Episode 14: Windows of Tolerance: the science of how to practice gently
Episode 14 of M3CS’s Contemplative Science Podcast saw our very own Dr Mark Miller share findings from some of his new research, touching on de-personalisation, enlightenment and phenomenology as an unclear basis for our science.
For the full podcast, check out the episode here.
In this episode, we cover...
What Mark means by a ‘wobble’ in our sense of self, and how this affects us.
The inner workings of dissociative disorders and why they happen.
Windows of tolerance and why more meditation does not always equal more progress!
In addition to co-hosting our podcast, Dr Mark Miller is a philosopher, cognitive scientist and happiness aficionado who conducts his research at the Centre for Human Nature, Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience (CHAIN), Hokkaido University.
Here are some of the key insights from the conversation...
Understanding the normal working function of the brain sheds light on what happens during dissociative disorders.
”You're, all the time, getting little pushes and pulls affectively, that keep you in touch with the world. The world shows up as meaningful for you. Your attention is directed to parts of the world and repelled from parts of the world and you're subtly driven. You’re subtly being guided in thousands of little ways by this affective resonance that you have with the world. Little things, feel good and attractive... little things, feel bad and repulsive.”
If you are passionate about your practice, you should do it in a measured and progressive way.
“Because I have definitely had the experience where I pushed too hard, had a maladaptive sub-optimal outcome and then had to take the weeks or months to unravel before I could start practicing again. So, am I better or worse if I push for three months and then I have to do triage for six months and then I can start up again? Or could I have done something more progressive over nine months, had none of the repercussions, and had a really fruitful and beneficial practice?”
Once the notion of ‘self’ is defined, it helps us understand what ‘wobbles’ in our sense of ‘self’ are.
“If somebody acts a little bit funny, we reprimand each other, like, 'Hey, you're not behaving like you' as this sort of thing that's supposed to persist through time. So I think that's a good starting place to think about these wobbles, is that we have a really ordinary sense of being a self, which is anchored in this idea of a collection of certain characteristics that are persistent or consistent over time.”
The best place to find Dr Mark Miller is here.
See you next week!
