Mindfulness Dissolves Thoughts — Attention Is What’s Left Over, with Jon Kabat-Zinn | Big Think

Mindfulness Dissolves Thoughts — Attention Is What’s Left Over
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Your brain is regularly inhibited by aversion, apprehension, greed, and fear. Mindfulness exercises can help change that. Medical professor and meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn explains how one can combat their aversion and, hopefully, become a better, more reasonable person in the meantime.
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JON KABAT-ZINN:

Jon Kabat-Zinn is Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Kabat-Zinn was a student of Buddhist teachers such as Thich Nhat Hanh and Zen Master Seung Sahn and a founding member of Cambridge Zen Center. His practice of yoga and studies with Buddhist teachers led him to integrate their teachings with those of science. He teaches mindfulness, which he says can help people cope with stress, anxiety, pain, and illness. The stress reduction program created by Kabat-Zinn, called Mindfulness-based stress reduction, is offered by medical centers, hospitals, and health maintenance organizations.
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TRANSCRIPT:

Jon Kabat-Zinn: When you sit down and observe your own mind on purpose just for fun as a kind of scientific inquiry into what drives you, it doesn’t take long, say if you focus on, say, the breath as the object of attention and you’re riding on the waves of your breathing. It doesn’t take long before you’ll notice that some kind of want comes up. Some kind of desire. And maybe it’s because your body’s uncomfortable. So maybe you just want to fidget a little or shift posture, you know, and just do it this way or that way. So it’s very hard to sit still. Why? Because we’re antsy. Why are we antsy? Because we want to be comfortable and we’re not comfortable. So rather than holding the discomfort in awareness because why should we privilege comfort? Comfort, discomfort — because there’s no ultimate comfort. That’s why we shift from one leg to the other and we’re very shifty. But if you actually train yourself to be embodied, you get less shifty. I mean the mind just naturally settles. The body naturally settles and you can be, like, comfortable. Just at home in your own skin. But when you’re not and you want something, we call that greed. I mean that’s like, you know, it’s greedy; it wants something. Now that one thing to just be comfortable, that’s fine. But when you start to watch the mind, you’ll notice that it’s got a lot of agendas on the greed spectrum.

I mean it’s — and greed is not quite the same as ambition. It has to do with — greed has to do with more for me. More of what I want for me. Then there’s this other thing that you’ll also notice, which is you’re sitting there and the opposite will come up. What I don’t want. What I’m afraid of. What I need to keep at the door. Keep at bay. To push away. And that’s collectively referred to as aversion or dislike or hatred, you know, when it’s really strong and directed often at other people or whatever. So we’ve got greed on one hand and it is toxic. The more you’re sucked into greed; the more egotistical you become; the more it’s all about me; the more you’re willing to lose your own ethical foundation to get a particular result only to find that even that result is not really satisfying so you’re on to the next result. And it’s a never-ending trajectory. But nevertheless, we have to admit it’s here all the time. It’s not like oh, I’ve transcended greed, you know. I don’t think we do transcend greed, but we can transform how we are in relationship to it. And with awareness that greed doesn’t have to run us. And even if it’s attenuated 5 or 10 percent — wow that would be its own form of liberation. Never mind 30 or 40 or 50 percent. And the same with the aversion. Like what I don’t want. It’s so bloody boring to sit here and watch my breathing.

All right. So what? Who thinks it’s boring? Have you looked at your boredom? So have you looked at your aversion? Then as soon as the you that’s looking at your aversion, that’s more like awareness. It’s like awareness of aversion isn’t diversive. Awareness of greed isn’t greedy. So you’re free already of those two toxic impulses. Then there’s another one, which is like the madness that passes for the scenario in our head. And that’s often spoken of as illusion or delusion. That we’re kind of like, got these completely half-baked explanations about everything and who we are and where things are going and what’s wrong with the world and...

[marvinvarela]

you are not your thoughts, you are the thoughts you choose to embrace

[cjua]

mindfulness helped me get through clinical depression.

[DamnL]

I've been practicing mindfulness for a couple of months now and i have to say the difference is pretty noticeable. Another thing i've notice is that it keeps getting better. As if my brain figured out what "the right direction" is. It really shows imo, that we've been raised wrong in this society not necessarily because of bad intentions, the people raising us simply didn't know better themselves.

[chaz-e]

The awareness of free-flowing thoughts is the 3rd stage of meditation, and it's the most enlightening.

[khalidh]

Wonderful, I need to listen to this every morning and every every evening too, thanks so much John Kabat Zin for explaining what our thought really so clearly. I love listening to Eckhart Tolle too, what a wonderful spiritual master.

[ptgms]

Success is never guaranteed but there is reward for self-mastery of life. (Concentration, Analysis, Empathy…)

[Johnspeed]

As a person who has depression, this video gave me more insight and understand about why and how I should practice mindfulness. Thanks Jon and Big Think!

[rrfirefly]

I owe Bill Moyers enormous gratitude for his PBS series "Healing and the Mind" (1993). That was my intro to Jon K-Z. Back then Jon said, "If you hope to really grow in strength and wisdom and bring healing into your life, you have to come to the realization that this moment is precious. And not only precious, but it’s wonderful, even if you’re in pain, in this moment.”

[MarkLucasProductions]

I have attained profound insight into practical questions only after giving up thinking about them and falling asleep.

[frank]

Wonderful video! Learned so much + 3 new vocabulary words. One of my favorite videos on this channel.

[aducksecho]

i like the idea of mind bubbles, thanks

[daemn]

Also better than Nivea or Vichy antiaging, he is 71. Btw the best thing I've ever made was to start meditating, it's the best way to deal with my OCD and life. Thank you Kabat without you I might not have known it.

[nickmagrick]

this is how ive always viewed my thoughts, less as I get older unfortunately. More stress making mindfulness harder, more taxing. I really liked the way that he was able to explain it, I dont think I could do it so well

[shyaaammeneen]

Very nicely explained video. One more practical suggestion. . Reduce overthinking. Be careful what you feed your mind. Avoid comparing yourself with others, avoid storing bottled up emotions, reduce watching negative social media and avoid constipation as it affects the mind. Your breathing is closely related to the brain [mind] and gives relief from stress and overthinking. For a relaxed mind observe the sensations of your incoming--outgoing breath at the entrance of the nostrils and within the nostrils for 10-15 minutes or more. You can sit on a chair or lay down anywhere, be as still as possible, eyes closed but no deep breathing. Don’t fight your thoughts. Make it a lifetime habit to observe your breath before sleep, when travelling, when reading, at the workplace etc, if needed with eyes open. Best wishes--Counsellor.

[derrendesouza]

I suffer from stressful thoughts, they manifest themselves physically as me biting my fingers and lips. I have been doing this for over 10 years but untraining the neural networks (which have become pretty strong by now) is a wonderful thought but I'm not making much headway :( Videos like this help me to keep trying though. I'm grateful for them.

[ramilurazmanov]

Brilliant. This video is truly underrated.

[TheTwangKings]

I noticed that when I put my attention on a point in the center of the forehead, and just inside - there's no thoughts at all! It's quiet. Like in the eye of a storm. The thoughts are racing only if I am not aware of them. I even tried pinching (lightly) the bridge of the nose between thumb and middle finger, and placing the index in the center - it helps to keep attention there.

[faisalpathan]

I practiced mindfulness unknowingly since the age of 12.I was topper of the class.Everything was great until I got hit by those harmones, started having mood swings, lost touch with reality, started identifying with someone else I was not.Not being mindful lately brought a lot of damage to my life.I even developed anxiety .Life sucks.Time to fight back.

[prajweetshetty]

Amazingly explained ...Totally loved it!!

[AdaptorLive]

Thanks for this video. The practice of mindfulness is such a great idea. There seems to be a lot of power in its simplicity.

As someone who is almost constantly bombarded with, ehm, unhelpful thoughts, I really need to give it a try.