Mindfulness and Beliefs: Irrationally Yours

I can't help it--I am a confirmed neuroscience geek.

So I was very excited to attend the fifth brain lecture in a series (yes, I bought season tickets!) sponsored by Oregon Health Sciences University. You see, the guest speaker was Dr. Michael Gazzaniga, the father of cognitive neuroscience, and his topic was The Ethical Brain--which happens to be the title of a book he will publish this June.

He has written over 20 books, and in his work as the director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Dartmouth College, he continues to conduct research on how the brain enables the mind.

Dr. Gazzaniga believes there is nothing more fascinating than the mind, and he is exploring how we develop, hang on to, and change our beliefs. (Do you see why I love him?)

Mindfulness allows us to step back and watch our thoughts. By doing so, we can develop a clearer perspective regarding our beliefs and our attachment to them.

In his lecture, Dr. Gazzaniga discussed the power of the left brain. Remember, that is the side that handles logic and language, but the interesting part is how those two functions work together, continually creating words to justify our behavior.

Left => logic + language => lists

My favorite research illustrating this concept is the "scar face" experiment, in which a participant is fitted with a fake facial scar. The participant is told that they will be interviewed in order to see how the visible facial deformity might influence the way they are treated.

Then something sneaky happens: the scar is surreptitiously removed, and the participant enters the interview thinking the scar is still visible.

Right after the interview, in virtually every case, the participant is full of all kinds of examples of how the interviewer behaved negatively due to the scar. When viewing a video showing the interviewer only, the participant can point to several incidents which seemed to him to indicate distaste or prejudice-- "See? He's staring at the scar!" etc.

Even after being shown images that clearly indicate that the scar was not visible, the participant is likely to persist in his belief that the interviewer was focusing on it.

We all have invisible scars (irrational beliefs) about the way we are treated by others--and why. Our left brains are working overtime to reinforce our beliefs. We get so entangled in these thoughts that our entire view of ourselves and the world is strangled by them.

By paying attention to the language in our heads, we can learn to recognize the beliefs that might be sabotaging us. Observing our thoughts gives us a chance to step back and see the left brain in action.

Use mindfulness to see your invisible scars. Watch your knee-jerk responses whenever you feel slighted by someone, and look for the list of rationales that your left brain has been crafting. Somewhere in there is the kernel of your persistent belief.

Watch and listen. You don't have to be a neuroscience geek to find that fascinating.

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches eyes-wide-open ways to get calm, clear and creative. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com

---

Creativity and Innovation Management - Good Ideas Part 2

The relative ease of i) generating good ideas and ii)... Read More

What is NLP?

NLP Explained.....NLP is the study of how people organise their... Read More

Can A Simple Idea Change Your Life?

Ideas happen all the time. And when I say an... Read More

Business Innovation ? the Value of Role Play

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Take Your Good Idea One Step Further

Whether you're an executive, manager, professional, or entrepreneur, you need... Read More

Discover the Secret to Success in Your Own Back Yard

Yesterday, I went above and beyond the call of duty... Read More

Going Seamless: Dissolving the Brain Divide

Are you a right-brainer or a left-brainer?The greatest thinkers are... Read More

Innovation Management ? Ideas From The Most Embarrassing Experiences Of Life

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

What to Do When You Are Chased by a Snake

I lived for several years on the Japanese island of... Read More

Fire Evacuation Drill with a Difference

I had been given the task to organize a fire... Read More

Intuition: Your Best Career Coach

Since I derive most of my life lessons from reading... Read More

Creativity Management and Good Ideas

Some ideas occur in the office and others occur away... Read More

Innovation Management ? predicting winners

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management - Special People?

People often think that there is a creative type. This... Read More

Improve Your Business Dealings with Improvisation

"Nothing is accidental ... use everything." -- Keith JohnstoneEven the... Read More

Innovation Management ? The Harsh Facts Of Life For All Innovators

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management ? Decision Makers

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Innovation

Innovation, in a business context, is generally thought of as... Read More

How To Be An Innovator In A World Of Change

Innovators are opportunity-oriented.What's the hidden opportunity in that problem? Where... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management - Teach, Coach, Learn

Coaching, training or learning about creativity and innovation involves mastery... Read More

Business Innovation ? the Value of Decision Makers

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

How An Idea Can Lift You

What determines your destiny? What predisposes your choices?It is your... Read More

Become an Idea Collector

Have you ever gotten a really great idea ? one... Read More

Let the Seeds Grow

The thought that every great thing that has ever happened,... Read More

A Time for Rebellion!

When is it right for you to rebel against the... Read More

12 Tips for Taking Smart, Calculated Risks

Most of us know we should take more risks. But... Read More

How To Do What You Dont Want To

Before I reveal it, shall we review some things that... Read More

Life ? The Teacher

You've probably heard the phrase "repetition is the mother of... Read More

How To Benefit from The Power of New Innovations in the Year 2005

How many times have you heard the phrase "knowledge is... Read More

Mindfulness and Beliefs: Irrationally Yours

I can't help it--I am a confirmed neuroscience geek.So I... Read More

Managing Creativity and Innovation, Part 1 of 2

Leaders, consultants and managers must be competent in at least... Read More

Create An Idea Journal

When I first heard Jim Rohn talk about the importance... Read More

All Fortunes Begin With an Idea!

A new idea is merely the combination of two or... Read More