This post is a response to a friend's thoughtful statement about my blog post called "Not insulting my mother or grandmother", which is about having a good attitude about myself, the focus of the Self Acceptance project, created and run by Sounds True.
I mentioned how handy and portable Kahneman's division of my mind into two basic components of fast thinking and slow is. The book "Thinking: Fast and Slow" is by Daniel Kahneman. He and Amos Tversky did some fundamental research on thinking biases and difficulties. Kahneman got the Noble prize in economics but he is a psychologist. The field of behavioral economics can be considered both psych and econ. The books by Dan Ariely and the Freakonomics books are examples of applying economics concepts to areas such as choosing a name for a baby and the influence of physical arousal on our thinking.
Personally, when I meditate, I prefer to watch, not think. I use the metaphor of a cat watching a mousehole, alert and ready but not tense. (That's my version, anyway, since I am not a cat.) I have a suspicion that my mind can and will supply thoughts that it feels are of possible interest or use. For the period of the time I am meditating, I feel secure in putting them aside.
A book that I like very much is "Buddhist Practice on Western Ground" by Dr. Harvey Aronson, an experienced psychotherapist and Buddhist practitioner and translator. He is quite clear about the basic differences between a Western psyche and that sort which founded Buddhism. There is quite a difference and it shows in the areas of relationships, personal independence and interest in emotions.
When I think of the Aronson book ($9.99 on Kindle), I think of his warning that Asian ideas, especially back aways in time, differ importantly from your typical modern US citizen. But I also think of his brief mention of Ira Progoff's idea that meditation can proceed while holding pad and pencil at the ready. The idea is that the flow of one's thoughts could be noted, perhaps resulting in insights into one's murkier feelings. I have tried that a few times and it seems interesting but the basic steady attention to a fixed point still feels best to me.
When I meditate, I try to get "above" all my concerns, thoughts, images, etc. I am not escaping from the world or my part in it, however limited or murky that part may be. I am sort of resting my mind and my attention. I have not found it useful so far to focus on anything animate or personal or people-oriented. It seems clear to me that this activity sharpens my sense of what I am thinking about. It highlights the labels or subject headings that apply to my current thought and offers me an enhanced opportunity to switch to thoughts in other subjects or areas.
Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
