In learning something complex--like language, a particular art form, a type of business or career position, etc.--we collect and organize a lot of pieces of information over a long period of time. Having learned quite a lot, we become increasingly able to to pay attenion to the present moment with some of our attention while drawing on that relevant history with some of our attention. Usually the history part is/feels less conscious. Eventually, as we feel competent with some particular arena, we have creative moments of flow where we spend very little attention on long-term memory functions because they are well-integrated with our intention and actions in the present moment. But this whole process usually takes a good deal of time, which is part of why top level physicists usually aren't ballerinas and decathlon athletes as well.
So most of us work towards competence in some field of endeavor, and then possibly into creativity and flow. There are certain prodigies in any field who need less time to process well in the present moment, but for most of us at most complex things, it takes time to learn, practice, and increase familiarity before we gain a sense of competent or expert ease. It seems that there are relatively universal processes of memory, integration, and application that take at least up to 6-7 years.
People like Leonardo Da Vinci who are interested in developing expertise in more than one field usually have a convincing sense of discipline in doing things such as (with Leonardo) using both hands for equal manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination. For those of us less practiced at expertise in multiple fields, we are less likely to become familiar and flexible with developing and pplying expertise across various domains. In other words, some folks--besides developing expertise in, say, painting--also recognize that they are simultaneously practicing expertise itself.
Meditation, then, functions in a few different ways as far as clearing cobwebs from one's brain. In the same way that someone expert across many fields (like Da Vinci) becomes familiar with expertise itself (as opposed to expertise/famliarity/flow in a particular field), meditation can function as familiarity with openness or acceptance (eventually) regardless of one's external situation. As one trains in allowing openness into one's conscious mind, we build a history of conscious openness, peace, equanimity, concentration, etc. Over time, not only do we develop equanimity while seated in meditation, but we also identify our experience and self as connected to, allied with, or part of equanimity. We might look to develop a sense of self as a profound or open self at the same time (in the course of years here) that we try to align our actions with that same developing sense.
Now, because of how our brains develop, meditation can take on stage-specific functions as well as this more consistent function of aligning oneself with openness, acceptance, profundity, and spontaneity. In late adolescence to early adulthood, our prefrntal brains hit a growth spurt. This area of the brain is connected with "executive functioning"--basically wisdom and a much-improved (potential) ability to direct one's attention AS ONE CHOOSES. Mindfulness practice is particularly relevant for learning to direct one's attention. Mindfulness practice is one of the building blocks of consistent, creative flow across domains. This practice is directly supportive of being able to consistently practice fundamentals--like dribbling a basketball, changing diapers, etc. (think of the drudgery involved in your line of work)--and, at nearly any time chosen, to shift one's attention to qualities of awareness such as acceptance (of drudgery, intensity, enjoyment, etc.). Without the willingness to practice fundamentals and a certain degree of competence in concentration, we do not develop or embrace the building blocks of expertise. If one is not born with this sort of concentration or drive, t can be developed along with mindfulness.
Consistent inspiration is more likely to develop when one is able to direct one's attention based on intention rather than force. Mindfulness practice is the fundamental practice for doing this, and our brains are prepared for this in late adolescence/early adulthood in the same way that they are prepared for abstract functioning sometime in early adolescence. The flexibility that mindfulness and inspiration allow is different from the wisdom that experience and profundity and expertise allow. Although they tend to be correlated, these different conceptual categories emphasize different states of brain functioning.
When one is ideologically willing to direct one's attention in accord with one's situation (which usually occurs in time with the recognition/experience/wisdom that such willingness is valuable), rather than pushing for what one wants primarily based on survival instincts, status motivations, or reactive emotionality, one is prepared for embracing mindfulness practice. When one practices mindfully, one is preparing the ground for consistent inspiration. Consistent inspiration is similar to becoming expert in multiple fields. When this occurs, one consistently feels as if one is drawing curiosity and energy and benefit from nearly whatever situation one finds oneself in.
Chogyam Trungpa said that spirituality is a process of wearing out all expectation. As one becomes expert in curious spontaneity, a personal sense of happiness, authenticity, meaning, and connection is no longer stuck to one's expectations or psychological securities. If we do not think of ourselves as global citizens, if we practice neither intentional global citizenship nor balanced openness, we will be much less likely to develop a sense of inspiration concerning global humanity and ourselves as part of it. If we develop a sense of global citizenry over the course of many years, and if we pair a sense of mindfulness and openness with global citizenry, then like Da Vinci we will be much more likely to creatively and functionally engage our phenomenal human potential. If we rush to be better than we are, we will simply stress out before completing the process. If we ignore the process for fear of failure, it will not happen.
As is, mindfulness is the foundation for consistent inspiration concerning one's own and our common human potential. It is also, by whatever name, the practice for bringing that inspiration or potential into everyday lived reality. We learn to simultaneously rely on experience, the situation we find ourselves in, equanimity, inspiration, curiosity, and openness.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Resilience
It seems to me that one of the reasons psychologists to date have not generally accepted a broadly accurate and applicable understanding of resilience is that the usual conceptual structurings of self-identity are either too simplistic or not directed to a biologically-derived, adaptive system of phenomenal potential. Maybe these constructs have been generally functional in the past, but I personally find them lacking (involving potential improvement). As times change, it is helpful to develop one's ideas adaptively and progressively
What resilience is and how it works in people is hard to recognize and benefit from if we do not have adequately functional self concepts. In such a situation, our concepts may be sometimes as harmful as they are sometimes helpful. Although we can say that the four levels or collections of self I described in the essay "Self Identity and Globalization" don't really exist in one sense, they work in a certain way. By looking at self concept from this perspective, we can see that there is something traditional cultures do not DO in an adequate way in a global situation. From this perspective, we can begin to recognize that--often with the best of intentions, and with phenomenal possibility for growth--traditional cultures and the families we were raised in are not sufficient for meeting our aspirations. Not only is this the case in general for most people who are significantly exposed to globalizing influences, but this is not a problem or criticism if we accept these circumstances with a certain equanimity and sense of aspiration. In other words, absurdity or 1950s French existentialism is simply uninteresting and we are dealing in an attention economy.
Psychologists have accepted genetic and physical problems influencing unhappiness (my level 1--"nature"). They have accepted negative emotional patterning and low self-esteem as influenced especially in early childhood (level 2--"nurture"). They have not yet directly and forcefully incorporated cultural disorders as analogous to personality disordering (on an individual level) and familial dysfunctionality (on a small-grop level).
Just as personality disordering can occur due to one's individual beliefs and attitudes as well as a toxic family environment, "cultural disorders" can occur due to internal structures or external (between-society) situations. As long as people are unwilling to recognize cultural disordering, we end up denying the potential for cultural improvement within any given society and denying potential for real improvement between societies. This is where it becomes helpful to consider a singular global "culture" as evident of the vast array of human potential as influenced by history to date. My personal limitations affect what I believe is possble for anyone and everyone; my culture and my awareness of past and current problems affect what I believe is possible for anyone and everyone. Just as it is difficult to do successful therapy with a child who goes home to an abusive family environment, it is difficult to "become the change we want to see" when we are unwilling or unable to recognize the social characteristics that need to change in order to allow the progress we believe in.
While some of us are born with more or less genetically-based, physical resilience; while some of us are born with a more or less healthy and supportive family environment; all of us are raised with more or less adaptive and healthy cultural assumptions. Trying to be the change we want to see without recognizing cultural influences is like trying to become a happier individual by taking drugs rather than by addressing emotional thinking and habituation that we picked up from our families of origin. When we can't adequately conceptualize the problems or limitations we encounter, rather than trying to design or choose ways beyond those limitations, we will tend to either push willfully (try harder in a hopeless manner) or give up hope.
While many people like to use their politicized versions of religious tradition as a justification for continuing various conflicts between societies, those claims are always tied to social limitations based on cultural disordering. In this case, fourth level spirituality-language is hijacked by second level ambitions that are driven by first and second level emotionality. (Ken Wilber has written about this clearly.) By separating self concept into the four levels I have outlined, we are able to discuss and understand ourselves more clearly by delineating (relative) cause and intention of social actions more clearly. By improving understanding and communication of intention, we improve the likelihood of living how we would choose to live together. As Eckhart Tolle pointed out, when we can see things clearly enough, we can choose between a habitual pull towards drama or an intentional movement towards peace. As he also pointed out, when difficulty arises, then, someone who is adequately intentional already will be drawn to becoming more conscious by adversity while someone who refuses intentional progress will be drawn to a more habitually reactive, less intentional, less satisfying life. Working at a functional conceptual structuring allows us to simplify our momentary decisions to intend towards either some sort of health and peace or towards emotional reactivity.
What resilience is and how it works in people is hard to recognize and benefit from if we do not have adequately functional self concepts. In such a situation, our concepts may be sometimes as harmful as they are sometimes helpful. Although we can say that the four levels or collections of self I described in the essay "Self Identity and Globalization" don't really exist in one sense, they work in a certain way. By looking at self concept from this perspective, we can see that there is something traditional cultures do not DO in an adequate way in a global situation. From this perspective, we can begin to recognize that--often with the best of intentions, and with phenomenal possibility for growth--traditional cultures and the families we were raised in are not sufficient for meeting our aspirations. Not only is this the case in general for most people who are significantly exposed to globalizing influences, but this is not a problem or criticism if we accept these circumstances with a certain equanimity and sense of aspiration. In other words, absurdity or 1950s French existentialism is simply uninteresting and we are dealing in an attention economy.
Psychologists have accepted genetic and physical problems influencing unhappiness (my level 1--"nature"). They have accepted negative emotional patterning and low self-esteem as influenced especially in early childhood (level 2--"nurture"). They have not yet directly and forcefully incorporated cultural disorders as analogous to personality disordering (on an individual level) and familial dysfunctionality (on a small-grop level).
Just as personality disordering can occur due to one's individual beliefs and attitudes as well as a toxic family environment, "cultural disorders" can occur due to internal structures or external (between-society) situations. As long as people are unwilling to recognize cultural disordering, we end up denying the potential for cultural improvement within any given society and denying potential for real improvement between societies. This is where it becomes helpful to consider a singular global "culture" as evident of the vast array of human potential as influenced by history to date. My personal limitations affect what I believe is possble for anyone and everyone; my culture and my awareness of past and current problems affect what I believe is possible for anyone and everyone. Just as it is difficult to do successful therapy with a child who goes home to an abusive family environment, it is difficult to "become the change we want to see" when we are unwilling or unable to recognize the social characteristics that need to change in order to allow the progress we believe in.
While some of us are born with more or less genetically-based, physical resilience; while some of us are born with a more or less healthy and supportive family environment; all of us are raised with more or less adaptive and healthy cultural assumptions. Trying to be the change we want to see without recognizing cultural influences is like trying to become a happier individual by taking drugs rather than by addressing emotional thinking and habituation that we picked up from our families of origin. When we can't adequately conceptualize the problems or limitations we encounter, rather than trying to design or choose ways beyond those limitations, we will tend to either push willfully (try harder in a hopeless manner) or give up hope.
While many people like to use their politicized versions of religious tradition as a justification for continuing various conflicts between societies, those claims are always tied to social limitations based on cultural disordering. In this case, fourth level spirituality-language is hijacked by second level ambitions that are driven by first and second level emotionality. (Ken Wilber has written about this clearly.) By separating self concept into the four levels I have outlined, we are able to discuss and understand ourselves more clearly by delineating (relative) cause and intention of social actions more clearly. By improving understanding and communication of intention, we improve the likelihood of living how we would choose to live together. As Eckhart Tolle pointed out, when we can see things clearly enough, we can choose between a habitual pull towards drama or an intentional movement towards peace. As he also pointed out, when difficulty arises, then, someone who is adequately intentional already will be drawn to becoming more conscious by adversity while someone who refuses intentional progress will be drawn to a more habitually reactive, less intentional, less satisfying life. Working at a functional conceptual structuring allows us to simplify our momentary decisions to intend towards either some sort of health and peace or towards emotional reactivity.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Joriki and Tariki: Intention Revisited, Sleepily
One of my friends and fellow students remarked that I seemed more easily inspired than most people he'd known. Rather than being a compliment or a comment that deprioritized my intentional influence on my moods (including the work I've done in the past), I think this was just a description. I wonder a lot about whether something like this might be true. Is inspiration something like height, weight, intelligence, etc.? something that has mostly to do with genetic characteristics and physical influences? And, perhaps most importantly, how can that be tested?
One way to come at it (a way that by itself is certainly incomplete but when compared with other ways might add depth or feel) is to consider what goes into inspiration. It seems that having an abundance of mental energy--while I don't know what that might mean exactly in a neurological sense, it is easy for any of us to recognize when we feel like we have a lot of mental energy, a good sense of focus, etc.--is an important input. Now, I have noticed times when this sort of abundance of energy feeds into itself, as in meditation, and so it becomes more of a feeling of abundant clarity or bliss or peace than a pushing energy that goes somewhere or achieves something (more of a moving out from itself). But that more outward sense of application and achievement can also feed a sense of continued excitement, novelty, and progress that feels inspiring as well.
Living alone, or at least sleeping alone, allows me to sleep very deeply. This is one noticeable and pretty consistent difference between my friend and myself. It may be that I am more likely to seem inspired when I am more likely to have an abundance of energy and I am more likely to have that feeling of abundant energy due to sleeping soundly quite often. It certainly seems to me that my thinking is much more productive, peaceful, clear, AND enjoyable when I have slept soundly.
Having slept well for much of my life, I have developed an often nonconscious expectation of good sleep and the subsequent abundant mental energy. Like I am entitled to my inspiration since this abundance is easy and natural for me. A good amount of deep sleep, then, allows me to dream more lucidly and easily, allows me to think more quickly and completely, supports me in feeling peaceful and focused in my meditation, and makes it easier to enjoy being around others. In other words, sleep sets a good foundation for unintentional joriki--self power or concentration power. In this area, then, I have always been somewhat lucky without necessarily counting my blessings. My friend was good enough to point out my often-unrecognized fortune.
With starting a relationship, sleep has changed. It's common for people to not sleep as well with someone else in the bed than when they sleep alone, and this is my experience as well. Parents of newborns get the crash course in dealing with sleep deprivation, and more power to them. Partially because I expect that abundant mental energy to just be there for me, I've slipped into a measuring mental mode concerning inspiration. The unreasonable expectation works this way: if being with someone reduces what is rightfully mine (deep sleep and abundant mental energy), then something (namely, the other person involved) about our relationship should compensate me in kind. These kinds of assumptions can be funny or have tragic results.
Besides a sense of personal concentration-power (joriki), the Japanese (or at least Japanese Buddhists, I don't know) also talk about something I've seen translated as us-power: tariki. Tariki is a fascinating animal, hard to pin down like Winnie-the-Pooh's Hephalumps, like Mr. Snuffleupagus (for the other fans of Sesame Street). Even if joriki sounds like a strange word, it is easy enough to have a feeling for the thing. Tariki is as easy to feel or notice, but it may be harder to think about since it is often ignored in our culture. I don't know if there is an English word for it specifically. This seems to be one of the most enduring criticisms of "modern, Western" culture--not the lack of a word but what that lack signifies.
So here I am, only semi-conscious of being a conceptual elitist, thinking that uninspired conceptualizing in general is "half-assed" (in the parlance of our times), and waking up feeling sleepy, unfulfilled, and mentally half-assed myself. My entitlement has come home to roost.
These rare moments of humility seem to be connected with tariki. While the drive to achieve is often laudable, it tends to foment dissension between people when the shit hits the fan. In contrast, humility tends to encourage group action or a sense of helplessness, sometimes both. Being individually incapable of succeeding here (or at least incapable of succeeding brilliantly--thinking well this morning), I end up needing to look to others in one way or another. When that's done habitually, unconsciously, and from a sense of entitlement, I end up limiting tariki when I most need to rely on tariki (feeling grumpy and/or cheated and sometimes expressing that). I might, then, try to push harder on my own--which means that I might be likely to turn away from or try to escape the very people who can help me. That method, belief in applying or increasing one's joriki or personal power or concentration-ability, certainly has its place. And working on one's own concentration ability can be a very consistent path to personal actualization.
But there is also a strong emotional truth in my feeling that I should be compensated for my loss of deep sleep. Rephrased less selfishly, the feeling is a semi-conscious recognition that what I am used to cultivating within myself (intentional or concentration-power) is just as readily available between-within myself and the folks around me. Feeling my entitlement and expectation allows me to become aware of the limitations of this particular entitlement. Becoming aware allows me to question how I want to come at this desire for more inspired thinking and connection. Retaining the desire for inspiration encourages me to find ways, or allow ways, of noticing and sometimes actively cultivating tariki.
One way to come at it (a way that by itself is certainly incomplete but when compared with other ways might add depth or feel) is to consider what goes into inspiration. It seems that having an abundance of mental energy--while I don't know what that might mean exactly in a neurological sense, it is easy for any of us to recognize when we feel like we have a lot of mental energy, a good sense of focus, etc.--is an important input. Now, I have noticed times when this sort of abundance of energy feeds into itself, as in meditation, and so it becomes more of a feeling of abundant clarity or bliss or peace than a pushing energy that goes somewhere or achieves something (more of a moving out from itself). But that more outward sense of application and achievement can also feed a sense of continued excitement, novelty, and progress that feels inspiring as well.
Living alone, or at least sleeping alone, allows me to sleep very deeply. This is one noticeable and pretty consistent difference between my friend and myself. It may be that I am more likely to seem inspired when I am more likely to have an abundance of energy and I am more likely to have that feeling of abundant energy due to sleeping soundly quite often. It certainly seems to me that my thinking is much more productive, peaceful, clear, AND enjoyable when I have slept soundly.
Having slept well for much of my life, I have developed an often nonconscious expectation of good sleep and the subsequent abundant mental energy. Like I am entitled to my inspiration since this abundance is easy and natural for me. A good amount of deep sleep, then, allows me to dream more lucidly and easily, allows me to think more quickly and completely, supports me in feeling peaceful and focused in my meditation, and makes it easier to enjoy being around others. In other words, sleep sets a good foundation for unintentional joriki--self power or concentration power. In this area, then, I have always been somewhat lucky without necessarily counting my blessings. My friend was good enough to point out my often-unrecognized fortune.
With starting a relationship, sleep has changed. It's common for people to not sleep as well with someone else in the bed than when they sleep alone, and this is my experience as well. Parents of newborns get the crash course in dealing with sleep deprivation, and more power to them. Partially because I expect that abundant mental energy to just be there for me, I've slipped into a measuring mental mode concerning inspiration. The unreasonable expectation works this way: if being with someone reduces what is rightfully mine (deep sleep and abundant mental energy), then something (namely, the other person involved) about our relationship should compensate me in kind. These kinds of assumptions can be funny or have tragic results.
Besides a sense of personal concentration-power (joriki), the Japanese (or at least Japanese Buddhists, I don't know) also talk about something I've seen translated as us-power: tariki. Tariki is a fascinating animal, hard to pin down like Winnie-the-Pooh's Hephalumps, like Mr. Snuffleupagus (for the other fans of Sesame Street). Even if joriki sounds like a strange word, it is easy enough to have a feeling for the thing. Tariki is as easy to feel or notice, but it may be harder to think about since it is often ignored in our culture. I don't know if there is an English word for it specifically. This seems to be one of the most enduring criticisms of "modern, Western" culture--not the lack of a word but what that lack signifies.
So here I am, only semi-conscious of being a conceptual elitist, thinking that uninspired conceptualizing in general is "half-assed" (in the parlance of our times), and waking up feeling sleepy, unfulfilled, and mentally half-assed myself. My entitlement has come home to roost.
These rare moments of humility seem to be connected with tariki. While the drive to achieve is often laudable, it tends to foment dissension between people when the shit hits the fan. In contrast, humility tends to encourage group action or a sense of helplessness, sometimes both. Being individually incapable of succeeding here (or at least incapable of succeeding brilliantly--thinking well this morning), I end up needing to look to others in one way or another. When that's done habitually, unconsciously, and from a sense of entitlement, I end up limiting tariki when I most need to rely on tariki (feeling grumpy and/or cheated and sometimes expressing that). I might, then, try to push harder on my own--which means that I might be likely to turn away from or try to escape the very people who can help me. That method, belief in applying or increasing one's joriki or personal power or concentration-ability, certainly has its place. And working on one's own concentration ability can be a very consistent path to personal actualization.
But there is also a strong emotional truth in my feeling that I should be compensated for my loss of deep sleep. Rephrased less selfishly, the feeling is a semi-conscious recognition that what I am used to cultivating within myself (intentional or concentration-power) is just as readily available between-within myself and the folks around me. Feeling my entitlement and expectation allows me to become aware of the limitations of this particular entitlement. Becoming aware allows me to question how I want to come at this desire for more inspired thinking and connection. Retaining the desire for inspiration encourages me to find ways, or allow ways, of noticing and sometimes actively cultivating tariki.
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