Buddhist meditation masters call the state of distraction and erratic agitation the «monkey mind.» This is what often happens to us when we use a large number of electronic gadgets or just surf the Internet, says Alex Soojong-Kim Pan, a psychologist who specializes in artificial intelligence. And tells how to discipline your brain.
Buddhist meditation masters call the state of distraction and erratic agitation the «monkey mind.» This is what often happens to us when we use a large number of electronic gadgets or just surf the Internet, says Alex Soojong-Kim Pan, a psychologist who specializes in artificial intelligence. The constant activity of the brain is the reason why we fail to gather ourselves, distribute our forces and concentrate on business. But it’s not technology’s fault. After all, distraction, as Buddhists preach and psychologists say, arises in the mind itself, and not outside it. So, trying to forcibly separate yourself from electronic devices is pointless. You just need to rebuild your relationship with them. Alex Soojong-Kim Pan calls his model of productive work in the digital world “contemplative computing.” The book contains many practical recommendations on how to change the rhythm of work on the Web, how to use social networks thoughtfully, what programs and applications will help block unnecessary information (there is even a special name for them — “zen software”). It does not do without traditional Buddhist practices: breath control, meditation, self-discipline. In places, the author’s reasoning does resemble the instructions of an aikido master who trains his student to maintain composure during a fight.
AST, 319 p.