I’m fairly certain that the mindfulness technique that derives from Buddhist meditation practice is designed to deal with what our society cannot: the inability of our caveman brain to moderate itself in the midst of so much abundant materialism and prosperity. As cognitive anthropologists have noted, we have dispositions that are easily manipulatable. For example, our brains are wired for sweets, but not necessarily processed sugar. It’s easy for advertising to play on this hardwiring, so that’s why it’s so crucial to have a mindfulness immune system. The following article shores up my feelings on the subject:
Fortunately, there are ways to go about PROOFING YOUR BRAIN.
1. Change your mindset to “postmore” by challenging culture’s ingrained assumption that “more” of everything is automatically better.
2. Grow your gratitude. Our poor, starved, frozen ancestors would cry tears of joy if they suddenly landed in our culture of abundance. Fostering our appreciation of this bounty can also block the consumerist “cool” pressure to deride so many of our fine, workable possessions as “so last year”.
3. Be enough. We’re constantly told that we aren’t rich enough, glam enough, cool enough, networked enough, etc. This has a powerful insidious effect on our primitive, socially competitive brain circuits. It’s like a toxic substance that turns rational brains into needy toddlers wanting “more, more, more!
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