7 ms·

The Power of Concentration

119 points by bmac27 14y ago

S4M 14y ago
I find it a waste that the article gives a fictional character as the main example. Someone has a real life example of the benefits of mindfulness?
- greggman 14y ago
  This book has links to supposed real examples and studies. I don't have it handy and I didn't go read the studies. http://www.siyli.org/read-the-book/ http://www.siyli.org/read-the-book/
- zxcdw 14y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness_%28psychology%29#Scientific_research https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness_%28psychology%29#S... There's plenty of stuff
guylhem 14y ago
TLDR: There is no need for pointless agitation. Solve your problems the Feynman way: 1) think about the problem really hard 2) write down the solution
- 001sky 14y ago
  1.1) Play Bongos occasionally / as appropriate
charlieflowers 14y ago
From the start, the article equates "concentration" and "mindfulness", with no backing for that assertion. From everything I've heard, they are not the same thing. Concentrating on a crime scene you are not present at, for example, would mean your mind is not focused on the here and now -- in other words, concentration of the kind they're speaking of seems to be the exact opposite of mindfulness.
- Cieplak 14y ago
  In Buddhism, concentration and mindfulness are considered to be distinct concepts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path#Sam.C4.81dhi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path#Sam.C4.81d...
  - Herring 14y ago
    The article equates them in the sense of "not being distracted" ... I think it's correct enough. You can work on them separately, or at the same time. Concentration practice develops mindfulness as a side effect, and vice versa. You can't get very far in meditation without both. to answer GP's question, concentration requires the ability to notice distractions right as they pop up and avoid getting spun out.
  - novalis78 14y ago
    Defined as distinct steps, but considered as leading to or supporting each other. Right mindfulness defines the environment in which mental happiness arises starts the process of deep concentration (or single mindedness citass'ekaggata): "Samma-satissa samma-samadhi pahoti" - In him who has right mindfulness, right concentration progresses. [http://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh171-p.html#T119 http://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh171-p.html#T119] Here is a link to a more experiential summary of this psychological interplay between effort->prolonged attention through retention (aka 'mindfulness', lit. sati) -> concentration: http://theravadin.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/surfing-on-the-wave-of-bliss/ http://theravadin.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/surfing-on-the-wa...
  - hosh 14y ago
    They are not concepts. They are different skills and practices that are related to each other. They are things to do or be, not things to think about.
- hosh 14y ago
  Mindfulness and concentration are not the same thing, though they are related skills. You can't really do mindfulness without a little skill in concentration. They tend to be trained together and not always trained in a distinct way. It's not exactly opposite, or opposite. "Concentrating on a crime scene" means you chose a crime scene as a concentration object. Any concentration object you choose will always appear to be a separate reality from the here and now. Mindfulness will (eventually, with practice) take you to non-duality where there are no opposites. Eh, difficult to explain, and for most people, this isn't important right now. Mindfulness is pretty easy to describe in terms of what it is not. Mindfulness is not mindlessness. Mindlessness is letting the zombie eat out your brains. It's what happens when you walk out the front door and get to work or get to class and blanked out everything in between there. It's what happens when fear paralyzes you into impotency, and anger consumes you into saying something or doing something rash. It's entire possible to be mindful of the commute even though you've done it many times. It is possible to be mindful of the fear or anger as they happen. This "emotional regulation" is far more important and significant than avoiding "multitasking". The latter is framed in default way people are conditioned into being more "productive". Being more productive won't help you feel happier about your life. In any case, concentration is easier to learn and ince you need some skill in it to practice mindfulness, you might as well start there.
greenyoda 14y ago
"These effects make sense: the core of mindfulness is the ability to pay attention. That’s exactly what Holmes does when he taps together the tips of his fingers, or exhales a fine cloud of smoke. He is centering his attention on a single element. And somehow, despite the seeming pause in activity, he emerges, time and time again, far ahead of his energetic colleagues." I'm not sure I trust scientific conclusions drawn from the behavior of a fictional character.
- Permit 14y ago
  The conclusions weren't drawn from the behavior of Holmes, but I agree in that I found the metaphor kind of distracting. Especially the lines: >A quick survey will show that the paradox is illusory: Holmes is depressed when there is no target for his mental faculties. Give him a project, and balance is restored. Perhaps I'm not familiar enough with the books.
  - pemulis 14y ago
    I was confused by the extended metaphor, too, until I saw the notice at the bottom that the author is writing a book about how to think like Sherlock Holmes. It's useful when reading this kind of essay to find out what the author is selling, although it usually isn't this obvious.
  - Zelphyr 14y ago
    The reference there is that when he wasn't on a case he had a sort-of mini breakdown during which he would use heroin (remember, it was thought to be a beneficial drug in the late 19th century) to calm himself.
- sp332 14y ago
  It's not drawn from Holmes, it's just illustrated with an example lots of people are familiar with.
pdog 14y ago
Anyone have a guide on how to meditate to achieve mindfulness?
- novalis78 14y ago
  http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Breath-Meditation-(Anapanasati) http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Breath-Meditation-(Anapanasa... ... one example.
- schaefer 14y ago
  Try the book: Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions By Matthieu Ricard ISBN-10: 1401926630 ISBN-13: 978-1401926632 Mr. Ricard also gave a TED talk on the topic of happiness: http://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_happiness.html http://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_ha...
- hosh 14y ago
  So ... mindfulness isn't something you achieve. Don't worry too much about trying to figure out what "mindfulness" is and how to "achieve" it. I'm answering it as if the question were, "Anyone have a guide on how to meditate without getting lost in stories?" There are lots and lots of guides, books, teachings. Buddhist methods tend to be very popular because many practitioners want to teach it in service of humanity and will put up with a lot of things from students. Here's a small one I wrote, and someone asked me to post it onto Quora: http://www.quora.com/Meditation/Whats-a-nice-little-cheat-sheet-on-mindfulness-meditation/answer/Ho-Sheng-Hsiao http://www.quora.com/Meditation/Whats-a-nice-little-cheat-sh... This is not complete or comprehensive. It shows you the first door and you an get fairly far with it. By the time you gain some skill in it, you would be able to find other guides to continue on. If you like the Buddhist tradition, there are books like "Mindfulness in Plain English", available for free. I also liked "Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha" but not everyone does, and it's considered fairly advanced. Advanced or not, the first couple chapters are worth reading. It too is also available for free online. A method that is not of the Buddhist tradition (though influenced by it) is Dan Millman's "Way of the Peaceful Warrior." The book is written as a teaching story. If you want more of a step-by-step guide, Millman's "Everyday Enlightenment" will work.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

119 points by bmac27 14y ago

S4M 14y ago

I find it a waste that the article gives a fictional character as the main example. Someone has a real life example of the benefits of mindfulness?

greggman 14y ago
This book has links to supposed real examples and studies. I don't have it handy and I didn't go read the studies. http://www.siyli.org/read-the-book/ http://www.siyli.org/read-the-book/
zxcdw 14y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness_%28psychology%29#Scientific_research https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness_%28psychology%29#S... There's plenty of stuff

guylhem 14y ago

TLDR: There is no need for pointless agitation. Solve your problems the Feynman way: 1) think about the problem really hard 2) write down the solution

001sky 14y ago
1.1) Play Bongos occasionally / as appropriate

charlieflowers 14y ago

From the start, the article equates "concentration" and "mindfulness", with no backing for that assertion. From everything I've heard, they are not the same thing. Concentrating on a crime scene you are not present at, for example, would mean your mind is not focused on the here and now -- in other words, concentration of the kind they're speaking of seems to be the exact opposite of mindfulness.

Cieplak 14y ago
In Buddhism, concentration and mindfulness are considered to be distinct concepts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path#Sam.C4.81dhi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path#Sam.C4.81d...
- Herring 14y ago
  The article equates them in the sense of "not being distracted" ... I think it's correct enough. You can work on them separately, or at the same time. Concentration practice develops mindfulness as a side effect, and vice versa. You can't get very far in meditation without both. to answer GP's question, concentration requires the ability to notice distractions right as they pop up and avoid getting spun out.
- novalis78 14y ago
  Defined as distinct steps, but considered as leading to or supporting each other. Right mindfulness defines the environment in which mental happiness arises starts the process of deep concentration (or single mindedness citass'ekaggata): "Samma-satissa samma-samadhi pahoti" - In him who has right mindfulness, right concentration progresses. [http://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh171-p.html#T119 http://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh171-p.html#T119] Here is a link to a more experiential summary of this psychological interplay between effort->prolonged attention through retention (aka 'mindfulness', lit. sati) -> concentration: http://theravadin.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/surfing-on-the-wave-of-bliss/ http://theravadin.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/surfing-on-the-wa...
- hosh 14y ago
  They are not concepts. They are different skills and practices that are related to each other. They are things to do or be, not things to think about.
hosh 14y ago
Mindfulness and concentration are not the same thing, though they are related skills. You can't really do mindfulness without a little skill in concentration. They tend to be trained together and not always trained in a distinct way. It's not exactly opposite, or opposite. "Concentrating on a crime scene" means you chose a crime scene as a concentration object. Any concentration object you choose will always appear to be a separate reality from the here and now. Mindfulness will (eventually, with practice) take you to non-duality where there are no opposites. Eh, difficult to explain, and for most people, this isn't important right now. Mindfulness is pretty easy to describe in terms of what it is not. Mindfulness is not mindlessness. Mindlessness is letting the zombie eat out your brains. It's what happens when you walk out the front door and get to work or get to class and blanked out everything in between there. It's what happens when fear paralyzes you into impotency, and anger consumes you into saying something or doing something rash. It's entire possible to be mindful of the commute even though you've done it many times. It is possible to be mindful of the fear or anger as they happen. This "emotional regulation" is far more important and significant than avoiding "multitasking". The latter is framed in default way people are conditioned into being more "productive". Being more productive won't help you feel happier about your life. In any case, concentration is easier to learn and ince you need some skill in it to practice mindfulness, you might as well start there.

greenyoda 14y ago

"These effects make sense: the core of mindfulness is the ability to pay attention. That’s exactly what Holmes does when he taps together the tips of his fingers, or exhales a fine cloud of smoke. He is centering his attention on a single element. And somehow, despite the seeming pause in activity, he emerges, time and time again, far ahead of his energetic colleagues." I'm not sure I trust scientific conclusions drawn from the behavior of a fictional character.

Permit 14y ago
The conclusions weren't drawn from the behavior of Holmes, but I agree in that I found the metaphor kind of distracting. Especially the lines: >A quick survey will show that the paradox is illusory: Holmes is depressed when there is no target for his mental faculties. Give him a project, and balance is restored. Perhaps I'm not familiar enough with the books.
- pemulis 14y ago
  I was confused by the extended metaphor, too, until I saw the notice at the bottom that the author is writing a book about how to think like Sherlock Holmes. It's useful when reading this kind of essay to find out what the author is selling, although it usually isn't this obvious.
- Zelphyr 14y ago
  The reference there is that when he wasn't on a case he had a sort-of mini breakdown during which he would use heroin (remember, it was thought to be a beneficial drug in the late 19th century) to calm himself.
sp332 14y ago
It's not drawn from Holmes, it's just illustrated with an example lots of people are familiar with.

pdog 14y ago

Anyone have a guide on how to meditate to achieve mindfulness?

novalis78 14y ago
http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Breath-Meditation-(Anapanasati) http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Breath-Meditation-(Anapanasa... ... one example.
schaefer 14y ago
Try the book: Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions By Matthieu Ricard ISBN-10: 1401926630 ISBN-13: 978-1401926632 Mr. Ricard also gave a TED talk on the topic of happiness: http://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_happiness.html http://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_ha...
hosh 14y ago
So ... mindfulness isn't something you achieve. Don't worry too much about trying to figure out what "mindfulness" is and how to "achieve" it. I'm answering it as if the question were, "Anyone have a guide on how to meditate without getting lost in stories?" There are lots and lots of guides, books, teachings. Buddhist methods tend to be very popular because many practitioners want to teach it in service of humanity and will put up with a lot of things from students. Here's a small one I wrote, and someone asked me to post it onto Quora: http://www.quora.com/Meditation/Whats-a-nice-little-cheat-sheet-on-mindfulness-meditation/answer/Ho-Sheng-Hsiao http://www.quora.com/Meditation/Whats-a-nice-little-cheat-sh... This is not complete or comprehensive. It shows you the first door and you an get fairly far with it. By the time you gain some skill in it, you would be able to find other guides to continue on. If you like the Buddhist tradition, there are books like "Mindfulness in Plain English", available for free. I also liked "Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha" but not everyone does, and it's considered fairly advanced. Advanced or not, the first couple chapters are worth reading. It too is also available for free online. A method that is not of the Buddhist tradition (though influenced by it) is Dan Millman's "Way of the Peaceful Warrior." The book is written as a teaching story. If you want more of a step-by-step guide, Millman's "Everyday Enlightenment" will work.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]