When experiencing negative feelings or pain, cultivate curiosity by asking ‘what is this feeling?’ or ‘where is it?’ to reduce suffering and resistance, as resisting only contributes to the pain.
When experiencing powerful emotions, shift your internal language from ‘I am [emotion]’ to ’there is [emotion]’; this creates distance from the emotion, preventing the sense of self from re-upping it indefinitely and fostering a more impersonal, curious relationship with it.
When engaging in ‘glimpse practices’ (e.g., exploring the sense of self), approach them lightly without rigid expectation or ‘gritting your teeth,’ as strong desire can hinder the experience; instead, experiment with different techniques to find what resonates.
When using mental notes in meditation (e.g., ‘in,’ ‘out,’ ‘rising,’ ‘falling’), keep the internal ‘volume’ low, like a whisper, and ensure the tone is gentle and non-judgmental, rather than aggressive or self-flagellating.
Actively probe the mystery of consciousness through contemplation or simple meditation techniques; this can provoke a sense of awe, offer perspective on your place in the universe, and boost overall well-being and happiness.
During meditation, imagine that you don’t have a head while focusing on your breath or sounds; this practice can remove the perceived location of the self, providing a window onto a clearer picture of reality.
Close your eyes during meditation, listen to all the sounds you’re hearing, and then ask yourself ‘What is knowing?’ or ‘Who is listening?’ to explore the fundamental nature of consciousness and challenge the sense of self.
As a new parent, maintain your meditation practice by being flexible, having an open mind, and accepting shorter sessions (even 1-10 minutes) as victories; avoid rigid adherence to old routines and prioritize family needs over home meditation time.
When facing an overwhelming situation, consciously break it down and take it one moment at a time; this approach makes the situation much easier to handle than being overwhelmed by the whole.
Engage in meditation, particularly practices that diminish the sense of self, to create more internal room for cultivating deeper compassion for yourself and others, as a strong sense of self can limit this capacity.
In a meditation context, recognize and embrace the ‘healing power of not knowing’; this state can be a source of curiosity, awe, and wonder, serving as a powerful starting point for deeper understanding.
Practice meditation to observe how the sense of being a self or having conscious will can temporarily drop away; this provides a better sense of the false illusions we often carry in our daily lives.
Actively question and challenge your ingrained intuitions about the nature of consciousness; this critical examination is crucial for potentially gaining a deeper, more accurate understanding of reality, similar to scientific breakthroughs that overturn common sense.
Teach children that saying ‘I don’t know’ is not only acceptable but a wonderful starting point for curiosity, awe, and wonder, fostering a powerful and encouraged sense of inquiry.
Read the first three pages of Annika Harris’s book ‘Conscious, A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind’ to experience a succinct and powerful sense of awe and wonder, as the author has an uncanny ability to produce this for the reader.
Utilize Joseph Goldstein’s ‘Turbo Charge Your Meditation’ practice, available in the 10% Happier app (in the advanced and unguided section of the singles tab or via show notes link), to directly engage with and explore the mystery of consciousness.
Question the intuition that observed behavior is conclusive evidence of consciousness by considering examples like plant behavior, which can mimic human reactions (e.g., to touch, light, sound) without necessarily implying consciousness.
Reflect on the strong intuition that consciousness is the primary driver of all behavior by considering that much brain processing is subconscious; this can lead to a more nuanced understanding of free will and action.
For resources on teaching mindfulness and meditation to children, refer to episode 121 of the 10% Happier podcast, or explore Annika Harris’s ‘Mindful Games activity cards’ and her children’s book ‘I Wonder’.