 86 86 of of 141 141 Fidgeting and Salience Fidgeting and Salience Carriere, et. al. (2013) report that involuntary mind wandering and decreased attentional states are directly correlated with fidgeting. Carriere, J. S. A., Seli, P., & Smilek, D. (2013). Wandering in both mind and body: Individual differences in mind wandering and inattention predict fidgeting. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue Canadienne de Psychologie Expérimentale, 67(1), 19–31. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031438 – “[I]t seems an individual who has a mind that tends to spontaneously wander away from the task at hand likely has a body that tends to wander as well.” – This directly relates to tells and body language that reveal unconscious states. Navarro, J. (2008). What Every Body is Saying. New York: HarperCollins Publishing.
87. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 87 87 of of 141 141 Salience in Mindfulness Practice Salience in Mindfulness Practice Insula/ Insula/ ACC ACC Prefrontal Prefrontal Cortex Cortex Recognition/Awareness Recognition/Awareness Change in HR, Change in HR, Breathing Pattern, Breathing Pattern, Body Tension, Body Tension, Posture, Fidgeting* Posture, Fidgeting* * Seli, P., Carriere, J. S. A., Thomson, D. R., Cheyne, J. A., Martens, K. A. E., & Smilek, D. (2014). Restless mind, restless body. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(3), 660–668. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035260
88. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 88 88 of of 141 141 What to Do When Wandering What to Do When Wandering In Practical Zen, JD Skinner (2017, p. 32) describes the quintessential and time-honored technique to redirect the wandering mind. Skinner, J. D. (2017). Practical Zen: Meditation and Beyond. London ; Philadelphia: Singing Dragon. – “As you sit in meditation, the center of your attention is the breath, but now, rather than cutting off thoughts, feelings and perceptions, you simply allow them to arise and pass. Whenever you become distracted and lose your breath focus, you gently come back.” – The short answer is to re-engage in executive control.
89. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 89 89 of of 141 141 Executive/Attention Network Executive/Attention Network Heinonen et. al. (2016) identify the prominent components of the executive/attention networks. Heinonen, J., Numminen, J., Hlushchuk, Y., Antell, H., Taatila, V., & Suomala, J. (2016). Default Mode and Executive Networks Areas: Association with the Serial Order in Divergent Thinking. PLOS ONE, 11(9), e0162234. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162234 – Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (dlPFC) – Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) Brown et. al. (2019) also include the following when considering the executive/attention networks. Brown, C. A., Schmitt, F. A., Smith, C. D., & Gold, B. T. (2019). Distinct patterns of default mode and executive control network circuitry contribute to present and future executive function in older adults. NeuroImage, 195, 320–332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.03.073 – Lateral Parietal Cortices (LPC) including the TPJ – Middle Temporal Gyri (MTG)
90. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 90 90 of of 141 141 Role of the CEN Role of the CEN In Mindfulness Meditation Training and Executive Control Network Resting State Functional Connectivity, Taren et. al. (2017) identify the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) as the key region in the central executive network which is broadly implicated in the regulation of attention, decision making, working memory, and cognitive control, and the control of emotional behavior. Taren, A. A., Gianaros, P. J., Greco, C. M., Lindsay, E. K., Fairgrieve, A., Brown, K. W., … Creswell, J. D. (2017). Mindfulness Meditation Training and Executive Control Network Resting State Functional Connectivity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Psychosomatic Medicine, 79(6), 674– 683. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000466
91. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 91 91 of of 141 141 Mindfulness and the CEN Mindfulness and the CEN Additionally, Taren et. al. (2017) review the growing body of literature that shows the dlPFC is active during meditative states during FAM and OMM practices. Taren, A. A., Gianaros, P. J., Greco, C. M., Lindsay, E. K., Fairgrieve, A., Brown, K. W., … Creswell, J. D. (2017). Mindfulness Meditation Training and Executive Control Network Resting State Functional Connectivity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Psychosomatic Medicine, 79(6), 674– 683. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000466 – “This suggests a dlPFC-specific pathway by which mindfulness may encourage executive control.”
92. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 92 92 of of 141 141 Mindfulness and Metacognition Mindfulness and Metacognition In Meta-Cognition in Mindfulness: A Conceptual Analysis, Dilwar Hussain (2015) details metacognition as “the awareness of the flowing qualia” while relating it to mindfulness. Hussain, D. (2015). Meta-Cognition in Mindfulness: A Conceptual Analysis. Psychological Thought, 8(2), 132–141. https://doi.org/10.5964/psyct.v8i2.139 – “[I]n the state of meta-cognitive awareness 'thoughts are seen as passing events (existential) in the mind rather than as inherent aspects (essential) of self or as necessarily valid reflections of reality.'” – “Mindfulness facilitates cognitive restructuring.”
93. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 93 93 of of 141 141 Where is Metacognition Located? Where is Metacognition Located? In “The Neural System of Metacognition Accompanying Decision-Making in the Prefrontal Cortex” Qiu, et. al. (2018) using fMRI technology located metacognition squarely in the lateral frontopolar cortex (lFPC) lateral frontopolar cortex (lFPC) in conjunction with the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Qiu, L., Su, J., Ni, Y., Bai, Y., Zhang, X., Li, X., & Wan, X. (2018). The neural system of metacognition accompanying decision-making in the prefrontal cortex. PLOS Biology, 16(4), e2004037. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2004037 – Interestingly, metacognition appears to concern itself with decision-making and coping with uncertainty. – Metacognition allows us to view our thoughts objectively through distance and delay.
94. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 94 94 of of 141 141 Dumontheil, I. (2014). Development of abstract thinking during childhood and adolescence: The role of rostrolateral prefrontal cortex. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 10, 57–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2014.07.009
95. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 95 95 of of 141 141 Distance and Delay Part 1 Distance and Delay Part 1 In The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, Iain McGilchrist (2019, p. 257) describes how the mature prefrontal lobes underwrite our ability “to stand back from our world, and from ourselves.” McGilchrist, I. The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, 2nd, New Expanded edition ed.; Yale University Press: New Haven, CT, 2019. – “This standing back enables us to see so much more of whatever is – it unfolds, makes explicit, our understanding; but once this has happened it expands the capacity of the right hemisphere to reintegrate this understanding implicitly.” (p. 260)
96. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 96 96 of of 141 141 The McGilchrist Cycle The McGilchrist Cycle McGilchrist, I. The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, 2nd, New Expanded edition ed.; Yale University Press: New Haven, CT, 2019. Right Hemisphere: Right Hemisphere: NOVELTY Implicit, Tacit, Holistic (System 1 Thinking) Left Hemisphere: Left Hemisphere: RE-PRESENTATION Literal, Partial, Re-Presented (System 2 Thinking) Frontal Poles: Frontal Poles: CLARITY Distance, Delay, Objectivity The distance, delay, and objectivity of the frontal poles should not be mistaken for the psychological coping mechanism of dissociation.
97. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 97 97 of of 141 141 The Compassionate Brain The Compassionate Brain Chierchia and Singer (2017) make a comparative assessment of the neurological substrates of both empathy and compassion. Chierchia, G., & Singer, T. (2017). Chapter 20:The Neuroscience of Compassion and Empathy and Their Link to Prosocial Motivation and Behavior. In J.-C. Dreher & L. Tremblay (Eds.), Decision Neuroscience (pp. 247–257). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-805308-9.00020-8 – Empathy engages a network of brain areas centered around the insula and anterior cingulate cortex. – Compassionate states are associated with activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and limbic structures vis-à-vis the ventral striatum bringing feelings of warmth, concern, and positive affect.
98. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 98 98 of of 141 141 Mindfulness and Compassion Mindfulness and Compassion Emerging evidence suggests that meditation engenders prosocial behaviors meant to benefit others. Lim et. al. (2015) used a mobile app to teach mindfulness which was tested in a lab against control. Lim, D., Condon, P., & DeSteno, D. (2015). Mindfulness and Compassion: An Examination of Mechanism and Scalability. PLOS ONE, 10(2), e0118221. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0118221 – They found that mindfully trained subjects were more likely to offer their seat to an “injured” confederate than were the controls suggesting that compassion is enhanced by mindfulness training. • www.getsomeheadspace.com or www.luminosity.com was used for training.
99. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 99 99 of of 141 141 Philosophy in the Flesh Philosophy in the Flesh 1.Embodiment of the Mind – Mindfulness is sensorimotor. 2.Cognitive Unconscious – Mindfulness exposes the unconscious voice. 3.Thought is Metaphorical – Mindfulness uses metaphoric language. 4. 4.Morality is about Human Well-Being Morality is about Human Well-Being – Mindfulness engenders moral well-being.
100. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 100 100 of of 141 141 An Embodied Morality An Embodied Morality Lakoff and Johnson (1999) have studied and found that metaphors pertaining to moral concepts are grounded in the nature of our bodies and social interactions, and they are anything but arbitrary and unconstrained. Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1999). Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind & its Challenge to Western Thought. New York, NY: Basic Books. – Morality typically concerns the promotion of the well-being of others and the avoidance or prevention of harm to others. • e.g. upright, unbalanced, unhinged – This is supported by folk theory and studies of the morality of infants and toddlers (See Bloom, 2011).
101. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 101 101 of of 141 141 Neuroethics: Just Babies Neuroethics: Just Babies Yale developmental psychologist Paul Bloom (2013) discusses the innate sense of justice and moral code of infants (as young as 3 month old) in his book Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil. Bloom, P. (2013). Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil. New York: Random House LLC. – “What I am proposing is that certain moral moral foundations foundations are not acquired through learning. They do not come from the mother’s knee, or from school or church; they are instead the products of biological evolution.” (Bloom, 2011, p. 8)
102. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 102 102 of of 141 141 Embodied Morality is Maturational Embodied Morality is Maturational According to McAdams (1993) moral development is tied to maturational stages across the life cycle. McAdams, D. (1993). The Stories We Live by: Personal Myths and the Making of the Self. New York: The Guilford Press. – “Early on, children see moral, legal, interpersonal, political, and religious issues from a very concrete and self-centered point of view – what is good is good for me alone; a friend is a person who is nice to me; political leaders are either all good or all bad.” (p. 89) Caudal Thinking – “In middle stages, children and adolescents adopt a more complex social perspective as they come to realize that individual needs and viewpoints must be balanced against those of groups and society as a whole.” (p. 89) Rostral Thinking
103. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 103 103 of of 141 141 Mindfulness and Morality Mindfulness and Morality Shapiro, Jazaieri & Goldin (2012) looked at the effects of mindfulness training on moral reasoning. The foundation of moral reasoning rests on awareness. Mindfulness helps one cultivate this awareness. Shapiro, S. L., Jazaieri, H., & Goldin, P. R. (2012). Mindfulness-based stress reduction effects on moral reasoning and decision making. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 7(6), 504–515. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2012.723732 – “Mindfulness training resulted in improvements in moral reasoning and ethical decision making, mindful attention, emotion, and well-being.”
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105. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 105 105 of of 141 141 Benefits of Mindfulness Benefits of Mindfulness In The Healing Power of Mindfulness: A New Way of Being author and mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn (2018) makes a sweeping look at the health benefits derived from practicing MBSR®. Kabat- Zinn, J. (2018). The Healing Power of Mindfulness: A New Way of Being. Hachette Books. – Of particular interest is the scaled nature of his perspective. – Benefits range from genetic to cellular to tissue to organ to organ system to emotional and psychological levels. – He leaves no stone unturned and dispels doubts before the reader can formulate any.
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107. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 107 107 of of 141 141 Stress Hijacks the PFC Stress Hijacks the PFC Yale University neurobiologist Amy Arnsten (2010) discusses the stress signaling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function in an article of the same name. Arnsten, A. F. T. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, 10(6), 410–422. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2648 – During stress, orchestration of the brain’s response patterns switches from slow, thoughtful PFC regulation to the reflexive and rapid emotional responses of the amygdala and related subcortical structures. (System 1 Thinking of Kahneman) – The amygdala also biases us towards habitual motor responding rather than flexible, spatial navigation.
108. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 108 108 of of 141 141 Executive Control Curve Stress Executive Activity PFC PFC Bridge Bridge Executive Control MW MW Executive Failure RUM RUM I consider MW and RUM as remnants of bicameraltiy. (sse Jaynes, 1976)
109. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 109 109 of of 141 141 The Cost of Mindlessness The Cost of Mindlessness According to Daniel Siegel (2007) if our attention is on something other than what we are doing for most of our lives we can come to feel empty and numb. Siegel, D. (2007). The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being (1 edition). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. – This places us at risk of mindlessly reacting to situations without reflecting on various options of response. – The result can often be knee-jerk reactions that in turn initiate similar mindless reflexes in others. – A cascade of reinforcing mindlessness can create a world of thoughtless interactions, cruelty, and destruction.
110. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 110 110 of of 141 141 McNirvana McNirvana In his book McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality management professor Ronald Purser (2019) explains – “We are told that if we practice mindfulness, and get our individual lives in order, we can be happy and secure. It is therefore implied that stable employment, home ownership, social mobility, career success and equality will naturally follow.” Purser (2019, p.44) Purser, R. (2019). McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality. London: Repeater Books.
111. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 111 111 of of 141 141 Goal: Docile Bodies Goal: Docile Bodies Anthony Giddens (1991) discusses the goal of the societal power structure over the individual as described by Michel Foucault (1979) in Discipline and Punishment. Foucault, M. (1979). Discipline and Punishment: The Birth of the Prison. Vintage Books. – “Foucault has analyzed the body in relation to mechanisms of power, concentrating particularly on the emergence of ‘disciplinary power’ in circumstances of modernity. The body becomes the focus of power and this power, instead of trying to ‘mark’ it externally, as in pre-modern times, subjects it to the internal discipline of self-control. As portrayed by Foucault, disciplinary mechanisms produce ‘docile bodies’.” Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and Self Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Stanford University Press.
112. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 112 112 of of 141 141 The Neoliberal Joke Is On You The Neoliberal Joke Is On You “As a tool of self-discipline, mindfulness is the latest capitalist spirituality, unifying a quest for productivity and corporate profits with individual peace and self-fulfillment.” (Purser 2019, p. 133) Purser, R. (2019). McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality. London: Repeater Books. – “By directing attention inward, courses such as Google’s “Search Inside Yourself” deflect wandering minds from questions of power or political economy; external conditions are simply accepted as they are.” – This makes mindfulness a tool of oppression and not liberation.
113. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 113 113 of of 141 141 Practice Practice Photo Credit: ID 49920361 © Nostone | Dreamstime.com
114. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 114 114 of of 141 141 Witness the Chaos Witness the Chaos In her book The Grace in Aging: Awaken as You Grow Older, psychotherapist and hospice worker Kathleen Dowling Singh (2014) tells us that awakening to our inner chaos is an important step toward clarity and grace in aging. Dowling Singh, K. (2014). The Grace in Aging: Awaken as You Grow Older. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications. – “Chaos is what we discover when we begin to look under the hood.” (p. 50) – “Chaos is the mind of the self, of selfing, of unconscious habit patterns run wild.” (p. 49)
115. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 115 115 of of 141 141 Watching the Breath Watching the Breath Originally published in 1970, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki is a transcribed series of talks that detail the practice of zen meditation or zazen. The practice hinges on the breath. Suzuki, S., Smith, H., Baker, R., & Chadwick, D. (2011). Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice (9/19/11 edition; T. Dixon, Ed.). Boston: Shambhala. – “When we practice zazen our mind always follows our breathing.” – “If you think, 'I breathe,' the 'I' is extra.” – “So when we practice zazen, all that exists is the movement of the breathing, but we are aware of this movement.”
116. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 116 116 of of 141 141 Zen: Sit Quietly, Do Nothing Zen: Sit Quietly, Do Nothing In The Way of Zen by Alan Watts (1957) the practice of zen meditation is outlined in its most austere form for the Western mind. The key to successful practice is to see through the illusion of the self/ego. Watts, A. (1957). The Way of Zen. New York: Pantheon Books. – “To make an end of the illusion, the mind must stop trying to act upon itself, upon its stream of experiences, from the standpoint of the idea of itself which we call the ego.” – Zen poem: Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.
117. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 117 117 of of 141 141 I'd Rather Hurt Myself I'd Rather Hurt Myself In a 2014 study published in Science titled Just Think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind, the authors reviewed 11 studies and found that subjects – “typically did not enjoy spending 6 to 15 minutes in a room by themselves with nothing to do but think, that they enjoyed doing mundane external activities much more, and that many preferred to administer electric shocks to themselves instead of being left alone with their thoughts.” Wilson, T. D., Reinhard, D. A., Westgate, E. C., Gilbert, D. T., Ellerbeck, N., Hahn, C., … Shaked, A. (2014). Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind. Science, 345(6192), 75–77. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1250830
118. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 118 118 of of 141 141 Engage in Experiential Focus Engage in Experiential Focus Farb et. al. (2007) argue that experiential focus (EF) calls for the inhibition of cognitive elaboration on mental events in favor of broadly attending to more temporally proximal sensory objects such as canvassing thoughts, feelings and physical sensations without selecting any one sensory object. Farb, N. A. S., Segal, Z. V., Mayberg, H., Bean, J., McKeon, D., Fatima, Z., & Anderson, A. K. (2007). Attending to the present: Mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 2(4), 313–322. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsm030 – EF avoids rumination by disengaging attentional processes of self-referential elaboration. – YES! but how can this be done?
119. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 119 119 of of 141 141 Distance and Delay Part II Distance and Delay Part II Blakeslee and Blakeslee (2007) detail the brain's ability to map the body's peripersonal space in The Body Has a Mind of Its Own: How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You Do (Almost) Everything Better which may create distance and delay while meditating. Blakeslee, S., & Blakeslee, M. (2007). The Body Has a Mind of Its Own: How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You Do (Almost) Everything Better. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks. – “Your self does not end where your flesh ends, but suffuses and blends with the world, including other beings.” – “Your peripersonal space is like an amoeba, it expands and contracts to suit your goals and makes you master of your world.”
120. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 120 120 of of 141 141 Body Transfer Illusion Body Transfer Illusion Body transfer illusion. (2019). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Body_transfer_illusion&oldid=925773987 Body transfer illusion. (2019). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Body_transfer_illusion&oldid=925773987 Kállai, J., Hegedüs, G., Feldmann, Á., Rózsa, S., Darnai, G., Herold, R., … Szolcsányi, T. (2015). Temperament and psychopathological syndromes specific susceptibility for rubber hand illusion. Psychiatry Research, 229(1), 410–419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2015.05.109 Rubber Hand Illusion (Metaphor) “Projection of Ownership”
121. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 121 121 of of 141 141 “ “Narrative” Transfer Illusion Narrative” Transfer Illusion Put your thoughts at arm's length Put your thoughts at arm's length
122. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 122 122 of of 141 141 Bicamerality Revisited Bicamerality Revisited In his paradigm shifting book, The Origins of Consciousness and the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Julian Jaynes (1976) posits from an extensive analysis of writings that the mind of ancient man was bicameral until about 1500 BCE. Jaynes, J. (1976). The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind (1st edition). Toronto: Houghton Mifflin Company. – “[T]he speech of the gods was directly organized in what corresponds to Wernicke’s area on the right hemisphere and ‘spoken’ or ‘heard’ over the anterior commissures to or by the auditory areas of the left temporal lobe.” (p.105) – This right hemisphere derived “speech” was interpreted as originating from outside oneself.
123. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 123 123 of of 141 141 Bicameral Breakdown Bicameral Breakdown According to Jaynes (1976) , sometime after 1500 BCE the bicameral mind “broke down” resulting in functional, interhemispheric “fusion.” – The left brain asserted hemispheric dominance through conscious use of speech and subvocalization. – Much of this inner voice takes the form of mind wandering and rumination which is often castigating. – This excludes any sense of thought insertion or alien control as seen in schizophrenia. Walsh, E., Oakley, D. A., Halligan, P. W., Mehta, M. A., & Deeley, Q. (2015). The functional anatomy and connectivity of thought insertion and alien control of movement. Cortex, 64, 380–393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2014.09.012
124. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 124 124 of of 141 141 Bicameral Mind/Original Mind Bicameral Mind/Original Mind Perhaps projection of one's inner narrative into the peripersonal space while under the direction of the prefrontal cortex allows for a catharsis from the tyranny of mind wandering and rumination.
125. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 125 125 of of 141 141 Photo Credit: ID 101065964 © Lmarc1 | Dreamstime.com Sensed Presence Phenomena Sensed Presence Phenomena Mirror Neurons Left-TPJ Activation Mental State Attribution interhemispheric intrusions Psychological Projection Misattribution of Inner Speech (Hallucination) OBEs/NDEs Idol Worship Scapegoating Third Man Factor Guardian Angels Ghosts
126. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 126 126 of of 141 141 Right Hemispheric Intrusion Right Hemispheric Intrusion (?) (?) In 1992 Michael Persinger demonstrated that a “sensed presence” could be fostered through meditation (70% TM) . Persinger, M. A. (1992). Enhanced incidence of “the sensed presence” in people who have learned to meditate: Support for the right hemispheric intrusion hypothesis. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 75(3 Pt 2), 1308–1310. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1992.75.3f.1308 – “The experience of a sensed presence is associated with the transient intrusion of the right hemispheric equivalent of the left hemispheric sense of self.”
127. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 127 127 of of 141 141 Voluntary OBE Voluntary OBE Smith and Messier (2014) report on a single fMRI capture of a 24 year old woman who could voluntarily induce OBE experiences. Smith, A. M., & Messier, C. (2014). Voluntary Out-of-Body Experience: An fMRI Study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00070 – “Activations were mainly left-sided and involved the left supplementary motor area and the temporal parietal junction that has been associated with out-of-body experiences.”
128. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 128 128 of of 141 141 The Last Time You Went Swimming The Last Time You Went Swimming Let this guy deal with your thoughts, feels, and emotions. Give this guy a break!
129. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 129 129 of of 141 141 You're leaking. You're leaking.
130. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 130 130 of of 141 141 You've Been Warned You've Been Warned In How to Read a Book: The Art of Getting a Liberal Education, the philosopher Mortimer J. Adler (1940) warns us that we have become mentally overstimulated and are awash in a rising sea of information. He laments that we can now listen to the radio while driving our cars! (Adler, 1940, p. 4) Adler, M. J. (1940). How to Read a Book: The Art of Getting a Liberal Education. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. – There is a sense in which we moderns are inundated with facts to the detriment of understanding.
131. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 131 131 of of 141 141 Antidote: Desaturate the Self Antidote: Desaturate the Self Writing in The Saturated Self: Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life, Kenneth Gergen (1991) puts his finger on the postmodern pathology that plagues us. Gergen, K. (1991). The Saturated Self: Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life. New York: Basic Books. – “Increasingly we emerge as the possessors of many voices. Each self maintains a multiplicity of others, singing different melodies, different verses, and with different rhythms. Nor do these voices necessarily harmonize.” (p. 83) – We must desaturate the saturated self.
132. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 132 132 of of 141 141 W.A.N.T. W.A.N.T. Often I describe my own practice like that of a “big cat in the tall grass.” Like a top predator, keep your senses fixed on the target. – Watch/Listen to the narrative with curiosity at a distance. (Distance  Peripersonal Space) – Allow the narrative to unfold without hindrance. (Delay) – Note the automatic and recurring nature of the inner narrative. – Transcend/Transfer/Disengage from the narrative structures of yourself and society.
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134. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 134 134 of of 141 141 The Meditative Attitude The Meditative Attitude In a series of talks transcribed in the book Choiceless Awareness: Meditation Without Practice, J. Krishnamurti (2007) said that choiceless awareness is freedom from condemnation, justification, and identification (p. 22) . Krishnamurti, J. (2007). Choiceless Awareness: Meditation Without Practice (eBook). Ojai, California: Krishnamurti Foundation. – When you are vitally interested in fully understanding something, you give your mind and heart, withholding nothing. But unfortunately you are conditioned, educated, disciplined through religious and social environment to condemn or to identify, and not to understand.
135. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 135 135 of of 141 141 Non-Attachment Non-Attachment In the book The Eye of the I from Which Nothing is Hidden, psychiatrist David R. Hawkins (2001) encourages the reader to seek the source of their 'true identity' through a process of surrender and non-attachment of positionalities. Hawkins, D. R. (2001). The Eye of the I from which Nothing is Hidden. Sedona, AZ: Veritas Publishing. – Positionalities are clever, narrative, defense mechanisms deployed to protect and preserve the ego. – “As positionality ceases, one becomes aware that it was the source of all prior miseries, fears, and unhappiness and that every positionality is inherently in error.”
136. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 136 136 of of 141 141 What to Do If What to Do If If you have difficulty maintaining yourself in Open Monitoring Meditation (OMM), – switch to Focused Attention Meditation (FAM) techniques until your mind has calmed down – then switch back to OMM. Some tips for a wandering mind – Focus on the breath, repeat a mantram, move your eyes under closed lids, allow a narrow shaft of light into your eyes, experiment with your peripersonal space (i.e., rubber hand illusion)
137. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 137 137 of of 141 141 A Call to Moral Well-Being A Call to Moral Well-Being I think anybody who has observed, even if only a little, what is going on in the world, can also, without a great deal of intellectual study, observe and find out in himself those things which, projected outwardly, are the causes of this extraordinary brutality, callousness, indifference, and violence. The major cause of violence | J. Krishnamurti. (n.d.). Retrieved July 31, 2019, from https://jkrishnamurti.org/content/major-cause-violence The “teleos” of mindfulness is morality and compassion.
138. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 138 138 of of 141 141 You cannot have for yourself You cannot have for yourself what you would otherwise deny to another. what you would otherwise deny to another.
139. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 139 139 of of 141 141 Compassion Meditation Compassion Meditation In The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace psychologist and meditation teacher Jack Kornfield reveals the basic meditation for cultivating compassion. Kornfield, J. (2002). The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace (1st Edition edition). New York: Bantam. – “May I be held in compassion. May I be free from pain and sorrow. May I be at peace.” – “May you be held in compassion. May you be free from pain and sorrow. May you be at peace.” – Can be done for those you love and those with whom you are at odds.
140. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 140 140 of of 141 141 Eventually you will see that the real cause of Eventually you will see that the real cause of problems is not life itself. It’s the commotion the problems is not life itself. It’s the commotion the mind makes about life that really causes mind makes about life that really causes problems. problems. (Singer, 2013, p. 10) Singer, M. A. (2013). The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself (Gift Edition w/ Ribbon Marker edition). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
141. www.drbonci.com www.drbonci.com 141 141 of of 141 141 Thank You Thank You MCPA District II Dr. Russell Matthias Dr. Robert Riley Dr. Ragan Fairchild-Bonci Mark Jankelow, BA, MSN