Explore the question of consciousness to avoid taking every thought personally, thereby reducing your emotional reactivity.
Use the phrase ’this is nature’ to recognize whatever is happening in your mind as a natural occurrence, rather than taking it personally.
Actively think, ‘I am part of what is going on, not apart from it,’ to foster a sense of connection with the world and dissolve the illusion of separation.
Regularly challenge the idea that ‘how things seem is how they are’ to develop a more nuanced understanding of perception and reality.
Understand the self as an illusory perception rather than an immutable essence, which can help in accepting its impermanence and continuous evolution.
Practice phrasing experiences in the passive voice (e.g., ‘seeing is being known’) and then asking ‘known by what?’ to dissolve the sense of a fixed ‘knower’ or self.
During meditation, notice thoughts as they appear, let them go, and briefly inquire about their origin and destination to prevent getting carried away by thought chains.
Find comfort in the idea of the self as impermanent and constantly evolving, recognizing that your identity is not fixed but always changing.
Dwell on the remarkable and effortless ability of the brain to conjure the world of experience from basic physical interactions, as this can inspire a profound sense of awe.
Understand emotional experiences as the brain perceiving the body’s state in a specific context, which can help deflate the staying power of negative emotions.
Recognize emotions as manifestations of bodily states, rather than external forces, by feeling them physically (e.g., through body scans).
When experiencing anxiety, recognize its manifestation as physical bodily sensations (e.g., in hands and feet) to create a separation from the mental narrative of its perceived cause.
Actively change the context in which you experience difficult stimuli to alter the associated emotional response, similar to therapeutic approaches like exposure therapy.
Recognize that the experience of free will, or feeling you ‘could have done differently,’ serves a future-oriented purpose, enabling you to potentially act differently next time.
Advocate for reframing moral responsibility in the legal system towards protection and rehabilitation, rather than retribution, acknowledging the biological basis of actions.
Be wary of developing AI that appears conscious, as our natural tendency to anthropomorphize could lead to prioritizing machines over actual suffering humans or creatures.
Advocate for strong regulation of AI to address immediate, real-world problems like bias and accountability, rather than being distracted by speculative ‘Terminator scenarios.’
Apply mindfulness and self-awareness techniques to manage anxiety associated with uncertain health conditions, recognizing these as ongoing practices with varying success.
When facing significant personal changes (e.g., due to illness), actively remind yourself that your experience of self is changing naturally and that current difficulties are not necessarily permanent.
For chronic or uncertain health conditions, track daily well-being (e.g., on a 1-10 scale) to objectively monitor progress and provide reassurance on difficult days that the overall trajectory may be improving.
When facing a challenging health condition, actively seek out and remind yourself of ongoing research and potential treatments to maintain hope, especially during difficult periods.
Reflect on the experience of general anesthesia as a profound non-existence where nothing matters and no suffering occurs, which can be a comforting perspective on death.
Utilize the ‘10% with Dan Harris’ app for guided meditations, community sessions, and ad-free podcast episodes to help with stress, anxiety, sleep, and focus.
Participate in the Dream Machine project or the Perception Census via anilseth.com or dreammachine.world to explore the nature of consciousness and inner diversity.