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>> My name is Helen Damon Moore,
and I am the director of service
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00:00:06,406 —> 00:00:09,396
and education at the
Tucker Foundation,
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here at Dartmouth college.
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I am honored to welcome you all
and to introduce John Cabotson
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on behalf of the Dartmouth
Hitchcock Medical Center
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Pailateive Care Service,
the Tucker Foundation,
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the Rubin Committee
of Dartmouth College,
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Alice Peck Day Hospital,
Dartmouth Medical School,
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the Norris Cotton Cancer Center,
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and the Valley Insight
Medication Society.
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Special thanks to Ira
Biak and Yvonne Corbet,
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and the Pailateive care service
for partnering on this project.
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And to those at tucker
who have worked so hard,
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and who are this week
celebrating the 60th anniversary
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year Tucker Foundation,
Dartmouth’s center for service,
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spirituality, and
social justice.
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We are pleased to
welcome Dr. John Cabotson
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to Dartmouth college
today for the second time.
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Cabotson first visited
Dartmouth in the summer of 1984
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when the college and the
Connecticut river served
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as the training camp for the
men’s Olympic rowing team.
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He was the meditation trainer
for the team, helping them
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to optimize their
mental performance.
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Today he is here to help
optimize our performance.
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John Cabotson hold an a Ph.D.
in molecular biology from MIT.
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He is professor of medicine
emeritus at the University
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of Massachusetts Medical School
and founder of the Center
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For Mindfulness and Medicine,
Healthcare, and Society
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and its mindfulness-based
stress reduction clinic.
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He is the author of
numerous best-selling books,
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including Full Catastrophe
Living,
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Wherever You Go There You
Are, Coming to Our Senses,
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and the Mindful Way
Through Depression,
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co-authors with Williams,
Tisdale, and Siegal.
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Dr. Cabotson’s research focuses
on mind-body interactions
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for healing, and on the
clinical applications
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and cost effectiveness of
mindfulness training for people
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with chronic pain and
stress-related disorders,
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including the effects
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of mindfulness-based stress
reduction on the brain.
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His current projects include
editing the Mind’s Own
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Physician, with Richard
Davidson, and guest co-editing
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with Mark Williams
a special issue
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of The Journal Contemporary
Buddhism.
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Dr. Cabotson’s work
has contributed hugely
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to a growing movement
of mindfulness
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in main stream institutions
such as medicine, psychology,
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healthcare, schools and
colleges, corporations, prisons,
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and professional sports.
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Courtesy of Kerry Jo Grant
[Assumed spelling] here
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in our health promotion
department, Dr. Cabotson
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and his work have even made
their way to the inside
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of our bathroom doors.
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Featured as they are
in the current edition
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of the Dartmouth College
Stall Street Journal.
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Please join me in
welcoming John Cabotson back
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to Dartmouth college.
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[ Applause ]
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>> Thank you.
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It’s a delight to be here.
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Do I have to have the light
this bright in my eyes?
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Because maybe you could
tone it down a little bit
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so people can still see me,
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but I’d like to be
able to see you too.
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It’s a delight to be here.
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It’s nice to walk into a theater
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where mindfulness
is on the marquee.
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You know you’ve really made
it when it’s on the marquee,
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along with Frankenstein.
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So — it’s like, you’re part of
the main stream, so to speak,
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however that goes from moment
to moment and from day-to-day.
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But it’s really a delight to be
here, and I am here basically
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because of Helen Damon Moore and
her work, which I actually got
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to see at University
of Iowa, when she was
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at Iowa before coming here.
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And also Dr. Ira
Biak, who I met in —
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in Ireland about two years ago,
almost exactly two years ago.
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And was just incredibly
impressed with what he’s doing
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with integrative medicine
and palliative care.
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And so you know, it’s
like I don’t live that far
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from this place, and got in the
car this morning and drove up.
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And I’m really happy to be
here for the next three days.
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And you know, so to have this
many people come out at 4:30
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on a sunny afternoon after
the kind of winter we had,
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to a talk about mindfulness is
really some kind of an indicator
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that something has
shifted in the society.
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You all have better
things to do, I’m sure,
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this afternoon, than
to come here.
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Unless you have some
kind of real intuition
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about what the healing power
of mindfulness might be.
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And then it might actually
be incredibly valuable
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to spend the end of a nice
sunny Thursday afternoon
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here together.
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So this talk is not
about me or what I have
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to say, it’s about us.
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It’s about every
single one of us,
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and in some sense what the
potential is, as the slide says,
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for living your moments as
if they really mattered.
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And I put a little
asterisk in there,
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and the reason they too is
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because we’re only
alive when we’re alive.
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This seems kind of a no-brainer,
but you could say that a lot
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of our lives we’re walking
around with a no-brainer,
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or just basically no brain,
or the brain is on auto pilot
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or something like that.
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And what mindfulness is really
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about is bringing it back
on line, so to speak.
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In the present moment,
because that turns
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out to be the only moment
that any of us ever have.
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But we’re so good at thinking,
so incredibly good at thinking,
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that we can spend enormous
amounts of our time
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and energy absorbed in the past.
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Have you noticed that?
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Just incredible preoccupations
about who’s to blame
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about why it’s like this.
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Or how great it was
in the good old days,
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and why can’t it
be that way now.
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So there’s a tremendous
attraction to the past
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and tremendous aversion,
but whether it’s attraction
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or aversion, we spend
a lot of time there.
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Would you agree?
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Have you noticed that a lot
of the time if you check
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on what your mind is up
to, it’s up to memory.
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It’s up to thinking about things
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that are already over,
to a large degree.
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The other favorite
preoccupation of the mind is
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in the opposite direction.
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The future.
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And if again you check in every
once come a while just to,
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you know, sometimes I
like to say you know,
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you can call yourself up.
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You may have to, you know,
because we’re on 24-7,
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we’re just infinitely connected.
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Probably every single person has
one of these in their pocket,
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although I hope there
are some exceptions.
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But — and they’re called
smart phones, you know?
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But they’re not.
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But we actually — but
they can really dumb us
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down because we can be
infinitely connected everywhere
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except here.
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And so we may need
to call ourselves
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up every once in a while.
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John, are you actually here?
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And the answer is no, I’m
off in the future thinking.
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And one of our favorite
preoccupations —
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and by the way, of course you’ll
get a bill from AT&T or Verizon.
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But seriously, what — what
are our favorite preoccupations
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in the future?
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Well, one is worrying.
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I don’t know about
the north country,
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maybe you’ve gone
beyond worrying.
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The rest of the world a lot
of worry about things that —
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that haven’t happened
yet and may never happen.
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In fact, Mark Twain is
famous for having said,
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you’ve probably heard this
in a lot of different guises,
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but he’s famous for having
said there’s been a huge amount
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of tragedy in my life, and
some of it actually happened.
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But — but there is this
saying that you know, we die —
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he died a thousand deaths.
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I mean , we drive
ourselves crazy over things
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that are not going
to be happening
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because we’re not smart enough
to actually forecast the future,
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but that doesn’t prevent us
from driving ourselves crazy,
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and perseverating over and over
and over about what will happen.
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And then something else happens
because we’re not that smart.
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So something else happens,
and we say we’re blind-sided.
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Now how many of you would like
the future to be different
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from the way — the way we
think it’s going to turn out.
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Anybody ever find yourself
wishing the future was going
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to be like, majorly different,
that we’d make some kind
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of change in the world?
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Raise your hands, I want to
just feel in the audience.
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Okay, I heard social justice
mentioned earlier, and you know,
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this is after all a university
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or I guess you call
yourself a college.
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You know, a campus
kind of situation.
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So it doesn’t surprise me.
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But this — this kind
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of engagement really
requires thinking about, like,
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what it means to make
the future different.
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How can we possibly
apply any leverage,
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could we kind an Archimedes,
you know, fulcrum in which
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to influence the future.
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There’s only one fulcrum
that I know for that,
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and that is the present.
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Because guess what, we’re
living in the future
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of every single moment
in all of our lives
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that came before this one.
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Do you remember back, I mean,
I see there’s kind of a range
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of ages, although
most of you don’t look
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like you’re college
students, I’ve got to say.
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And I’m a little disappointed.
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I mean, I — you know, not that
I’m disappointed that you came,
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but I’d like to see a lot
more college students.
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They look at — they’re going
to Frankenstein probably, later.
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It’s an awkward time of
day for the young people.
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How many of you are
under 25, 25 and under.
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Oh, so I’m wrong.
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That’s really nice to be wrong.
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So — really — so I was going
to say to the older people,
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but maybe you did it when
you were even younger.
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Do you remember before
you got into college here,
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and probably you got into
planning what the courses were
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that you were going to take when
you got ahold of the catalog,
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or you went on line
and began planning, oh,
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in the freshman year
I’ll take this,
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and the sophomore year,
and the junior year.
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And maybe you planned even
who you’re going to meet
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and who you’re going to marry,
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and what your children
are going to look like.
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Does that sound familiar,
that sometimes we do
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that when we’re young.
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And we think that it’s all
going to turn out in the future.
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So no matter what your age
is, I’ve got news for you.
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This is it.
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It already turned out.
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How did it turn out?
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It turned out just like this.
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In any moment your
life is just like this.
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Not happy with it , a
little bit sad or depressed
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or wishing it was different
— that’s not a problem.
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That’s not a problem.
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Because we can always sort of
feel like okay, how are we going
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to be in relationship to this,
and of course life is not easy.
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And a lot of times we’re faced
with enormous challenges,
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sometimes with enormous pain.
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Sometimes with enormous threat.
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And that’s part of
the human condition.
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But the real interesting
question when it concerns, say,
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the future, and concerns living
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00:13:47,846 —> 00:13:51,236
as if life really mattered
is can we actually be
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in the present moment
when things are not kind
233
00:13:53,576 —> 00:13:55,616
of the way we thought
they would be.
234
00:13:56,436 —> 00:13:59,676
Or sometimes the
shorthand for it is well,
235
00:13:59,906 —> 00:14:02,935
I didn’t sign up for this.
236
00:14:03,276 —> 00:14:06,506
I mean, or another way
to put it, sometimes,
237
00:14:06,506 —> 00:14:12,966
maybe no offense meant, but how
did I get born into this family,
238
00:14:13,286 —> 00:14:16,106
or who are all these
crazy people,
239
00:14:16,106 —> 00:14:17,956
why am I the only sane person.
240
00:14:18,006 —> 00:14:19,165
And you know, when you’re
241
00:14:19,166 —> 00:14:24,556
in a family no one else can
know the kind of genetic disease
242
00:14:24,556 —> 00:14:26,656
of that particular family,
243
00:14:26,716 —> 00:14:33,836
that everybody suffers
from except you.
244
00:14:34,246 —> 00:14:36,756
So if we hope for the
future to be different,
245
00:14:37,146 —> 00:14:39,726
the only place we
have to stand is now.
246
00:14:41,696 —> 00:14:43,706
Because first of
all, it’s the —
247
00:14:44,056 —> 00:14:46,636
it’s the future of
all the moments
248
00:14:46,636 —> 00:14:47,506
that have come before us.
249
00:14:47,506 —> 00:14:50,925
So if you want to be in
the future, here you are.
250
00:14:54,256 —> 00:14:56,815
This is actually non trivial,
it’s not just oh yeah,
251
00:14:56,816 —> 00:14:58,476
tell us something interesting.
252
00:14:59,626 —> 00:15:04,856
Because — because what it
invites is a kind of shift
253
00:15:05,256 —> 00:15:08,045
in perception and a
shift in awareness,
254
00:15:08,046 —> 00:15:10,836
a shift in consciousness,
that allows us
255
00:15:10,836 —> 00:15:14,346
to actually live our lives
as if they really mattered,
256
00:15:14,346 —> 00:15:16,136
and the only moment
we ever have.
257
00:15:16,396 —> 00:15:18,325
And part of that
means being embodied.
258
00:15:19,656 —> 00:15:26,295
Because a lot of the time you
know, we are lost in thought.
259
00:15:27,226 —> 00:15:29,346
That’s another thing
you’ll notice, if you start
260
00:15:29,346 —> 00:15:33,336
to pay attention to your mind,
is that it’s all over the place.
261
00:15:34,326 —> 00:15:35,086
It’s all over the place.
262
00:15:35,346 —> 00:15:37,946
You don’t even have to
meditate for that to happen.
263
00:15:37,946 —> 00:15:39,986
It’s just default mode.
264
00:15:40,836 —> 00:15:42,126
It’s default mode.
265
00:15:42,126 —> 00:15:43,856
You don’t even have
to have a smart phone.
266
00:15:44,066 —> 00:15:45,516
You don’t even have
to have e-mail.
267
00:15:45,716 —> 00:15:47,256
You don’t even have
to have a computer.
268
00:15:47,466 —> 00:15:50,276
It’s the default mode of the
mind to be all over the place.
269
00:15:51,176 —> 00:15:52,586
It thinks this, and thinks that.
270
00:15:52,586 —> 00:15:55,336
And it likes this
and hates that.
271
00:15:55,336 —> 00:15:57,256
And wants you to approach
this, but really wants
272
00:15:57,256 —> 00:15:58,065
to stay away from that.
273
00:15:58,066 —> 00:16:00,606
And it’s like, wired
into our biology.
274
00:16:00,606 —> 00:16:02,306
It’s called approach avoidance.
275
00:16:02,306 —> 00:16:04,266
And it’s kind of, you know,
276
00:16:04,266 —> 00:16:07,075
the hemispheres are actually
somewhat divided in terms
277
00:16:07,076 —> 00:16:10,866
of left hemisphere and the
frontal cortical region,
278
00:16:11,136 —> 00:16:12,906
is more approach-related.
279
00:16:14,246 —> 00:16:17,036
And right acre vacation, more —
280
00:16:17,036 —> 00:16:20,955
and that’s one of the
fundamental biological,
281
00:16:21,376 —> 00:16:24,876
you know, features
of living systems.
282
00:16:25,716 —> 00:16:28,246
Move towards food,
move away from danger.
283
00:16:28,816 —> 00:16:29,666
Perfectly natural.
284
00:16:30,886 —> 00:16:33,795
But how we actually
modulate those impulses
285
00:16:33,796 —> 00:16:36,346
and those reflexes,
and those, you know,
286
00:16:36,346 —> 00:16:42,116
kinds of unconscious urges
that drive us and cause us
287
00:16:42,116 —> 00:16:43,806
to be reactive a
lot of the time.
288
00:16:44,166 —> 00:16:45,766
Is really an art form.
289
00:16:45,766 —> 00:16:51,425
It’s the art, if you
will, of living our lives
290
00:16:51,426 —> 00:16:52,656
as if they really mattered.
291
00:16:53,886 —> 00:16:58,216
And when we begin to
actually drop in on ourselves,
292
00:16:58,906 —> 00:17:05,495
and I brought a few
— a few props.
293
00:17:05,675 —> 00:17:10,005
You know, so sometimes I
say when we begin to drop
294
00:17:10,006 —> 00:17:17,856
in on ourselves, you know, we
can actually reclaim this moment
295
00:17:18,036 —> 00:17:25,026
in this body with this heart,
with this mind, and shift —
296
00:17:25,026 —> 00:17:27,556
begin to shift the
tea fault setting
297
00:17:27,766 —> 00:17:29,106
on how we live ourselves.
298
00:17:30,136 —> 00:17:36,956
Begin to actually move in a
direction of greater balance
299
00:17:37,366 —> 00:17:43,606
of mind, greater groundedness
in the body, greater clarity
300
00:17:43,606 —> 00:17:46,266
of sight, greater, if you will,
301
00:17:48,386 —> 00:17:52,406
recognition of what’s actually
unfolding moment by moment,
302
00:17:52,626 —> 00:17:57,166
that’s not so conditioned by
whether we like it or not.
303
00:17:58,626 —> 00:18:03,476
Because the world, maybe you
haven’t noticed this yet,
304
00:18:04,666 —> 00:18:06,735
but it’s not actually organized
305
00:18:06,736 —> 00:18:08,626
around you being the
center of the universe.
306
00:18:11,176 —> 00:18:14,316
I know that’s really
disappointing.
307
00:18:14,316 —> 00:18:18,006
Because you were, I’m guessing
now, don’t take offense, again,
308
00:18:18,216 —> 00:18:20,535
I’m guessing you are
entirely organized
309
00:18:20,536 —> 00:18:22,066
around you being the
center of the universe.
310
00:18:22,376 —> 00:18:23,646
Every single one of us is.
311
00:18:24,056 —> 00:18:25,336
It’s almost unavoidable.
312
00:18:26,956 —> 00:18:28,196
It’s almost unavoidable.
313
00:18:28,196 —> 00:18:32,826
And that has representations
in the brain, it’s turning out.
314
00:18:33,596 —> 00:18:40,306
That there are medial — medial
networks in the frontal cortex
315
00:18:40,306 —> 00:18:44,356
and — that are — is actually
called the default mode.
316
00:18:44,766 —> 00:18:48,126
And it’s what we think
brains, neuro scientists think,
317
00:18:48,276 —> 00:18:50,646
it’s what’s happening when
you’re not doing anything.
318
00:18:52,076 —> 00:18:53,536
Well, turns out when
you’re not doing anything,
319
00:18:53,536 —> 00:18:55,396
you’re very busy.
320
00:18:56,506 —> 00:18:58,476
You’re very, very, very busy.
321
00:18:59,716 —> 00:19:01,706
And one of the things
what’s described is
322
00:19:01,706 —> 00:19:04,136
that your mind wandering.
323
00:19:05,306 —> 00:19:06,996
And now there’s an entire field
324
00:19:06,996 —> 00:19:09,606
in neuro science focused
on mind wandering.
325
00:19:11,996 —> 00:19:13,046
How many of you have noticed
326
00:19:13,046 —> 00:19:15,486
that your mind sometimes
just has a mind of its own.
327
00:19:15,486 —> 00:19:18,576
It goes here, it goes there,
it likes to be entertained.
328
00:19:19,046 —> 00:19:20,546
You know, it’s very
entertaining.
329
00:19:20,826 —> 00:19:27,346
So yeah, that’s what’s
called the default mode.
330
00:19:27,346 —> 00:19:30,306
Now another name for it
is the narrative network.
331
00:19:30,426 —> 00:19:33,795
So it’s like we are continually
constructing narratives
332
00:19:33,796 —> 00:19:34,716
about ourselves.
333
00:19:35,736 —> 00:19:38,116
I mean, after all, it’s
the favorite topic, right?
334
00:19:38,196 —> 00:19:41,416
Me. What could be more
interesting than me?
335
00:19:42,916 —> 00:19:44,755
The story of me, starring — me.
336
00:19:45,336 —> 00:19:50,866
And if you start
to pay attention,
337
00:19:50,866 —> 00:19:53,776
because what we’re talking
about, what mindfulness is,
338
00:19:53,776 —> 00:19:56,846
it’s actually weariness, okay?
339
00:19:57,626 —> 00:19:59,796
And it’s cultivated
by paying attention.
340
00:20:01,326 —> 00:20:03,286
So just to get clear about this,
341
00:20:03,286 —> 00:20:06,756
that doesn’t sound very
Buddhist, does it, so far?
342
00:20:07,046 —> 00:20:11,306
Or very Asian or mystical
or very — anything.
343
00:20:11,306 —> 00:20:16,086
I mean, it’s just
paying attention.
344
00:20:16,086 —> 00:20:18,486
How many teachers are
there in the audience,
345
00:20:19,036 —> 00:20:21,236
whatever level you’re
teaching at, raise your hand
346
00:20:21,236 —> 00:20:21,906
so I can feel that —
347
00:20:22,196 —> 00:20:24,545
okay, don’t you want your
students to pay attention?
348
00:20:25,506 —> 00:20:28,136
It’s non trivial to get
them to pay attention.
349
00:20:28,796 —> 00:20:30,356
First you might have
to be interesting.
350
00:20:30,456 —> 00:20:33,535
That itself is a challenge.
351
00:20:33,716 —> 00:20:36,136
Second, you might have to make
the subject matter interesting.
352
00:20:36,136 —> 00:20:37,856
That’s also a challenge.
353
00:20:38,706 —> 00:20:41,575
But third, it’s like,
I remember as a product
354
00:20:41,576 —> 00:20:44,666
of the New York product schools
having teachers actually yell
355
00:20:44,666 —> 00:20:46,056
at us to pay attention.
356
00:20:47,326 —> 00:20:51,466
But that’s not a very
effective way to get people
357
00:20:51,466 —> 00:20:55,295
to pay attention, because turns
out that attending is something
358
00:20:55,296 —> 00:20:56,416
that you need to learn.
359
00:20:57,606 —> 00:20:59,596
It’s a learnable skill.
360
00:20:59,936 —> 00:21:01,886
But instead of being
taught to pay attention,
361
00:21:02,266 —> 00:21:04,326
you’re just told
who pay attention.
362
00:21:04,946 —> 00:21:06,896
Get with the program,
pay attention.
363
00:21:07,456 —> 00:21:10,636
And a lot of people pay
attention very differently.
364
00:21:10,636 —> 00:21:12,556
Some pay attention auditorily,
365
00:21:12,556 —> 00:21:14,546
they’re really predominantly
auditory.
366
00:21:14,896 —> 00:21:17,046
Some people can’t
do auditory so well,
367
00:21:17,046 —> 00:21:18,356
they’ve got to see it visually.
368
00:21:18,356 —> 00:21:20,466
Other people’s more
intuitive, they feel it
369
00:21:20,466 —> 00:21:23,765
with their bodies,
in a certain way.
370
00:21:25,266 —> 00:21:32,346
So this is incredibly important
in education at all levels,
371
00:21:32,346 —> 00:21:35,366
because you know, as they
say about orchestras,
372
00:21:35,366 —> 00:21:38,316
even the greatest of orchestras,
with the greatest musicians
373
00:21:38,316 —> 00:21:40,486
with the greatest instruments
playing the greatest music,
374
00:21:40,906 —> 00:21:43,726
before they perform
they get together
375
00:21:43,726 —> 00:21:45,336
and they tune their instruments.
376
00:21:46,286 —> 00:21:47,836
First to themselves.
377
00:21:48,286 —> 00:21:49,176
Then with each other.
378
00:21:50,026 —> 00:21:51,596
Until there’s a kind
of dropping,
379
00:21:52,006 —> 00:21:53,446
if you don’t mind me
putting it that way,
380
00:21:54,416 —> 00:22:03,525
into kind of resonance, call
it an A. Call it what you like,
381
00:22:03,736 —> 00:22:10,986
but that kind of interconnected
feeling that we are
382
00:22:11,056 —> 00:22:12,546
in some space together.
383
00:22:13,596 —> 00:22:15,146
You could call it relationality.
384
00:22:16,616 —> 00:22:20,176
And so mindfulness is
the awareness that arises
385
00:22:20,206 —> 00:22:23,745
by paying attention on
purpose in the present moment.
386
00:22:24,536 —> 00:22:26,646
Paying attention on purpose
387
00:22:27,096 —> 00:22:29,866
in the present moment
and non judgmentally.
388
00:22:30,036 —> 00:22:33,686
Now non judgmentally, that’s
the kicker, because as I said,
389
00:22:33,686 —> 00:22:36,106
the default network is
operating constantly ,
390
00:22:36,106 —> 00:22:39,376
and the default network has
got ideas about everything.
391
00:22:40,416 —> 00:22:41,906
It’s judging constantly.
392
00:22:42,036 —> 00:22:45,436
So non judgmental doesn’t
mean that you won’t be judging
393
00:22:45,656 —> 00:22:49,136
when you actually start to pay
attention to what’s on your mind
394
00:22:49,136 —> 00:22:50,896
or what’s going on in your life.
395
00:22:50,896 —> 00:22:54,216
But you’ll notice how much you
are judging, how much you want
396
00:22:54,216 —> 00:22:56,025
to approach this
and push away that.
397
00:22:56,296 —> 00:22:59,016
And you’ll just allow that
whole thing to be there,
398
00:22:59,236 —> 00:23:01,406
as if you just put out
the welcome mat for it.
399
00:23:01,636 —> 00:23:06,936
Okay, I’m not going to have
an opinion about my opinions.
400
00:23:07,286 —> 00:23:14,126
I’m just going to let it all
rain down for — for a moment.
401
00:23:14,716 —> 00:23:19,325
Can you feel how radical a shift
that would be in your life,
402
00:23:19,706 —> 00:23:22,966
to just take one moment and
allow everything to be as it is,
403
00:23:23,206 —> 00:23:24,896
instead of wishing it
was one way or another?
404
00:23:26,196 —> 00:23:28,265
The Buddhists would
call that liberation.
405
00:23:28,536 —> 00:23:33,166
It’s a kind of freedom that
no one else can give you,
406
00:23:33,166 —> 00:23:39,566
but allow us in some sense
to rotate in consciousness
407
00:23:39,566 —> 00:23:44,856
so that we — for one moment
we’re stepping outside of time.
408
00:23:46,426 —> 00:23:51,525
Because if you live
in the now, well,
409
00:23:51,526 —> 00:23:52,946
maybe you’ve had
this experience.
410
00:23:52,946 —> 00:23:56,626
Just check your watch and
take a look right now.
411
00:23:57,106 —> 00:23:57,996
What time is it?
412
00:23:58,186 —> 00:24:00,275
I’ll tell you what
time it is, it’s now.
413
00:24:01,146 —> 00:24:05,346
And every time you
check your watch
414
00:24:05,816 —> 00:24:09,916
or your phone, it’s now again.
415
00:24:13,736 —> 00:24:16,636
Now what — why am I
even talking about this?
416
00:24:17,346 —> 00:24:19,006
Why it I even come here?
417
00:24:19,536 —> 00:24:24,396
It’s always good to is it ask
those questions, you know,
418
00:24:24,736 —> 00:24:26,136
it’s like — I don’t
know, actually.
419
00:24:26,726 —> 00:24:28,956
Because it’s usually bigger
420
00:24:28,956 —> 00:24:31,856
than whatever you think
your reasons are [Inaudible]
421
00:24:32,626 —> 00:24:38,686
but it has a lot to do with
— with the medical schools
422
00:24:39,136 —> 00:24:43,196
and with what — what
Ira’s doing there.
423
00:24:44,386 —> 00:24:49,735
And with what Helen is doing
in the undergraduate school.
424
00:24:50,276 —> 00:24:54,586
It has to do with the fact that
the society has reached a point
425
00:24:54,986 —> 00:24:57,296
where we’re beginning
to understand
426
00:24:57,526 —> 00:25:01,786
that the exponentially
increasing levels of stress,
427
00:25:01,906 —> 00:25:06,056
in medicine, in our professional
lives, in our personal lives,
428
00:25:06,126 —> 00:25:15,526
at every age, really require
some kind of shift that is not
429
00:25:15,526 —> 00:25:17,866
in the form of taking
some pill to numb yourself
430
00:25:17,866 —> 00:25:19,636
out to it or get it together.
431
00:25:20,786 —> 00:25:25,296
But actually, we need to
cultivate what’s often spoken
432
00:25:25,296 —> 00:25:30,346
of as the domain of being in
order to not be so overwhelmed
433
00:25:30,346 —> 00:25:32,126
by the doing and the performing.
434
00:25:33,406 —> 00:25:37,025
And while it’s true that with
the Olympic team we were using
435
00:25:37,026 —> 00:25:40,296
mindfulness to actually
improve their performance,
436
00:25:40,566 —> 00:25:42,776
it was kind of a Zen operation,
437
00:25:43,176 —> 00:25:45,706
that you can’t improve
performance by trying
438
00:25:45,936 —> 00:25:48,745
to improve performance,
especially with the mind.
439
00:25:49,026 —> 00:25:51,686
Because the kind of
mind that’s grasping
440
00:25:51,686 —> 00:25:54,896
for an outcome is exactly
the kind of mind that gets
441
00:25:54,896 —> 00:25:56,985
in the way of any
desirable outcome.
442
00:25:58,106 —> 00:26:00,716
Have you got that, did you
catch that as it went by?
443
00:26:01,126 —> 00:26:03,846
Okay. So this means
we’re in new territory.
444
00:26:04,346 —> 00:26:05,896
One example, common example.
445
00:26:05,896 —> 00:26:07,926
You can’t get to sleep
446
00:26:08,376 —> 00:26:10,186
by forcing yourself
to get to sleep.
447
00:26:10,476 —> 00:26:13,026
By telling yourself how
important the meeting is you
448
00:26:13,026 —> 00:26:13,866
have tomorrow.
449
00:26:14,226 —> 00:26:17,826
In fact, that’s probably
a very bad idea,
450
00:26:18,946 —> 00:26:22,386
because that thought will
actually secrete one more
451
00:26:22,386 —> 00:26:26,706
thought, secrete one more
thought or the meeting
452
00:26:26,706 —> 00:26:28,146
or the stakes of it, or —
453
00:26:28,146 —> 00:26:30,726
and then that will
lead to something else
454
00:26:30,726 —> 00:26:34,316
in this default network of
mind wandering and pretty soon,
455
00:26:34,486 —> 00:26:38,146
you are wide awake, desperately
wanting to be asleep.
456
00:26:39,026 —> 00:26:42,476
And not knowing how
to get there.
457
00:26:42,656 —> 00:26:48,576
So it’s not trivial to
actually befriend our own minds
458
00:26:48,576 —> 00:26:53,006
and our own lives in such
a way we can actually work
459
00:26:53,006 —> 00:26:57,846
in these paradoxical ways
where striving won’t do it.
460
00:26:58,146 —> 00:26:59,146
Striving won’t do it.
461
00:26:59,376 —> 00:27:02,396
That doesn’t mean that I’m
advocating that all of us, like,
462
00:27:02,516 —> 00:27:06,406
abandon ambition or don’t
care about anything.
463
00:27:07,206 —> 00:27:09,666
Meditation is not
about becoming stupid.
464
00:27:10,226 —> 00:27:15,956
Not even being non judgmental
is not about becoming stupid.
465
00:27:16,426 —> 00:27:18,466
It’s sounds like, oh
don’t judge anything.
466
00:27:18,466 —> 00:27:20,656
Maybe I’ll just walk off
the stage and break my leg,
467
00:27:20,726 —> 00:27:23,936
you know, no, I’m aware the
edge of the stage is here.
468
00:27:24,256 —> 00:27:26,756
And if I do fall off the
stage and break my leg, yeah,
469
00:27:26,756 —> 00:27:29,866
that will have been a moment
of mindlessness or out
470
00:27:29,866 —> 00:27:31,466
of touch, if you will.
471
00:27:32,076 —> 00:27:35,776
But — walk across the street
without looking because,
472
00:27:36,086 —> 00:27:40,166
you know, we have to sense
we’re not going to judge
473
00:27:40,256 —> 00:27:41,846
that that judge that
truck coming at me —
474
00:27:43,566 —> 00:27:49,126
there’s a big difference between
judgment and discernment.
475
00:27:49,876 —> 00:27:52,356
So mindfulness is
all about discerning
476
00:27:53,066 —> 00:27:55,206
with clarity what’s
actually going on.
477
00:27:55,906 —> 00:27:58,126
Now most of time now,
how many of you would say
478
00:27:58,126 —> 00:28:00,706
that you are engaged
in some kind of a way
479
00:28:00,706 —> 00:28:04,265
that doesn’t feel
all that good a lot
480
00:28:04,266 —> 00:28:07,816
of the time in multitasking.
481
00:28:08,386 —> 00:28:10,156
Anybody find yourself
multitasking?
482
00:28:10,746 —> 00:28:11,866
Confess. That when you’re
483
00:28:11,866 —> 00:28:16,985
on the phone you’re
actually sending an e-mail
484
00:28:17,616 —> 00:28:18,396
to somebody else.
485
00:28:19,376 —> 00:28:20,956
Anybody ever do that?
486
00:28:20,956 —> 00:28:22,446
Raise your hands, I want to see.
487
00:28:22,446 —> 00:28:23,336
Confession time.
488
00:28:23,986 —> 00:28:26,466
Okay, and you know, we
actually do it a lot.
489
00:28:26,466 —> 00:28:31,495
Why? Part of it is really
because we’re so stressed.
490
00:28:31,916 —> 00:28:35,816
We don’t have enough moments
in our day to get it all done,
491
00:28:35,816 —> 00:28:38,226
so we like, start to
discombobulate a little bit,
492
00:28:38,226 —> 00:28:39,606
and juggle and cut corners.
493
00:28:40,096 —> 00:28:45,816
And there are wonderful studies
that that actually impede
494
00:28:45,816 —> 00:28:54,166
or reduces or — any kind of,
you know, objective measure
495
00:28:54,166 —> 00:28:59,245
of performance, that doing
two things at once detracts
496
00:28:59,316 —> 00:29:01,016
from the quality of either one.
497
00:29:01,276 —> 00:29:04,606
Doing five things at once
or being that scattered
498
00:29:04,606 —> 00:29:06,806
in your mind, you don’t even
have to be doing anything,
499
00:29:06,806 —> 00:29:09,236
but when you’re at
the mercy of this kind
500
00:29:09,236 —> 00:29:10,796
of mind wandering all the time.
501
00:29:11,126 —> 00:29:15,646
And you’re trying to get things
done is very, very challenging.
502
00:29:15,886 —> 00:29:16,866
Very challenging.
503
00:29:18,096 —> 00:29:21,256
So the question is, is
there a way to actually live
504
00:29:21,256 —> 00:29:28,116
that will allow us to deal
with what Zorba the Greek
505
00:29:28,116 —> 00:29:32,256
in Kasantzakis in the novel
says the full catastrophe
506
00:29:32,256 —> 00:29:35,246
of the human condition; the
good, the bad, the ugly,
507
00:29:35,246 —> 00:29:39,896
the unwanted , the feared,
the traumatic, the awful.
508
00:29:40,556 —> 00:29:45,506
And to be able to hold
each moment in its fullness
509
00:29:47,176 —> 00:29:51,436
and allow our attention faculty
and our awareness faculty
510
00:29:51,436 —> 00:29:55,346
to actually hold
it in such a way
511
00:29:55,346 —> 00:30:00,526
that we can then inhabit the
next moment with authenticity
512
00:30:00,686 —> 00:30:07,505
and maybe even respond
appropriately to this vast range
513
00:30:07,506 —> 00:30:09,996
of demands that we’re
faced with all the time.
514
00:30:10,336 —> 00:30:13,786
Now when I started the stress
reduction clinic back in —
515
00:30:13,886 —> 00:30:19,376
at University of
Massachusetts back in 1979,
516
00:30:21,546 —> 00:30:24,176
and I did bring some
slides, which I don’t know
517
00:30:24,176 —> 00:30:26,816
if I will show you, but I’ll
just sort of take that moment
518
00:30:26,816 —> 00:30:31,706
by moment, maybe I’ll show
them to you, maybe I won’t —
519
00:30:32,776 —> 00:30:36,346
because I’m trying to actually
create more of an impression.
520
00:30:36,346 —> 00:30:37,976
I don’t want to just
leave you with things
521
00:30:37,976 —> 00:30:39,906
in your head, just facts.
522
00:30:40,656 —> 00:30:44,396
Okay? Because you’ll
lose them immediately.
523
00:30:44,966 —> 00:30:48,805
Okay? Because other facts will
come in, and you know, whatever.
524
00:30:48,806 —> 00:30:54,136
If you spent time and energy
getting here and I’ve spent time
525
00:30:54,136 —> 00:30:55,036
and energy getting here,
526
00:30:55,036 —> 00:31:01,256
then what would make me feel
most satisfied is if one,
527
00:31:01,576 —> 00:31:03,986
you had some kind of
inkling why you came today.
528
00:31:05,166 —> 00:31:07,636
I’m sure you all do it, it’s
a mystery though, I’m sure.
529
00:31:08,566 —> 00:31:11,826
Hoping to maybe be
entertained or maybe connect
530
00:31:11,826 —> 00:31:14,976
on some deeper level or maybe
you practice mindfulness
531
00:31:14,976 —> 00:31:16,866
or maybe you’ve been to
a [Inaudible] program,
532
00:31:17,116 —> 00:31:22,186
but if you peel back all those
layers there’s some is really,
533
00:31:22,316 —> 00:31:22,756
really, really,
534
00:31:22,756 —> 00:31:24,376
really interesting
reason why you’re here.
535
00:31:24,886 —> 00:31:26,156
And I bet you don’t
know what it is.
536
00:31:27,446 —> 00:31:28,176
I’m not joking.
537
00:31:28,736 —> 00:31:32,346
Because there’s intelligences
at work that are just deeper
538
00:31:32,346 —> 00:31:33,656
than the thought function.
539
00:31:34,426 —> 00:31:37,226
And the thought function is
so smart that it sometimes
540
00:31:37,296 —> 00:31:39,466
out smarts us completely,
have you noticed that?
541
00:31:39,466 —> 00:31:41,226
And then it’s like we’re stupid.
542
00:31:41,806 —> 00:31:44,406
We’re so smart, we’re stupid.
543
00:31:45,456 —> 00:31:48,005
It’s very hard to see that in
yourself but you can see it
544
00:31:48,006 —> 00:31:49,556
in other people just
really easily.
545
00:31:49,556 —> 00:31:54,896
Have you — maybe
you’ve noticed that.
546
00:31:55,566 —> 00:31:58,466
So I’m going to try to weave
together a whole bunch of things
547
00:31:58,466 —> 00:32:02,255
that probably none of it is
going to make complete sense,
548
00:32:02,256 —> 00:32:04,736
but what I’m doing
here is I’m trying
549
00:32:04,736 —> 00:32:06,266
to in some sense plant seeds.
550
00:32:07,196 —> 00:32:11,356
I’m trying to plant seeds in
the fertile ground or garden
551
00:32:11,636 —> 00:32:14,606
of whatever it was that
brought you here so that
552
00:32:14,606 —> 00:32:18,106
when you leave here
something has been touched
553
00:32:18,326 —> 00:32:22,656
that will keep those seeds,
that actually I’m not planting,
554
00:32:22,826 —> 00:32:27,376
they are already in you, keep
them being watered nurtured,
555
00:32:27,376 —> 00:32:34,216
protected, privileged in a
certain way, so that it —
556
00:32:39,106 —> 00:32:48,226
nurtures in some profound sense
some aspect of you that wants
557
00:32:48,226 —> 00:32:54,976
to be as alive as you can be
while you have the chance.
558
00:32:57,636 —> 00:33:01,096
We say to people coming to
our stress reduction clinic,
559
00:33:01,586 —> 00:33:04,976
and they come with every
conceivable kind of ailment,
560
00:33:05,146 —> 00:33:08,616
referred by every conceivable
sub specialty and specialty,
561
00:33:08,846 —> 00:33:10,336
and generalist in medicine.
562
00:33:10,746 —> 00:33:14,136
And we say — and it’s an
eight week long course,
563
00:33:14,186 —> 00:33:17,186
designed to teach you how to
take better care of yourself
564
00:33:17,186 —> 00:33:19,525
as a compliment to whatever
the healthcare system is,
565
00:33:19,806 —> 00:33:21,516
I should call that a
disease care system
566
00:33:21,516 —> 00:33:22,826
by the way, can do with you.
567
00:33:23,976 —> 00:33:25,306
Can do for you.
568
00:33:29,196 —> 00:33:34,396
And we say to them from
our perspective as long
569
00:33:34,396 —> 00:33:37,796
as you’re breathing, there’s
more right with you than wrong
570
00:33:37,796 —> 00:33:41,496
with you, no matter
what’s wrong with you.
571
00:33:41,496 —> 00:33:42,946
No matter what’s wrong.
572
00:33:43,426 —> 00:33:48,816
And we see people you would
not want to be in their body
573
00:33:49,206 —> 00:33:50,755
or in their mind
or in their life.
574
00:33:51,896 —> 00:33:54,005
And they probably wouldn’t
want to be in yours either.
575
00:33:54,616 —> 00:33:58,996
But you probably wouldn’t
want to hear that.
576
00:33:59,456 —> 00:34:02,485
Because after all, you’re the
star of this movie, aren’t you?
577
00:34:02,726 —> 00:34:09,386
So — so that there’s more right
with you than wrong with you,
578
00:34:09,386 —> 00:34:10,585
no matter what’s wrong with you.
579
00:34:11,045 —> 00:34:17,045
That’s radical perspective
and very, very important.
580
00:34:17,045 —> 00:34:20,966
Because you know, I started the
stress reduction clinic in 1979.
581
00:34:20,966 —> 00:34:24,315
In 1979 the surgeon
general’s report came
582
00:34:24,315 —> 00:34:27,085
out Called Healthy People
and that it was saying,
583
00:34:27,386 —> 00:34:29,875
forecasting into the
future, which here now,
584
00:34:29,876 —> 00:34:33,386
we are in this future, that no
matter how much money America
585
00:34:33,386 —> 00:34:37,496
spends at throwing money
at health and healthcare,
586
00:34:37,755 —> 00:34:40,366
it will never be
enough to have health.
587
00:34:42,505 —> 00:34:46,386
Because there’s a missing
ingredient, and it’s the humans
588
00:34:46,386 —> 00:34:48,985
that healthcare is
supposed to care for.
589
00:34:50,056 —> 00:34:52,376
And that there’s not
enough money on the planet
590
00:34:53,025 —> 00:34:56,196
to do all the various things
that would have to be done
591
00:34:56,226 —> 00:34:58,776
with us when we don’t
take care of ourselves,
592
00:34:58,776 —> 00:35:02,636
when we don’t know how to handle
stress, when we do not know how
593
00:35:02,636 —> 00:35:07,166
to be in wise relationship with
ourselves and our lifestyle
594
00:35:07,166 —> 00:35:11,006
and our diet and exercise
and our bodies and aging
595
00:35:11,006 —> 00:35:14,466
and everything else, that if we
leave that all to the, you know,
596
00:35:14,506 —> 00:35:17,196
auto mechanics model of
medicine, drive your car
597
00:35:17,196 —> 00:35:20,546
around till it breaks down, then
you get the carburetor replaced
598
00:35:20,546 —> 00:35:22,995
or the engine or
whatever, the tires.
599
00:35:23,406 —> 00:35:27,096
But this is not a machine.
600
00:35:27,306 —> 00:35:29,776
I know a lot of people,
even in biology,
601
00:35:29,776 —> 00:35:35,426
love to use machine analogies
and even nano machine analogies
602
00:35:35,616 —> 00:35:37,846
about the body, and to a
degree they’re correct.
603
00:35:38,506 —> 00:35:39,856
But there’s another piece of it,
604
00:35:39,856 —> 00:35:41,896
like no one understands
the construction
605
00:35:41,896 —> 00:35:44,226
of the machine that’s you.
606
00:35:45,306 —> 00:35:46,426
I’ll give you one example.
607
00:35:47,746 —> 00:35:50,486
How many of you see
that slide up there,
608
00:35:50,486 —> 00:35:52,616
and what’s the color
of the background?
609
00:35:53,736 —> 00:35:55,826
Blue. Everybody agree
that it’s blue.
610
00:35:56,176 —> 00:35:58,686
No one knows how you do that.
611
00:35:59,756 —> 00:36:03,566
No one knowing how you
go from the wave length
612
00:36:03,856 —> 00:36:08,216
of electro magnetic radiation,
the blue region, okay,
613
00:36:08,216 —> 00:36:11,246
in the visible spectrum,
no one knowing how you go
614
00:36:11,246 —> 00:36:14,276
from this wave length, which
is colorless, it’s just energy,
615
00:36:14,616 —> 00:36:18,096
to a subjective feeling of blue.
616
00:36:19,096 —> 00:36:24,166
And we also really don’t know,
we have a consensus reality
617
00:36:24,196 —> 00:36:26,435
that agrees that the blue that
you’re seeing and the blue
618
00:36:26,436 —> 00:36:29,006
that I’m seeing are the same
blue, but it’s not always true,
619
00:36:29,006 —> 00:36:31,935
and it’s not true for colorblind
people, the blue-green color.
620
00:36:32,576 —> 00:36:35,896
Okay, so there’s a lot of kind
of consensus agreement here.
621
00:36:36,146 —> 00:36:40,346
But there’s — the brain weighs
approximately three pounds,
622
00:36:41,116 —> 00:36:41,486
okay?
623
00:36:41,736 —> 00:36:47,736
And it’s all cells and cables
that are part, you know,
624
00:36:47,736 —> 00:36:49,455
made up of cells, neurons.
625
00:36:49,456 —> 00:36:52,816
And then all these gluteal cells
in there supporting the neurons.
626
00:36:53,486 —> 00:36:55,816
And incredibly specialized.
627
00:36:55,816 —> 00:37:00,625
I mean, it’s really the most
complex assembly of matter
628
00:37:00,626 —> 00:37:02,696
in the known by us universe,
629
00:37:03,886 —> 00:37:06,136
right inside your
little old body.
630
00:37:06,886 —> 00:37:18,846
And no one knows how senses,
how consciousness, how knowing,
631
00:37:19,266 —> 00:37:23,576
how even thinking arises
in this three pounds
632
00:37:23,576 —> 00:37:25,456
of what some neuro
scientists call meat.
633
00:37:26,096 —> 00:37:28,756
It’s a little distasteful.
634
00:37:30,146 —> 00:37:32,836
But to just kind
of make it graphic,
635
00:37:34,196 —> 00:37:37,875
so if you for get every once
in a while walking around in —
636
00:37:38,636 —> 00:37:41,896
on the Dartmouth campus or in
Hanover or wherever you happen
637
00:37:41,896 —> 00:37:44,566
to live that you’re
a miraculous being.
638
00:37:47,966 —> 00:37:48,906
Well, okay.
639
00:37:48,906 —> 00:37:51,586
It’s just one more mind
wandering, you know?
640
00:37:51,786 —> 00:37:56,996
One more default sort of
not really being aware
641
00:37:57,366 —> 00:38:01,606
of how amazing it is that
you can see, for instance.
642
00:38:01,816 —> 00:38:02,506
That you can hear.
643
00:38:03,336 —> 00:38:04,375
That you can taste.
644
00:38:05,146 —> 00:38:07,626
How many of us eat food
and we don’t bother
645
00:38:07,626 —> 00:38:10,046
to taste it, we just devour it.
646
00:38:11,426 —> 00:38:13,336
Or we taste the idea
of the food.
647
00:38:14,716 —> 00:38:16,036
Yeah, that was really good.
648
00:38:16,036 —> 00:38:18,806
Yeah, but you didn’t
actually taste it.
649
00:38:19,496 —> 00:38:22,986
Have you ever had a
mindless hug from somebody
650
00:38:22,986 —> 00:38:25,526
who was really trying
to be friendly?
651
00:38:26,276 —> 00:38:33,176
Sort of impulse to be
friendly, but not in one’s body.
652
00:38:33,966 —> 00:38:36,586
Okay? So all of these
things we take for granted.
653
00:38:37,106 —> 00:38:41,556
But we can actually begin
a process of re-minding —
654
00:38:41,556 —> 00:38:42,986
and I put a little
hyphen in there —
655
00:38:43,086 —> 00:38:47,106
re-minding ourselves,
re-bodying ourselves.
656
00:38:47,356 —> 00:38:48,406
When? Now.
657
00:38:48,456 —> 00:38:51,206
Because this is the
only time you have.
658
00:38:52,306 —> 00:38:57,356
And coming back into a certain
kind of vector or alignment
659
00:38:57,706 —> 00:39:00,056
with the entire life trajectory,
660
00:39:00,056 —> 00:39:04,306
and it doesn’t matter
how old you are
661
00:39:05,636 —> 00:39:07,056
when you begin this process.
662
00:39:07,056 —> 00:39:11,016
The Native Americans,
actually, measured your age
663
00:39:11,016 —> 00:39:13,446
from when you became — they
started to measure your age
664
00:39:13,446 —> 00:39:15,846
from when you became
a grand parent.
665
00:39:16,596 —> 00:39:18,926
Before that, it was like
you were really too busy
666
00:39:18,926 —> 00:39:20,196
to be human.
667
00:39:21,706 —> 00:39:28,116
And the — and in the Asian
Indians, measure your age
668
00:39:28,116 —> 00:39:30,076
from when you start
practicing yoga.
669
00:39:30,076 —> 00:39:33,616
So if you’re 75 years old
and you’ve been into yoga
670
00:39:33,616 —> 00:39:36,306
for three months, you’re
three months old, I like that.
671
00:39:36,306 —> 00:39:36,896
Isn’t that nice?
672
00:39:38,156 —> 00:39:39,726
What about new beginning?
673
00:39:39,726 —> 00:39:41,836
Every moment a new beginning.
674
00:39:43,186 —> 00:39:45,376
That’s what mindfulness
is about.
675
00:39:46,186 —> 00:39:47,586
Every moment fresh.
676
00:39:49,046 —> 00:39:50,986
Now this is not a philosophy.
677
00:39:52,366 —> 00:39:54,526
It’s not a good idea,
it’s not a concept.
678
00:39:54,526 —> 00:39:55,676
It’s a way of being.
679
00:39:55,676 —> 00:39:56,706
It’s not a technique.
680
00:39:57,486 —> 00:39:59,786
It’s not a technique and
it’s not a special state.
681
00:39:59,926 —> 00:40:05,976
Oh, I think I’ll trot over
to the MBSR clinic, meditate.
682
00:40:06,516 —> 00:40:35,436
[ Background noise ]
683
00:40:35,936 —> 00:40:37,716
>> Maybe you’re waiting for
something else to happen.
684
00:40:37,716 —> 00:40:39,076
But nothing else happens.
685
00:40:40,866 —> 00:40:41,836
Nothing else happens.
686
00:40:41,936 —> 00:40:42,646
This is it.
687
00:40:42,646 —> 00:40:45,516
You know, good-bye.
688
00:40:49,316 —> 00:40:53,526
Maybe you’re hoping for
something special to happen.
689
00:40:54,906 —> 00:40:57,496
Some special meditative state.
690
00:40:58,246 —> 00:40:59,556
Some kind of vision.
691
00:41:00,696 —> 00:41:05,306
Some kind of alignment of
the, you know, spheres.
692
00:41:07,496 —> 00:41:11,686
Some special bolt of lightening
out of the blue to wake you up.
693
00:41:12,096 —> 00:41:14,816
It’s a mistake.
694
00:41:15,486 —> 00:41:20,136
A miss, hyphen, take,
on meditation.
695
00:41:20,136 —> 00:41:21,716
On mindfulness, on reality.
696
00:41:22,306 —> 00:41:25,896
Let’s just pretend, okay, why
don’t we just sit for a moment.
697
00:41:26,206 —> 00:41:27,366
Ah, you’re already sitting.
698
00:41:28,676 —> 00:41:30,206
You don’t even need
to shift your posture,
699
00:41:30,206 —> 00:41:32,096
although I see some
people getting ready.
700
00:41:32,096 —> 00:41:36,496
Okay, now we’re going
to get into it.
701
00:41:36,496 —> 00:41:38,266
It’s going to be
somewhat experiential.
702
00:41:38,266 —> 00:41:38,856
Thank God.
703
00:41:38,856 —> 00:41:39,776
He could talk forever.
704
00:41:42,986 —> 00:41:48,136
But you see, you know, you don’t
even have to shift your posture
705
00:41:48,216 —> 00:41:50,036
to be awake or to be aware.
706
00:41:50,656 —> 00:41:54,006
You could do it like this.
707
00:41:54,526 —> 00:41:56,265
And really be aware.
708
00:41:57,586 —> 00:42:01,256
And by the way, I
can’t see my hands.
709
00:42:02,376 —> 00:42:03,376
But I know where they are.
710
00:42:04,146 —> 00:42:04,746
How do I know?
711
00:42:05,706 —> 00:42:08,476
A sense called proprioception.
712
00:42:09,386 —> 00:42:10,846
Maybe you’ve heard of
it, maybe you haven’t.
713
00:42:11,066 —> 00:42:12,676
But there are a lot
more than five senses,
714
00:42:12,676 —> 00:42:14,296
I just want to put
that out, okay?
715
00:42:14,696 —> 00:42:17,875
When we’re talking about
miraculous being or genius,
716
00:42:18,236 —> 00:42:21,016
it’s got lots of
different dimensions to it.
717
00:42:21,236 —> 00:42:25,106
Many. If I ask you how are you
718
00:42:25,106 —> 00:42:26,506
in the elevator and
you say fine.
719
00:42:27,786 —> 00:42:28,426
How do you know?
720
00:42:28,616 —> 00:42:31,516
Aside from the fact that you’re
not fine but you just don’t want
721
00:42:31,516 —> 00:42:32,486
to go into it in the elevator,
722
00:42:33,506 —> 00:42:35,316
with somebody you don’t
want to tell anyway.
723
00:42:36,776 —> 00:42:39,576
But when, you know, you’re
sort of — someone —
724
00:42:39,576 —> 00:42:42,286
a friend asks you how our and
you say fine, how do you know?
725
00:42:43,146 —> 00:42:44,136
That’s another sense.
726
00:42:44,626 —> 00:42:46,876
And you know very quickly.
727
00:42:47,096 —> 00:42:48,346
And you know when
you’re not, too.
728
00:42:48,856 —> 00:42:50,096
What is that knowing called?
729
00:42:50,096 —> 00:42:52,146
It’s not called well,
let me think.
730
00:42:52,146 —> 00:42:54,456
I don’t know.
731
00:42:54,456 —> 00:42:58,096
How am I. No, you
know instantly.
732
00:42:58,876 —> 00:43:00,726
That sense is called
interoception.
733
00:43:01,566 —> 00:43:06,326
There are ways that the organism
has, you know, using the brain
734
00:43:06,326 —> 00:43:09,096
and nervous system,
which has lots of maps,
735
00:43:09,146 —> 00:43:12,006
by the way the brain is
loaded with maps of the body.
736
00:43:12,766 —> 00:43:14,046
Loaded with maps of the body.
737
00:43:14,196 —> 00:43:16,706
And not just the
somatosensory cortises.
738
00:43:17,486 —> 00:43:22,216
But the insula and the
cerebellum and the, you know,
739
00:43:22,216 —> 00:43:27,616
the hippocampus, I mean, lots
and lots — and again I stress,
740
00:43:27,726 —> 00:43:29,996
we’re beginning to understand
something about what lights
741
00:43:29,996 —> 00:43:34,066
up when, when you meditate,
when you do this and do that,
742
00:43:34,066 —> 00:43:35,656
when you go into depression.
743
00:43:37,156 —> 00:43:39,386
All sorts of wonderful,
wonderful things happening.
744
00:43:39,626 —> 00:43:41,516
Brain research in
neuro science nowadays.
745
00:43:41,996 —> 00:43:44,576
But still, no one knowing
how it comes together.
746
00:43:45,256 —> 00:43:49,016
In you, in this moment, in a way
747
00:43:49,016 —> 00:43:51,396
that actually you don’t
have to think about.
748
00:43:52,526 —> 00:43:55,165
And even if there’s something
going on, even if you’re in,
749
00:43:55,166 —> 00:43:58,016
say, pain from your lower
back and you’ve had it
750
00:43:58,016 —> 00:44:02,016
for a long time, or even if
you have cancer at the moment
751
00:44:02,016 —> 00:44:05,136
or you’re a cancer
survivor or whatever it is.
752
00:44:05,466 —> 00:44:08,276
Or you have, you
know, heart, you know,
753
00:44:08,276 —> 00:44:09,586
issues of one kind or another.
754
00:44:09,586 —> 00:44:11,325
Whatever it is.
755
00:44:14,686 —> 00:44:17,686
The sum total of
this universe, of —
756
00:44:18,866 —> 00:44:21,846
between 10 and 100
trillion cells,
757
00:44:22,196 —> 00:44:25,446
the whole body now
we’re talking about.
758
00:44:25,896 —> 00:44:28,366
Is good enough to have
gotten you here today.
759
00:44:29,386 —> 00:44:31,726
Hmm? It’s good enough for now.
760
00:44:33,026 —> 00:44:35,536
And the more energy
you pour into it,
761
00:44:35,536 —> 00:44:38,096
the more that robustness,
whatever it is,
762
00:44:38,096 —> 00:44:39,566
sometimes called homeostasis,
763
00:44:39,596 —> 00:44:42,296
but it’s a very dynamical
process that we call health,
764
00:44:43,256 —> 00:44:46,106
as opposed to disease
or dis-ease.
765
00:44:46,606 —> 00:44:50,816
When we start to pour attention,
energy in the form of attention
766
00:44:50,816 —> 00:44:52,625
into what’s already
right with us,
767
00:44:52,906 —> 00:44:55,566
it turns out that the body
has its ear to the rail,
768
00:44:55,736 —> 00:44:58,406
the brain has its ear to
the rail, the brain is part
769
00:44:58,406 —> 00:45:05,236
of the rail, the —
the heart, every aspect
770
00:45:05,236 —> 00:45:08,696
of our being is one
integrated whole.
771
00:45:10,126 —> 00:45:12,686
It’s not like different systems.
772
00:45:12,826 —> 00:45:15,856
The immune system talks
to the nervous system.
773
00:45:15,856 —> 00:45:18,046
And the nervous system
talks right back.
774
00:45:20,716 —> 00:45:23,435
And everybody else is listening
in on the conversation.
775
00:45:23,566 —> 00:45:24,725
And it’s all cells.
776
00:45:24,726 —> 00:45:27,096
And if you took your liver
— if we all took our livers
777
00:45:27,096 —> 00:45:28,516
and put them out
on the stage here,
778
00:45:28,726 —> 00:45:30,346
that would be an
interesting exercise,
779
00:45:30,726 —> 00:45:35,086
and then we shuffled them around
and then you were all encouraged
780
00:45:35,086 —> 00:45:36,716
to just pick yours
up on the way out.
781
00:45:37,206 —> 00:45:38,646
You wouldn’t know
which was yours.
782
00:45:39,356 —> 00:45:42,316
You can look at all hundred
trillion of these cells
783
00:45:42,316 —> 00:45:45,245
in your body, and your
name isn’t on any of it.
784
00:45:45,736 —> 00:45:47,246
It’s like, oh, here’s my liver.
785
00:45:49,056 —> 00:45:50,366
Here’s my gal bladder.
786
00:45:54,156 —> 00:45:57,436
The punctuation from the cell
phones is actually really —
787
00:45:57,436 —> 00:45:59,576
if that was a cell phone
— is really interesting.
788
00:46:00,096 —> 00:46:01,746
But do you hear what I’m saying?
789
00:46:01,746 —> 00:46:05,686
Even the question of who
we are, when you start
790
00:46:05,686 —> 00:46:11,906
to actually ask it with
tremendous authenticity,
791
00:46:12,256 —> 00:46:21,966
it might not be so feasible
to just say your name
792
00:46:23,376 —> 00:46:27,636
or even describe what you
do, or even send in your CV.
793
00:46:27,636 —> 00:46:28,856
If you’ve ever hired people,
794
00:46:28,856 —> 00:46:30,506
you know that the
CV is not the person
795
00:46:30,506 —> 00:46:32,665
and you hire the CV
a lot of the time.
796
00:46:33,016 —> 00:46:33,646
Big mistake.
797
00:46:35,566 —> 00:46:39,926
Because you can’t work with
the person a lot of the time.
798
00:46:40,436 —> 00:46:43,796
What you want it congruence,
you want integration.
799
00:46:44,136 —> 00:46:46,716
So when we take our
seats, so to speak,
800
00:46:47,306 —> 00:46:52,956
what we’re actually
engaging in, is a recognition
801
00:46:53,346 —> 00:46:55,276
of how integrated
we already are.
802
00:46:55,386 —> 00:46:57,216
We don’t need to,
oh, I’m such a wreck,
803
00:46:57,216 —> 00:46:58,395
I’ve got to get integrated.
804
00:46:58,626 —> 00:47:01,986
No, from this perspective
you are already as integrated
805
00:47:01,986 —> 00:47:03,446
as you’re going to
be in this moment.
806
00:47:04,356 —> 00:47:05,336
Is it enough?
807
00:47:05,336 —> 00:47:06,265
Is it good enough?
808
00:47:07,126 —> 00:47:08,546
So let’s actually take a moment.
809
00:47:08,546 —> 00:47:10,986
I’ve even brought another prop.
810
00:47:10,986 —> 00:47:11,986
I brought some bells.
811
00:47:14,306 —> 00:47:17,106
We don’t need the bells.
812
00:47:17,836 —> 00:47:18,645
But I’ll ring them.
813
00:47:19,506 —> 00:47:21,546
And when I ring them
— why don’t —
814
00:47:21,756 —> 00:47:24,106
just for fun, you don’t
have to shift your posture,
815
00:47:24,156 —> 00:47:28,806
but just for fun, why don’t
you shift your posture and sit
816
00:47:28,806 —> 00:47:32,616
in a posture that for
now embodies dignity,
817
00:47:32,616 —> 00:47:33,616
whatever that means for you.
818
00:47:34,966 —> 00:47:36,546
Look, the entire room is moving.
819
00:47:40,426 —> 00:47:43,356
Not that dignified, I guess.
820
00:47:43,356 —> 00:47:45,056
All right, but actually
it doesn’t matter.
821
00:47:45,056 —> 00:47:46,466
The posture is secondary.
822
00:47:46,936 —> 00:47:49,426
What’s important is
the inner orientation.
823
00:47:49,876 —> 00:47:53,356
The willingness to open
to the present moment,
824
00:47:53,356 —> 00:47:55,876
to put out the welcome
mat and to get —
825
00:47:55,876 —> 00:47:58,636
and to let the idea
that oh, now we’re going
826
00:47:58,636 —> 00:48:00,666
to do something special, drop.
827
00:48:01,656 —> 00:48:05,566
Because as soon as you sort of
plant that seed, now we’re going
828
00:48:05,566 —> 00:48:06,705
to do something special
829
00:48:06,706 —> 00:48:08,726
and we’re going experience
something special,
830
00:48:09,066 —> 00:48:11,455
then you’ll be on the look
out for something special.
831
00:48:12,946 —> 00:48:15,036
But you see, nothing special.
832
00:48:15,036 —> 00:48:17,126
There’s a wonderful
cartoon in the New Yorker
833
00:48:17,126 —> 00:48:20,826
that I actually mentioned
a long time ago
834
00:48:20,826 —> 00:48:25,336
in Wherever You Go There You
Are, two Zen monks, you know,
835
00:48:25,566 —> 00:48:29,685
one obviously elder,
the other young.
836
00:48:30,146 —> 00:48:33,196
And the young one’s looking up
quizzically at the older one.
837
00:48:33,666 —> 00:48:35,926
And the caption underneath,
838
00:48:35,976 —> 00:48:38,666
the old one’s speaking,
nothing happens next.
839
00:48:38,786 —> 00:48:40,286
This is it.
840
00:48:40,316 —> 00:48:41,756
I just said that to you earlier.
841
00:48:42,386 —> 00:48:46,456
But the this is it,
is really important.
842
00:48:46,456 —> 00:48:49,186
Otherwise, you could spend
20 or 30 years or more,
843
00:48:49,386 —> 00:48:52,356
and people do this, meditating,
trying to get some place else.
844
00:48:52,766 —> 00:48:56,216
Trying to have some
special experience.
845
00:48:56,486 —> 00:48:57,496
That’s what it’s all about.
846
00:48:57,496 —> 00:48:58,396
Now I’m enlightened.
847
00:48:59,236 —> 00:49:00,996
The problem is you’re
already enlightened.
848
00:49:01,536 —> 00:49:04,156
But the personal pronoun
that wants to grab it
849
00:49:04,586 —> 00:49:06,336
and say I’m enlightened,
850
00:49:06,626 —> 00:49:08,616
it’s the personal pronoun
that’s the problem,
851
00:49:08,616 —> 00:49:09,526
not the enlightenment.
852
00:49:10,846 —> 00:49:12,286
Your eyes are already
enlightened.
853
00:49:12,376 —> 00:49:15,856
Your ears are already
enlightened.
854
00:49:15,856 —> 00:49:18,296
Your feet actually do
what they’re supposed
855
00:49:18,336 —> 00:49:19,325
to do for the most part.
856
00:49:20,276 —> 00:49:23,006
Your brain is doing
what it’s supposed to.
857
00:49:23,006 —> 00:49:24,946
Your liver is doing what
it’s supposed to do.
858
00:49:25,466 —> 00:49:27,316
Very famous scientist
859
00:49:27,856 —> 00:49:32,826
and physician named Lewis
Thomas once said he’d rather be
860
00:49:32,826 —> 00:49:36,566
at the controls of
a 747 trying to land
861
00:49:36,876 —> 00:49:40,456
with no pilot training
whatsoever than at the controls
862
00:49:40,456 —> 00:49:44,286
of his own liver for 30 seconds.
863
00:49:47,146 —> 00:49:48,846
So you don’t need
to find special.
864
00:49:49,626 —> 00:49:51,736
This is good enough, okay?
865
00:49:51,986 —> 00:49:55,455
So let’s actually sit for a
moment, if you’re sitting,
866
00:49:55,456 —> 00:49:58,856
or stand if you’re standing,
in a posture that for you
867
00:49:58,856 —> 00:50:02,036
at this moment embodies
wakefulness and dignity.
868
00:50:02,036 —> 00:50:06,256
You don’t even have
to close your eyes.
869
00:50:06,886 —> 00:50:11,906
But you can if you like, or let
them fall unfocused on the chair
870
00:50:11,906 —> 00:50:13,056
in front of you or whatever.
871
00:50:18,166 —> 00:50:21,336
And as I ring the bell, seeing
if you can just follow the sound
872
00:50:21,336 —> 00:50:29,395
of the bells into
the space of the air.
873
00:50:30,516 —> 00:50:59,516
[ Bell ringing ]
874
00:51:00,016 —> 00:51:09,000
[ Background noise ]
875
00:51:09,546 —> 00:51:17,326
>> And allowing the space of
the air to be co-extensive
876
00:51:19,526 —> 00:51:25,185
with the space, you could
call it, of awareness.
877
00:51:28,716 —> 00:51:30,406
So that there’s simply
awareness.
878
00:51:36,396 —> 00:51:38,156
Hearing what’s here,
to be heard.
879
00:51:39,686 —> 00:51:47,876
The sound of the bells are past,
and now there’s just sound.
880
00:51:50,136 —> 00:51:51,056
Whatever’s arising.
881
00:51:55,006 —> 00:51:58,586
And you could feature
hearing as a way
882
00:51:58,586 —> 00:52:00,435
of anchoring our attention.
883
00:52:00,916 —> 00:52:03,626
You can focus on
some object like —
884
00:52:04,906 —> 00:52:06,806
or field of objects,
like hearing.
885
00:52:07,416 —> 00:52:16,356
And just rest in being aware
of sounds and the stillness,
886
00:52:17,146 —> 00:52:23,006
the silence in between,
inside, and underneath.
887
00:52:24,136 —> 00:52:48,446
Any and all sounds,
including, of course, my voice.
888
00:52:48,656 —> 00:52:51,616
Alternatively, because there’s
more than one thing going on,
889
00:52:51,616 —> 00:52:54,466
there’s not just hearing
going on, there’s also seeing
890
00:52:54,466 —> 00:52:56,205
and smelling and you know,
891
00:52:56,206 —> 00:52:59,436
all the senses are
actually operating.
892
00:52:59,436 —> 00:53:02,526
Seeing if you can actually
instead of hearing,
893
00:53:02,746 —> 00:53:07,666
feature for now a feeling,
a sense of the breath moving
894
00:53:07,666 —> 00:53:08,656
in and out of your body.
895
00:53:09,376 —> 00:53:11,356
Wherever it’s most
vivid in the body.
896
00:53:16,456 —> 00:53:20,016
Just allowing awareness to
inhabit the whole of the body
897
00:53:20,866 —> 00:53:24,846
and be most vivid in the region
898
00:53:25,176 —> 00:53:29,875
where the breath sensations
are arising and passing away.
899
00:53:31,346 —> 00:53:32,486
In breath.
900
00:53:33,746 —> 00:53:33,926
Up.
901
00:53:38,516 —> 00:53:47,546
[ Background noise ]
902
00:53:48,046 —> 00:53:50,386
>> And seeing if you can ride
on the waves of the breath
903
00:53:51,046 —> 00:53:55,245
with full awareness,
moment by moment by moment.
904
00:53:55,776 —> 00:54:04,336
And noticing any time the mind
goes off and gets involved
905
00:54:04,336 —> 00:54:07,435
in anything else, including
judging how stupid this is.
906
00:54:07,516 —> 00:54:08,926
We came for a talk and all
907
00:54:08,926 —> 00:54:11,806
of a sudden we’re doing
this stupid exercise.
908
00:54:15,096 —> 00:54:17,366
Whatever is flitting through
the mind at the moment,
909
00:54:17,366 —> 00:54:20,356
just making it so spacious
910
00:54:20,456 —> 00:54:25,836
that you can see whatever’s
unfolding, hear my guidance
911
00:54:25,836 —> 00:54:29,596
as I’m speaking, and at the
same time ride on the wave
912
00:54:29,666 —> 00:54:33,806
of the breath coming in,
and the breath going out.
913
00:54:34,656 —> 00:54:35,976
With full awareness.
914
00:54:36,466 —> 00:54:40,366
And a kind of interest,
the kind of, in some sense,
915
00:54:40,366 —> 00:54:42,086
affectionate attention.
916
00:54:42,386 —> 00:54:46,836
Even if the breath isn’t all
that interesting to you or all
917
00:54:46,836 —> 00:54:51,145
that boring, or your mind
says okay, I get that concept.
918
00:54:51,146 —> 00:54:51,756
What else.
919
00:54:52,076 —> 00:54:54,636
Just staying with the breath.
920
00:55:00,076 —> 00:55:02,186
And then playing
with the possibility
921
00:55:02,186 —> 00:55:05,116
of expanding the field of
awareness around the breath,
922
00:55:05,226 —> 00:55:08,506
wherever you’re experiencing
it most in the body
923
00:55:08,756 —> 00:55:12,696
until it includes a sense of the
body as a whole, sitting here
924
00:55:12,886 —> 00:55:14,346
or standing here, breathing.
925
00:55:14,906 —> 00:55:21,756
And noticing you can do
that just easy as pie.
926
00:55:21,836 —> 00:55:24,165
It’s not really a
doing, but when I say it,
927
00:55:24,166 —> 00:55:26,256
you can easily be —
928
00:55:26,256 —> 00:55:30,526
the awareness can hold the whole
body to one degree or another.
929
00:55:31,756 —> 00:55:34,225
And whatever degree you
can hold it, that’s fine.
930
00:55:34,716 —> 00:55:35,566
It’s not like, oh,
931
00:55:35,826 —> 00:55:37,766
if I practiced I’d
get better at this.
932
00:55:38,176 —> 00:55:40,086
That’s just the thought,
never mind.
933
00:55:41,356 —> 00:55:43,066
Just letting the
thoughts come and go,
934
00:55:43,066 —> 00:55:46,245
and staying with the awareness
of the body as a whole,
935
00:55:46,246 —> 00:55:47,046
sitting and breathing.
936
00:55:55,976 —> 00:55:57,636
And if possible, remembering
937
00:55:57,636 —> 00:56:00,646
that this isn’t some simple
little exercise that we’re doing
938
00:56:00,646 —> 00:56:01,726
in the middle of a talk.
939
00:56:02,756 —> 00:56:05,986
That this is your life
unfolding in this very moment.
940
00:56:06,846 —> 00:56:08,566
And this breath is
important to you.
941
00:56:10,056 —> 00:56:19,026
You wouldn’t want
to do without it.
942
00:56:19,216 —> 00:56:22,286
So with that kind of quality
of attending, that it’s not —
943
00:56:23,286 —> 00:56:27,216
it’s not really — it’s
like tuning a guitar string.
944
00:56:27,216 —> 00:56:32,395
You know, too lose,
two-tone, too tight.
945
00:56:32,396 —> 00:56:42,336
You know, two-tone, but if you
can just bring the lightest
946
00:56:42,336 —> 00:56:45,285
of touches, the lightest
of touches of awareness
947
00:56:45,286 —> 00:56:47,846
to the sense of the body
as a whole, breathing.
948
00:56:47,896 —> 00:56:51,216
As if it mattered.
949
00:56:51,576 —> 00:56:54,316
And of course it does.
950
00:56:54,486 —> 00:56:56,346
Because it’s your
body in this moment.
951
00:56:56,346 —> 00:56:59,246
It’s your life and
the breath is vital.
952
00:56:59,826 —> 00:57:03,216
And then one more before we end.
953
00:57:03,216 —> 00:57:08,216
Noticing any thoughts that may
be moving through your mind,
954
00:57:08,346 —> 00:57:10,756
and noticing how easy
it is to self-distracts,
955
00:57:10,856 —> 00:57:12,046
that the mind does wander.
956
00:57:12,536 —> 00:57:15,036
That it wanders away from
the breath, if we did this
957
00:57:15,036 —> 00:57:16,006
for any period of time.
958
00:57:16,566 —> 00:57:19,015
Sooner or later your mind
would be someplace else.
959
00:57:19,296 —> 00:57:22,665
Probably not even in the room.
960
00:57:22,666 —> 00:57:24,406
Maybe not even in
the present moment.
961
00:57:25,026 —> 00:57:28,875
Maybe having dinner in Paris.
962
00:57:29,726 —> 00:57:34,176
Or Bangkok, or in an
argument three years ago.
963
00:57:34,966 —> 00:57:36,915
In the shower with yourself.
964
00:57:38,296 —> 00:57:42,986
So when you notice the mind has
self distracted, no problem,
965
00:57:42,986 —> 00:57:45,516
no judging, just —
or if you judge it,
966
00:57:45,516 —> 00:57:48,986
don’t judge the judging, and
just see if you can come back
967
00:57:49,196 —> 00:57:50,636
to this moment in awareness.
968
00:57:50,826 —> 00:57:53,806
Featuring whatever object
of attention you care to.
969
00:57:53,886 —> 00:57:57,226
It could be anything that’s
in the field of awareness.
970
00:57:58,406 —> 00:58:03,116
But the last little piece
to just underscore that none
971
00:58:03,116 —> 00:58:05,746
of this is about the
sound of the bells.
972
00:58:06,156 —> 00:58:08,556
None of this is about
the feeling
973
00:58:08,556 —> 00:58:09,646
of the breath in the body.
974
00:58:10,096 —> 00:58:12,436
None of this is about
the thoughts moving
975
00:58:12,436 —> 00:58:13,106
through the mind.
976
00:58:13,426 —> 00:58:15,766
Those are all important
and they’re secondary,
977
00:58:15,766 —> 00:58:17,906
but what it’s really
about is the awareness
978
00:58:17,946 —> 00:58:22,986
that knows the sound when it
comes to the ears that knows —
979
00:58:23,416 —> 00:58:26,616
and I mean non conceptually
knows, not just conceptually —
980
00:58:27,036 —> 00:58:30,396
knows the feeling of the
breath moving in the body.
981
00:58:30,586 —> 00:58:35,915
Non conceptually inhabits the
body as a whole, in awareness,
982
00:58:35,916 —> 00:58:37,496
sitting and breathing.
983
00:58:38,236 —> 00:58:41,955
Non conceptually knows when
the mind self distracts,
984
00:58:42,296 —> 00:58:45,756
or we get into an emotional
whirl pool or turbulence
985
00:58:45,756 —> 00:58:46,576
of some kind or another.
986
00:58:46,846 —> 00:58:49,606
And the awareness can just,
like allow it to just be here.
987
00:58:49,786 —> 00:58:52,506
Feature it center stage,
let it calm, let it go,
988
00:58:52,876 —> 00:58:55,446
and meanwhile we just
continue to rest.
989
00:58:56,156 —> 00:58:58,336
To rest in awareness.
990
00:58:58,856 —> 00:59:03,826
Outside of time, because the
present moment is time —
991
00:59:04,536 —> 00:59:08,326
timeless in some profound way.
992
00:59:09,516 —> 00:59:20,546
[ Background noise ]
993
00:59:21,046 —> 00:59:24,906
>> And awareness and silence and
stillness are all different ways
994
00:59:24,906 —> 00:59:25,895
of saying the same thing.
995
00:59:26,546 —> 00:59:29,225
Of pointing to something
that’s already yours,
996
00:59:29,416 —> 00:59:32,996
that you don’t have to get.
997
00:59:33,156 —> 00:59:35,895
But has tremendous
healing potential.
998
00:59:37,976 —> 00:59:40,496
Tremendous potential
for learning.
999
00:59:41,956 —> 00:59:45,166
For seeing things in new
ways for that rotation
1000
00:59:45,166 —> 00:59:46,966
in consciousness that
I was speaking of.
1001
00:59:46,966 —> 00:59:49,676
Everything’s the same,
only nothing’s the same.
1002
00:59:49,676 —> 00:59:52,875
Why? Because you showed
up in your fullness.
1003
00:59:59,256 —> 01:00:00,326
So learning.
1004
01:00:00,936 —> 01:00:02,496
And out of that learning,
growing.
1005
01:00:03,236 —> 01:00:06,975
And out of that growing,
healing, which in my vocabulary,
1006
01:00:07,416 —> 01:00:09,996
the way I define healing
is coming to terms
1007
01:00:10,456 —> 01:00:11,516
with things as they are.
1008
01:00:12,546 —> 01:00:14,596
Coming to terms with
thing as they are.
1009
01:00:14,596 —> 01:00:15,856
Very different from curing.
1010
01:00:16,416 —> 01:00:21,116
There are very few cures in
medicine, but the opportunity
1011
01:00:21,116 —> 01:00:23,516
for healing as long
as there’s breath,
1012
01:00:24,776 —> 01:00:26,756
it’s in some sense already here.
1013
01:00:26,756 —> 01:00:31,366
All we need to do is see
it, feel it, live it.
1014
01:00:32,886 —> 01:00:35,866
And it’s not about
denying pain and suffering.
1015
01:00:35,866 —> 01:00:40,086
It’s about, in some sense,
befriending even that.
1016
01:00:42,126 —> 01:00:44,786
So resting for a final
few moments in stillness,
1017
01:00:44,986 —> 01:00:52,116
in silence, full wakefulness, in
full awareness, outside of time,
1018
01:00:52,516 —> 01:00:56,556
as if you had nothing
to do, no place to go.
1019
01:00:56,556 —> 01:00:57,526
Nothing to do.
1020
01:00:58,226 —> 01:00:59,546
And nothing to attain.
1021
01:01:00,046 —> 01:01:03,705
Because you’re already whole.
1022
01:01:04,336 —> 01:01:09,435
The meaning, by the way, of
the words health and healing,
1023
01:01:09,436 —> 01:01:12,386
and even the word
holy , H-O-L-Y.
1024
01:01:16,756 —> 01:01:19,145
And by the same token,
the word medicine
1025
01:01:19,146 —> 01:01:25,156
and the word meditation, they
grow out of the same tree.
1026
01:01:25,756 —> 01:01:28,806
The same root, Indo-European
root.
1027
01:01:30,796 —> 01:01:36,946
Medicine and meditation
are joined at the hip.
1028
01:01:39,606 —> 01:01:43,186
It’s not so radical to
actually bring them together
1029
01:01:43,186 —> 01:01:45,906
in main stream, clinical care.
1030
01:01:46,386 —> 01:01:49,796
In fact, it’s essential
for caring.
1031
01:01:57,076 —> 01:02:00,066
So silent, wakefulness.
1032
01:02:05,316 —> 01:02:07,625
Attending to what is.
1033
01:02:10,516 —> 01:02:26,516
[ Background noise ]
1034
01:02:27,016 —> 01:02:52,000
[ Bell ringing ]
1035
01:02:57,746 —> 01:03:07,876
>> Somehow the real
meditation practice never stops.
1036
01:03:08,966 —> 01:03:10,596
Just because some
bell as got rung.
1037
01:03:11,626 —> 01:03:15,266
Just because we’re going to
shift gears a little bit.
1038
01:03:16,176 —> 01:03:19,516
The real meditation is how you
live your life moment to moment.
1039
01:03:20,126 —> 01:03:22,716
It’s not how good you are
sitting without moving.
1040
01:03:24,216 —> 01:03:26,796
Or what great yoga poses you do.
1041
01:03:26,966 —> 01:03:29,346
Because yoga is itself
a meditation.
1042
01:03:29,496 —> 01:03:32,996
A beautiful form of
meditation we use enormously
1043
01:03:32,996 —> 01:03:36,636
and to do good purpose in MBSR,
1044
01:03:36,636 —> 01:03:38,166
mindfulness-based
stress reduction.
1045
01:03:41,876 —> 01:03:47,206
I’d like to just say a few
things about stress and medicine
1046
01:03:47,506 —> 01:03:49,006
and then we’ll open it up to —
1047
01:03:49,286 —> 01:03:53,886
and give you a little bit of
an expanse of how we work.
1048
01:03:53,886 —> 01:03:56,326
But I want you to have at
least this taste of it,
1049
01:03:56,636 —> 01:03:58,776
and I want to share a
couple of poems with you.
1050
01:03:59,266 —> 01:04:00,356
And it’s not like all
1051
01:04:00,356 —> 01:04:02,626
of a sudden we’ve
gotten a little weird,
1052
01:04:02,626 —> 01:04:04,316
I’m going a little weird on you.
1053
01:04:04,936 —> 01:04:08,766
How many of you when you hear
the word poetry or poems,
1054
01:04:09,006 —> 01:04:10,236
you go yeah, I don’t know.
1055
01:04:10,236 —> 01:04:11,196
Not a poem!
1056
01:04:11,426 —> 01:04:14,476
It’s like I don’t
understand those things.
1057
01:04:14,816 —> 01:04:18,196
That’s not uncommon.
1058
01:04:18,316 —> 01:04:24,415
But — but one of my colleagues,
John Tisdale, with whom I wrote
1059
01:04:24,416 —> 01:04:26,226
that book, The Mindful
Way Through Depression,
1060
01:04:27,006 —> 01:04:30,915
who is like one of the world’s
great cognitive scientists,
1061
01:04:31,296 —> 01:04:36,395
is coming out with a — several
papers, in which he’s arguing
1062
01:04:36,826 —> 01:04:39,786
that the root cause of suffering
1063
01:04:39,786 —> 01:04:45,966
in human beings is not knowing
how to deal with our emotions
1064
01:04:48,096 —> 01:04:51,796
because we don’t
know how to inhabit
1065
01:04:52,246 —> 01:04:53,966
and then shift our relationship
1066
01:04:53,966 —> 01:04:56,516
to what he calls
implicational meaning.
1067
01:04:57,486 —> 01:05:04,705
Implicational meaning is what
moves, say, in poetry, okay?
1068
01:05:05,316 —> 01:05:07,716
It’s different from the
propositional meaning,
1069
01:05:07,716 —> 01:05:13,676
which is just the
kind of bear facts.
1070
01:05:13,676 —> 01:05:16,156
Okay? So if I — I’ll
recite a poem for you.
1071
01:05:16,316 —> 01:05:19,145
This is a poem by
Antonio Muchato,
1072
01:05:19,146 —> 01:05:23,316
who’s a great Spanish
poet of the turn
1073
01:05:23,316 —> 01:05:25,455
of the 19th, 20th century.
1074
01:05:25,456 —> 01:05:27,506
And won the Nobel Prize.
1075
01:05:28,456 —> 01:05:29,106
It’s very short.
1076
01:05:30,096 —> 01:05:31,556
But see if you can feel it.
1077
01:05:32,336 —> 01:05:35,836
The wind one brilliant
day called to my soul
1078
01:05:35,836 —> 01:05:37,566
with an odor of jasmine.
1079
01:05:38,176 —> 01:05:43,256
The wind one brilliant
day called to my soul
1080
01:05:43,966 —> 01:05:45,395
with an odor of jasmine.
1081
01:05:46,736 —> 01:05:48,906
In exchange for the
odor of my jasmine,
1082
01:05:49,116 —> 01:05:51,616
I would like the
odor of your Roses.
1083
01:05:53,746 —> 01:05:54,876
I have no roses.
1084
01:05:55,936 —> 01:05:58,796
All the flowers in
my garden are dead.
1085
01:06:00,256 —> 01:06:00,866
Can you feel that?
1086
01:06:01,776 —> 01:06:03,796
I — how many times have we had
1087
01:06:03,796 —> 01:06:06,156
that feeling or a
similar feeling.
1088
01:06:06,156 —> 01:06:07,556
I have no roses.
1089
01:06:07,606 —> 01:06:09,266
There’s nothing beautiful
about me.
1090
01:06:09,556 —> 01:06:11,776
All the flowers in
my garden are dead.
1091
01:06:12,386 —> 01:06:14,526
Well then, I’ll take
the withered petals
1092
01:06:14,526 —> 01:06:16,966
and the withered
leaves, and the waters
1093
01:06:16,966 —> 01:06:19,606
in the fountain and
the wind left.
1094
01:06:20,796 —> 01:06:21,566
And I wept.
1095
01:06:22,076 —> 01:06:29,106
And I said to myself, what
have you done to the garden
1096
01:06:29,406 —> 01:06:33,086
that was entrusted to you.
1097
01:06:34,506 —> 01:06:35,185
Can you feel that?
1098
01:06:35,876 —> 01:06:38,166
This is a poem about
great sadness.
1099
01:06:38,776 —> 01:06:40,326
Could easily go into depression.
1100
01:06:41,526 —> 01:06:44,536
I actually — just because he’s
a noble laureate doesn’t mean,
1101
01:06:45,286 —> 01:06:48,256
you know, I’d like to
actually change the last line.
1102
01:06:50,016 —> 01:06:55,146
And I would suggest
that for our purposes,
1103
01:06:55,146 —> 01:06:58,666
rather than what have you done
to the garden that was entrusted
1104
01:06:58,666 —> 01:07:06,676
to you, which is a kind of
a blaming, wouldn’t you say?
1105
01:07:06,676 —> 01:07:10,176
I mean, it’s like, stick
the knife in, oh, all right,
1106
01:07:10,176 —> 01:07:15,366
as long as I’m feeling down, why
not just go right over the edge?
1107
01:07:17,266 —> 01:07:19,316
And a lot of cultures
actually perpetrate
1108
01:07:19,316 —> 01:07:20,826
that kind of perspective.
1109
01:07:21,336 —> 01:07:24,466
But instead, why don’t
we say what are we doing
1110
01:07:24,466 —> 01:07:27,596
with the gardens that
are entrusted to us.
1111
01:07:27,596 —> 01:07:28,966
Gardens plural, okay?
1112
01:07:29,286 —> 01:07:31,056
Because right now we have a lot
1113
01:07:31,056 —> 01:07:33,066
of gardens entrusted
to us, I would say.
1114
01:07:33,676 —> 01:07:38,996
The closest of, you know, to us,
1115
01:07:38,996 —> 01:07:40,846
is I would say the
garden of the body.
1116
01:07:41,416 —> 01:07:44,116
You know, better than an
American Express credit card,
1117
01:07:44,116 —> 01:07:45,936
you can’t leave home without it.
1118
01:07:46,406 —> 01:07:49,936
But a lot of the time
we’re not even in the body.
1119
01:07:50,076 —> 01:07:53,156
And a lot of the time our
feelings about the body are
1120
01:07:53,156 —> 01:07:56,116
so negative like, the
less said the better.
1121
01:07:56,576 —> 01:07:58,376
Just don’t bother
me about the body.
1122
01:07:59,056 —> 01:08:01,056
I don’t even want to
know it just exists.
1123
01:08:01,056 —> 01:08:06,056
If it doesn’t — is not
driving me crazy I feel lucky.
1124
01:08:06,056 —> 01:08:12,956
And William — James Joyce
is famous for starting
1125
01:08:12,956 —> 01:08:17,356
out a short story in Dubliners
with the following sentence.
1126
01:08:17,356 —> 01:08:18,505
This is an approximation,
1127
01:08:18,506 —> 01:08:21,896
but it’s Mr. Duffy lived a
short distance from his body.
1128
01:08:24,326 —> 01:08:25,926
And if you start
to pay attention
1129
01:08:25,926 —> 01:08:29,236
in the way I’m suggesting in the
present moment you’ll discover
1130
01:08:29,236 —> 01:08:33,036
that that’s your address
as well, a lot of the time.
1131
01:08:33,305 —> 01:08:35,486
We’re in our heads,
lost in thought.
1132
01:08:35,765 —> 01:08:36,805
Some place else.
1133
01:08:36,805 —> 01:08:37,616
Not in the body.
1134
01:08:38,466 —> 01:08:40,636
That has biological
consequences, by the way.
1135
01:08:41,456 —> 01:08:42,656
Everything I’ve said tonight,
1136
01:08:43,236 —> 01:08:45,026
when I started the
stress reduction clinic
1137
01:08:45,026 —> 01:08:50,555
in 1979 it was like, there was
almost no science of the effects
1138
01:08:50,555 —> 01:08:53,715
of stress and the biology
of stress on the body
1139
01:08:53,716 —> 01:08:55,866
and on the mind and
on the heart.
1140
01:08:56,156 —> 01:08:59,986
Now the data is just
like, overwhelming.
1141
01:09:01,106 —> 01:09:06,055
Including, as I’ll show
you in a minute, aging.
1142
01:09:07,316 —> 01:09:12,145
That it’s turning out that
you know, stress is —
1143
01:09:12,145 —> 01:09:16,045
they used to say stress is not
a real factor for morbidity
1144
01:09:16,046 —> 01:09:20,006
or mortality because you
know, it’s not like, you know,
1145
01:09:20,006 —> 01:09:22,476
high fat diet, it’s not
like cigarette smoking,
1146
01:09:22,475 —> 01:09:25,215
it’s not like hypertension.
1147
01:09:25,685 —> 01:09:26,696
High blood pressure.
1148
01:09:27,026 —> 01:09:30,055
But now it turns out, there’s
incontrovertible evidence
1149
01:09:30,166 —> 01:09:33,576
that stress actually reduces —
1150
01:09:33,685 —> 01:09:38,656
increases the rate of
degradation of the ends of all
1151
01:09:38,656 —> 01:09:41,435
of our chromosomes, which
are called telomeres.
1152
01:09:41,536 —> 01:09:43,176
You’re going to hear a
lot more about that word.
1153
01:09:43,786 —> 01:09:46,456
The woman Liz Blackburn at UCSF
1154
01:09:46,456 —> 01:09:50,366
who actually discovered
telomerase, which is the enzyme
1155
01:09:50,366 —> 01:09:55,336
that builds them back up,
won the Nobel Prize in 2008.
1156
01:09:56,726 —> 01:10:01,406
Okay? And her lab is studying
the effects of mindfulness
1157
01:10:01,826 —> 01:10:04,106
of telomeres and telomerase.
1158
01:10:04,456 —> 01:10:07,176
And the evidence is
moving in the direction
1159
01:10:07,476 —> 01:10:12,096
of meditation can actually
enhance telomerase,
1160
01:10:12,586 —> 01:10:17,076
and not just that, it’s more
than meditation or mindfulness.
1161
01:10:17,176 —> 01:10:19,636
It’s your attitude
towards what’s happening.
1162
01:10:19,636 —> 01:10:21,176
It’s not like these
people aren’t
1163
01:10:21,176 —> 01:10:22,936
under a huge amount of stress.
1164
01:10:23,086 —> 01:10:25,846
But it’s never the stress,
it’s how you choose to be
1165
01:10:25,846 —> 01:10:26,856
in relationship to it.
1166
01:10:27,026 —> 01:10:30,425
And if you have really
exhausted your resources
1167
01:10:30,426 —> 01:10:33,826
for handling stress, then of
course, yeah, all bets are off.
1168
01:10:33,826 —> 01:10:39,346
But if you know how to
draw resources to yourself,
1169
01:10:39,466 —> 01:10:44,766
then even under very, very high
levels of stress you can dance
1170
01:10:44,766 —> 01:10:47,925
with the energy, sometimes
it’s unbelievably painful.
1171
01:10:48,086 —> 01:10:51,036
But never the less, you’re
much bigger even than the pain
1172
01:10:51,036 —> 01:10:53,466
or suffering, and liberate
yourself from that.
1173
01:10:53,566 —> 01:10:56,366
And guess what, the
telomeres get longer.
1174
01:10:57,796 —> 01:11:01,866
So every aspect of our biology
is what’s now called plastic.
1175
01:11:03,986 —> 01:11:06,746
And that’s a new terminology.
1176
01:11:06,746 —> 01:11:10,286
It’s not like, you know,
Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate.
1177
01:11:12,026 —> 01:11:13,215
This is for the older people.
1178
01:11:16,536 —> 01:11:18,736
But it means that the —
1179
01:11:18,736 —> 01:11:22,215
our biology is miraculous
in another way.
1180
01:11:22,536 —> 01:11:25,296
It’s constantly reorganizing
itself.
1181
01:11:25,296 —> 01:11:27,736
It’s not just it’s all
downhill from here.
1182
01:11:28,006 —> 01:11:29,506
Yes, there is aging.
1183
01:11:29,506 —> 01:11:31,356
Yes, we are all going to die,
1184
01:11:31,356 —> 01:11:33,726
unless somebody makes a
very important discovery
1185
01:11:33,726 —> 01:11:34,606
very quickly.
1186
01:11:36,756 —> 01:11:40,696
But you know, the question is
not is there life after death
1187
01:11:40,696 —> 01:11:42,966
or is there some
way to escape death.
1188
01:11:43,256 —> 01:11:46,376
But actually, can we live
while we have a chance.
1189
01:11:46,966 —> 01:11:48,746
Is there life before death.
1190
01:11:49,196 —> 01:11:52,206
That’s the most interesting
question.
1191
01:11:53,216 —> 01:11:58,926
And right up to the
moment of death.
1192
01:11:59,106 —> 01:12:01,986
And a lot of time I think that
really, when we talk about fear
1193
01:12:01,986 —> 01:12:03,836
of death we’re really
more afraid
1194
01:12:03,836 —> 01:12:06,046
of life than we are of death.
1195
01:12:06,986 —> 01:12:08,376
And there are two chapters.
1196
01:12:08,376 —> 01:12:11,026
I was going to say, actually,
tell you some stories,
1197
01:12:11,026 —> 01:12:14,135
but I don’t think I will,
about my early days at MIT.
1198
01:12:14,356 —> 01:12:16,335
One of which was how
I got into meditation.
1199
01:12:16,336 —> 01:12:19,376
I got into meditation at
the Massachusetts Institute
1200
01:12:19,376 —> 01:12:22,776
of Technology as a graduate
student in molecular biology
1201
01:12:22,776 —> 01:12:25,046
with a noble laureate,
believe it or not.
1202
01:12:25,116 —> 01:12:25,786
Go figure.
1203
01:12:26,336 —> 01:12:28,096
Not in some monastery in Asia.
1204
01:12:29,296 —> 01:12:32,266
Because a Zen master came and
gave a talk, actually, at MIT.
1205
01:12:32,446 —> 01:12:35,706
And I was one of five people in
all of MIT that went to the talk
1206
01:12:36,076 —> 01:12:38,276
and took the head off —
1207
01:12:39,586 —> 01:12:42,846
took the top off my
head at the age of 22.
1208
01:12:43,266 —> 01:12:48,465
I was like, oh my God, there’s
an entirely different way
1209
01:12:48,466 —> 01:12:49,006
of knowing.
1210
01:12:49,316 —> 01:12:51,556
Why didn’t they tell us
this in kindergarten.
1211
01:12:51,606 —> 01:12:56,826
An entirely different way of
knowing, and no less beautiful,
1212
01:12:56,826 —> 01:13:00,976
no less profound, no less
transformative, than thought.
1213
01:13:02,336 —> 01:13:02,946
Just different.
1214
01:13:04,166 —> 01:13:11,076
And this should be part of
the repertoire, so to speak,
1215
01:13:12,076 —> 01:13:14,416
and part of the science
and investigation.
1216
01:13:14,636 —> 01:13:17,706
The other thing was the
story of my thesis defense,
1217
01:13:17,816 —> 01:13:23,056
because I wrote, you know, a
thesis on some arcane topic
1218
01:13:23,056 —> 01:13:25,226
in molecular biology
and I had, you know,
1219
01:13:25,316 —> 01:13:28,505
all these MIT noble
laureate types,
1220
01:13:28,626 —> 01:13:31,146
real hot-shot molecular
biologists.
1221
01:13:32,126 —> 01:13:35,296
And a few from Harvard who came
over because you always have
1222
01:13:35,296 —> 01:13:38,776
to have someone from
another institution.
1223
01:13:38,776 —> 01:13:45,496
And my thesis, you know, it was
an existential challenge for me.
1224
01:13:45,596 —> 01:13:47,835
How many of you are
graduate students here,
1225
01:13:48,246 —> 01:13:49,396
any of you a graduate student?
1226
01:13:49,646 —> 01:13:50,635
It’s like, hard.
1227
01:13:51,086 —> 01:13:54,056
It’s hard to be a
graduate student.
1228
01:13:54,676 —> 01:13:55,876
Because nobody cares.
1229
01:13:56,226 —> 01:13:58,856
And most of the time,
you don’t either.
1230
01:13:59,246 —> 01:14:01,736
But it could be really
humiliating, and like —
1231
01:14:02,036 —> 01:14:03,726
then of course if
you’re a scientist,
1232
01:14:03,996 —> 01:14:06,396
science is 99% failure.
1233
01:14:08,036 —> 01:14:12,626
Which doesn’t do that much for
your self esteem, so to speak.
1234
01:14:13,026 —> 01:14:15,306
So you’re looking for that 1%.
1235
01:14:17,476 —> 01:14:21,005
And so I finally got my
thesis together and I wrote
1236
01:14:21,006 —> 01:14:24,216
in the front page,
on a page by itself,
1237
01:14:24,216 —> 01:14:27,246
they let you have a little
dedication, little saying,
1238
01:14:27,246 —> 01:14:28,726
something like that, I wrote he
1239
01:14:28,726 —> 01:14:31,846
who dies before he dies
does not die when he dies.
1240
01:14:32,886 —> 01:14:35,896
I don’t even know
where I got it.
1241
01:14:36,076 —> 01:14:41,566
You know, it’s like some
Greek, very old Greek.
1242
01:14:41,726 —> 01:14:45,826
So I put that line in
the first, you know,
1243
01:14:46,426 —> 01:14:49,416
page by itself before
you get into the thesis.
1244
01:14:49,416 —> 01:14:57,856
And so I go into the — the
room with all these scientists
1245
01:14:59,186 —> 01:15:02,415
who are going to decide whether
I get my doctorate or not,
1246
01:15:02,746 —> 01:15:07,726
after what’s called
— I don’t know,
1247
01:15:07,726 —> 01:15:11,795
I forget what they even call
it, thesis review, or defence.
1248
01:15:12,496 —> 01:15:13,296
Right, defense.
1249
01:15:13,296 —> 01:15:14,226
It’s a war term.
1250
01:15:15,006 —> 01:15:18,536
They’re going to attack
and I’m going to defend.
1251
01:15:18,536 —> 01:15:21,696
And if I do it well enough,
then — so I go in there,
1252
01:15:22,006 —> 01:15:27,156
and I knew them all because it’s
a small community and everybody,
1253
01:15:27,156 —> 01:15:29,385
you know, sort of
likes each other.
1254
01:15:29,386 —> 01:15:32,586
And — but I was of
course terrified.
1255
01:15:32,906 —> 01:15:36,966
You know, a lot hangs
in the balance.
1256
01:15:36,966 —> 01:15:39,926
And so somebody says
what’s this he
1257
01:15:39,926 —> 01:15:42,526
who dies before he dies
does not die when he dies.
1258
01:15:43,676 —> 01:15:45,506
That’s the first
question on my thesis.
1259
01:15:45,966 —> 01:15:49,746
So I worked five years on
this research and they want
1260
01:15:49,746 —> 01:15:52,236
to know he who dies
before he dies.
1261
01:15:52,236 —> 01:15:54,026
Of course they were pushing 50.
1262
01:15:54,026 —> 01:15:56,946
You know, I was 27 or
something like that.
1263
01:15:57,116 —> 01:16:03,736
They were in their 50’s,
and like, thinking ahead?
1264
01:16:05,506 —> 01:16:07,926
Obviously piqued some interest.
1265
01:16:08,376 —> 01:16:10,306
You die before you die,
you don’t die when you die.
1266
01:16:10,516 —> 01:16:14,406
I want that.
1267
01:16:16,576 —> 01:16:21,916
So I said do you
really want to know?
1268
01:16:23,056 —> 01:16:26,156
And they all said yeah.
1269
01:16:26,156 —> 01:16:28,126
I said well, it might
take some time.
1270
01:16:29,376 —> 01:16:30,276
We’ve got time.
1271
01:16:31,266 —> 01:16:33,436
So actually, I would say half
1272
01:16:33,436 —> 01:16:36,156
of my thesis defense was
actually unpacking what
1273
01:16:36,156 —> 01:16:38,186
mindfulness is about
to these guys.
1274
01:16:39,116 —> 01:16:41,716
This was in 1971, by the way.
1275
01:16:43,016 —> 01:16:44,446
And I wrote it up.
1276
01:16:44,446 —> 01:16:47,436
It’s a chapter called
Dying Before You Die, duh,
1277
01:16:47,776 —> 01:16:52,486
because the first dying before
you die was the other story
1278
01:16:53,596 —> 01:16:56,425
that I told about, you know,
1279
01:16:56,656 —> 01:16:59,596
first encountering
meditation at MIT.
1280
01:17:00,616 —> 01:17:07,646
So that’s just to say
that I didn’t want
1281
01:17:07,646 —> 01:17:09,746
to continue a career
in molecular biology.
1282
01:17:09,746 —> 01:17:12,666
I wanted to bring my training
as a scientist together
1283
01:17:12,666 —> 01:17:15,866
with my training in meditation,
because it seemed like,
1284
01:17:15,866 —> 01:17:17,916
well everybody is
doing the science.
1285
01:17:17,956 —> 01:17:23,436
But nobody’s paying attention to
thought and this other function
1286
01:17:23,696 —> 01:17:26,296
of our brains and
nervous system,
1287
01:17:26,296 —> 01:17:29,126
that no one’s paying
attention to, called awareness,
1288
01:17:29,196 —> 01:17:31,925
that is painfully obviously
bigger than thought,
1289
01:17:31,986 —> 01:17:33,496
because whatever
thought you have
1290
01:17:33,496 —> 01:17:34,636
or whatever emotion you have,
1291
01:17:34,846 —> 01:17:36,986
you could embrace
it in awareness.
1292
01:17:37,946 —> 01:17:40,696
And not have to do anything
with it, but it would change
1293
01:17:40,846 —> 01:17:43,236
by virtue of simply
holding it in awareness
1294
01:17:43,316 —> 01:17:44,876
if you were patient
enough to do it.
1295
01:17:45,036 —> 01:17:46,516
Especially if it
didn’t feel good.
1296
01:17:47,586 —> 01:17:49,476
And so that’s what we teach now.
1297
01:17:49,696 —> 01:17:54,296
And it’s come into the main
stream of medicine in ways
1298
01:17:54,296 —> 01:17:55,836
that are really astonishing.
1299
01:17:55,836 —> 01:17:59,666
The National Institute of Health
is funding hundreds of studies
1300
01:17:59,666 —> 01:18:02,996
of mindfulness to the tunes of
hundreds of millions of dollars.
1301
01:18:03,696 —> 01:18:07,546
And the idea that that would
have been the case in 1979 I
1302
01:18:07,546 —> 01:18:12,056
like to say more improbable
than that the big bang would all
1303
01:18:12,056 —> 01:18:14,465
of a sudden stop and
implode back on itself.
1304
01:18:14,746 —> 01:18:16,216
And yet it’s happening.
1305
01:18:16,736 —> 01:18:19,846
And so mindfulness is in
the main stream of medicine.
1306
01:18:19,846 —> 01:18:23,726
And in the last — I’ll just
show you some pictures before we
1307
01:18:23,726 —> 01:18:24,996
go to questions, okay?
1308
01:18:26,086 —> 01:18:27,016
Would that be all
right with you?
1309
01:18:27,476 —> 01:18:28,205
Are you still awake?
1310
01:18:29,186 —> 01:18:30,976
Good. Because you don’t
ever have to stop.
1311
01:18:30,976 —> 01:18:32,135
Even when you go to sleep.
1312
01:18:32,136 —> 01:18:35,646
You know, that —
it’s being present.
1313
01:18:36,246 —> 01:18:38,726
That’s all.
1314
01:18:39,816 —> 01:18:40,976
Being fully present.
1315
01:18:41,516 —> 01:18:43,156
Okay? Is anybody good at this?
1316
01:18:43,316 —> 01:18:47,276
No. Okay, so don’t make,
oh, I’m no good at this.
1317
01:18:47,276 —> 01:18:49,156
Nobody’s any good at it.
1318
01:18:49,156 —> 01:18:51,635
But all you need to do
is be a little better
1319
01:18:51,636 —> 01:18:56,146
than automatic pilot and
your life will rotate.
1320
01:18:56,456 —> 01:18:57,986
It will be very, very different.
1321
01:18:58,146 —> 01:19:01,425
And any time anger comes up,
the default mode comes up,
1322
01:19:01,426 —> 01:19:02,906
whether it’s anger
or anything else,
1323
01:19:02,946 —> 01:19:04,706
Tecna Hans [Assumed spelling]
likes to say, you know,
1324
01:19:04,706 —> 01:19:07,046
the reason we have to practice
mindfulness, the reason we have
1325
01:19:07,046 —> 01:19:10,146
to cultivate it intentionally
is we’re busy cultivating the
1326
01:19:10,146 —> 01:19:11,385
opposite all day long.
1327
01:19:11,726 —> 01:19:15,476
Cultivating anger, cultivating
jealousy, cultivating, you know,
1328
01:19:15,476 —> 01:19:18,896
sort of low self esteem,
cultivating, you know,
1329
01:19:23,346 —> 01:19:27,535
all sorts of negativity
in the emotional domain
1330
01:19:27,536 —> 01:19:28,706
or in the thought domain.
1331
01:19:28,936 —> 01:19:33,016
And the people who are doing
the telomere research are saying
1332
01:19:33,016 —> 01:19:34,366
their research is showing
1333
01:19:34,366 —> 01:19:37,356
that the real stress
comes from thinking.
1334
01:19:40,366 —> 01:19:44,906
So this is a biological
and molecular,
1335
01:19:44,906 —> 01:19:50,536
biological consequence
that accelerates aging,
1336
01:19:50,536 —> 01:19:53,066
accelerates a lot of — heart
disease, I mean, it’s a —
1337
01:19:53,406 —> 01:19:56,166
you know, you can’t
interview people who die
1338
01:19:56,166 —> 01:19:57,226
of sudden cardiac death.
1339
01:19:57,786 —> 01:20:00,026
But if you could,
you’d find out, like,
1340
01:20:00,336 —> 01:20:06,246
probably it was a
thought that did it.
1341
01:20:06,246 —> 01:20:07,626
The wrong thought
at the wrong time.
1342
01:20:07,976 —> 01:20:12,795
Dead. I’m not — I’m
actually not joking.
1343
01:20:12,796 —> 01:20:15,826
I mean, it’s so serious
that we need to laugh.
1344
01:20:15,826 —> 01:20:18,636
And I want to say that
about meditation too.
1345
01:20:18,746 —> 01:20:22,386
It may seem like I’m not
taking this stuff seriously.
1346
01:20:22,386 —> 01:20:24,756
This stuff is so serious
that it’s too serious
1347
01:20:24,756 —> 01:20:25,856
to take too seriously.
1348
01:20:26,226 —> 01:20:28,566
And I’m serious.
1349
01:20:32,926 —> 01:20:36,056
So this is, if any of
you were alive back then,
1350
01:20:36,056 —> 01:20:39,096
this is the cover of Time
Magazine back in 1983.
1351
01:20:39,286 —> 01:20:41,786
Four years after I started
the stress reduction clinic.
1352
01:20:42,116 —> 01:20:43,236
And it’s just like, you know,
1353
01:20:44,106 —> 01:20:46,486
I look back on that
time and say stress?
1354
01:20:46,486 —> 01:20:47,346
What stress?
1355
01:20:48,016 —> 01:20:48,885
Compared to now.
1356
01:20:48,886 —> 01:20:50,196
I mean, there was no internet.
1357
01:20:50,196 —> 01:20:51,116
There was no e-mail.
1358
01:20:51,116 —> 01:20:52,926
There was no instant messaging.
1359
01:20:53,256 —> 01:20:57,526
I mean, you know, there were no
computers except main frames.
1360
01:20:58,136 —> 01:21:01,116
I used to say in the early
’80’s that I could get —
1361
01:21:01,116 —> 01:21:05,086
once I had my first PC, you
know, which was like, gigantic,
1362
01:21:06,566 —> 01:21:08,456
that I could get more
work done in a month
1363
01:21:08,456 —> 01:21:11,496
than I could get done — I could
get more work done in a day
1364
01:21:11,496 —> 01:21:13,136
than I used to be able
to get done in a month.
1365
01:21:13,586 —> 01:21:15,296
Well that was in the mid ’80’s.
1366
01:21:15,416 —> 01:21:18,286
Now it’s like I can get
more work done in a day
1367
01:21:18,286 —> 01:21:19,676
than I could get done in a year.
1368
01:21:19,896 —> 01:21:20,986
That’s not so good.
1369
01:21:21,556 —> 01:21:24,545
You know, we’re always on.
1370
01:21:24,916 —> 01:21:27,556
You know, we’re always on.
1371
01:21:28,396 —> 01:21:29,616
Not so good.
1372
01:21:30,496 —> 01:21:34,526
We’re not computer
servers, we’re human beings.
1373
01:21:35,756 —> 01:21:40,076
So here is the evidence from Liz
Blackburn’s lab and Alyssa Epple
1374
01:21:40,076 —> 01:21:43,326
who is the mindfulness
researcher in her lab,
1375
01:21:43,676 —> 01:21:45,096
proceedings in National Academy
1376
01:21:45,096 —> 01:21:49,276
of Sciences is showing telomere
length as a function of years
1377
01:21:49,376 —> 01:21:53,226
of chronicity of care giving,
of children, this is parents
1378
01:21:53,226 —> 01:21:55,096
with children with
severe medical
1379
01:21:55,316 —> 01:21:57,446
and — disabilities, okay?
1380
01:21:57,796 —> 01:22:00,566
So it’s like an unavoidable
stress.
1381
01:22:00,566 —> 01:22:03,295
You can’t just walk
out, I don’t do stress,
1382
01:22:03,296 —> 01:22:04,476
sorry, good-bye, children.
1383
01:22:05,326 —> 01:22:06,496
No, you can’t do that.
1384
01:22:06,656 —> 01:22:09,996
But look at this,
also in that study.
1385
01:22:09,996 —> 01:22:12,866
This is a perceived scale
— perceived stress scale.
1386
01:22:13,146 —> 01:22:17,476
It’s the perception of stress
that makes the difference.
1387
01:22:17,556 —> 01:22:21,715
If you are just dealing with
it because it’s the way it is,
1388
01:22:21,976 —> 01:22:24,406
then you can be more
transparent to the stress.
1389
01:22:24,406 —> 01:22:25,706
Your telomeres are longer.
1390
01:22:26,676 —> 01:22:28,226
If you take everything
personally,
1391
01:22:28,416 —> 01:22:29,706
your telomeres degrade.
1392
01:22:30,196 —> 01:22:33,276
So if you want one
take-home message from this,
1393
01:22:33,276 —> 01:22:37,696
this turns out to be harder
to enact that it is to say,
1394
01:22:37,956 —> 01:22:40,746
don’t take things personally
when they’re not personal.
1395
01:22:42,026 —> 01:22:44,996
Then you might ask, when
are they not personal?
1396
01:22:46,386 —> 01:22:49,006
That’s a good question
to keep asking yourself.
1397
01:22:49,176 —> 01:22:50,706
It may be they’re
never personal.
1398
01:22:52,046 —> 01:22:55,556
It may be the you that you think
you are is not the real you.
1399
01:22:56,246 —> 01:22:57,266
That you’re much bigger.
1400
01:22:57,266 —> 01:22:59,635
And now the neuro science
is actually showing that.
1401
01:22:59,796 —> 01:23:01,286
You want to be your
narrative self?
1402
01:23:01,286 —> 01:23:04,096
Fine. Then you’re using
certain regions of the brain.
1403
01:23:04,286 —> 01:23:08,386
You want to be your moment by
moment, experiential self, in —
1404
01:23:08,386 —> 01:23:09,356
grounded in the body,
1405
01:23:09,636 —> 01:23:11,546
you’re using lateral
networks in the brain.
1406
01:23:11,686 —> 01:23:14,425
A whole different brain profile.
1407
01:23:15,236 —> 01:23:16,296
So you choose.
1408
01:23:16,566 —> 01:23:18,965
One is related more
to happiness.
1409
01:23:19,206 —> 01:23:21,666
The left activation in
the prefrontal cortex,
1410
01:23:21,956 —> 01:23:23,596
if you could monks
in the scanners,
1411
01:23:23,596 —> 01:23:25,955
and I’ll show you some
pictures of that, you know,
1412
01:23:26,066 —> 01:23:29,686
they have tremendous activation
in the left prefrontal cortex
1413
01:23:29,686 —> 01:23:32,625
in particular regions that have
to do with approach and have
1414
01:23:32,696 —> 01:23:34,586
to do with emotional balance.
1415
01:23:36,496 —> 01:23:38,896
And when we train
people in MBSR,
1416
01:23:39,596 —> 01:23:41,396
they shift from right activation
1417
01:23:41,396 —> 01:23:44,516
to left activation
in eight weeks.
1418
01:23:45,076 —> 01:23:48,076
Their brains actually change
structure in eight weeks.
1419
01:23:48,076 —> 01:23:49,726
Work out of Sara Lazar’s
[Assumed spelling] lab,
1420
01:23:50,096 —> 01:23:53,366
German post doctoral fellow
who’s training with us in MBSR
1421
01:23:53,596 —> 01:23:56,205
and has been our student,
Britta hisle [Assumed spelling]
1422
01:23:56,416 —> 01:23:59,646
for years from Germany,
young neuro scientist,
1423
01:24:00,106 —> 01:24:06,776
has demonstrated that major
regions of the brain change
1424
01:24:06,776 —> 01:24:09,106
with eight weeks of
mindfulness training in MBSR.
1425
01:24:09,366 —> 01:24:13,026
Including the hippocampus,
including the cerebellum,
1426
01:24:13,026 —> 01:24:18,946
including the posterior
singular cortex.
1427
01:24:19,206 —> 01:24:25,326
All of these are involved
in making meaning in —
1428
01:24:25,326 —> 01:24:29,746
in self-regulation,
in perception,
1429
01:24:30,066 —> 01:24:31,686
decoding, memory, and learning.
1430
01:24:32,636 —> 01:24:35,786
Not bad for eight weeks of what
looks a lot, if you were looking
1431
01:24:35,786 —> 01:24:37,446
in from the outside
on our patients,
1432
01:24:37,446 —> 01:24:38,416
looks a lot like nothing.
1433
01:24:38,626 —> 01:24:39,816
They do nothing lying down.
1434
01:24:40,196 —> 01:24:43,186
Then they do nothing sitting,
then they do nothing walking.
1435
01:24:43,326 —> 01:24:44,206
Like this.
1436
01:24:44,206 —> 01:24:45,826
Like the night of
the living dead.
1437
01:24:45,826 —> 01:24:48,006
You know, really slow,
meditative walking.
1438
01:24:48,226 —> 01:24:49,156
They’re doing nothing.
1439
01:24:49,356 —> 01:24:51,116
And healthcare is paying for it.
1440
01:24:51,116 —> 01:24:55,016
Amazing. How did they pull
that off in and it turns
1441
01:24:55,016 —> 01:24:57,925
out the brains are changing,
not just in terms of activity,
1442
01:24:58,106 —> 01:24:59,226
in terms of structure.
1443
01:25:00,596 —> 01:25:03,035
Significant thickening in
those regions I mentioned,
1444
01:25:03,266 —> 01:25:05,236
significant thinning
in the amygdala,
1445
01:25:05,236 —> 01:25:09,346
which is the emotional
reaction — reactivity center,
1446
01:25:09,346 —> 01:25:11,005
the threat center
that triggers —
1447
01:25:11,226 —> 01:25:15,056
fires off all the time whenever
we feel threatened or, you know,
1448
01:25:15,056 —> 01:25:16,425
accosted in one way or another.
1449
01:25:17,536 —> 01:25:23,506
So God, I’ve got a whole talk
here I’m not going to give.
1450
01:25:23,506 —> 01:25:25,466
How many of you see a triangle?
1451
01:25:25,496 —> 01:25:28,156
Raise your hand if you see
a triangle in this picture.
1452
01:25:28,376 —> 01:25:30,286
Okay, keep your hands up there.
1453
01:25:30,436 —> 01:25:33,486
Okay, now look around, so
you know you’re not alone.
1454
01:25:33,486 —> 01:25:34,946
If you see a triangle
in that picture.
1455
01:25:35,516 —> 01:25:37,665
It’s interesting, because
there’s no triangle
1456
01:25:37,666 —> 01:25:38,156
in that picture.
1457
01:25:40,316 —> 01:25:43,795
The triangle is defined
by a three-sided figure.
1458
01:25:44,036 —> 01:25:46,626
And what your mind does
is it puts in the sides.
1459
01:25:47,606 —> 01:25:50,766
If we shifted that little
Pac-man the tiniest little bit,
1460
01:25:51,666 —> 01:25:55,526
so the mind can actually see
things that are not there.
1461
01:25:55,526 —> 01:25:56,866
The brain actually does that.
1462
01:25:56,866 —> 01:25:58,236
It’s so good at that.
1463
01:25:58,486 —> 01:26:01,086
If I had time I would show
you this movie, which —
1464
01:26:04,016 —> 01:26:05,835
how many of you have
seen this image?
1465
01:26:06,436 —> 01:26:07,835
Yeah, you can’t use it any more.
1466
01:26:07,836 —> 01:26:10,286
But I’ll just play
it anyway — oops.
1467
01:26:12,616 —> 01:26:13,866
Doesn’t want to do that.
1468
01:26:13,866 —> 01:26:15,136
Let me see.
1469
01:26:16,356 —> 01:26:17,566
Anyway, it’s a movie.
1470
01:26:18,136 —> 01:26:21,116
And they’re passing
around basketballs.
1471
01:26:21,116 —> 01:26:24,186
And you ask the group, you
ask the room to sort of count
1472
01:26:24,186 —> 01:26:25,085
of number of times the people
1473
01:26:25,086 —> 01:26:26,906
in the white shirts
pass the basketballs.
1474
01:26:28,096 —> 01:26:31,696
And I could get it to work,
but it would take too long.
1475
01:26:32,316 —> 01:26:36,486
So — and in the middle of
it, I’ll try one more time,
1476
01:26:36,486 —> 01:26:42,766
in the middle of it,
because it’s, you know, oh.
1477
01:26:44,046 —> 01:26:50,496
No. Okay, so you’re counting
the number of times the people
1478
01:26:50,496 —> 01:26:52,506
in the white shirts are
passing the basketballs.
1479
01:26:53,926 —> 01:26:56,696
One basketball per each,
the whites and the blacks.
1480
01:26:56,696 —> 01:27:01,196
And in the middle
this gorilla comes out
1481
01:27:01,196 —> 01:27:04,236
and then goes off
to the other side.
1482
01:27:05,546 —> 01:27:08,966
But when you ask people,
well, to count the number
1483
01:27:08,966 —> 01:27:11,196
of times the people in the white
shirts pass the basketball,
1484
01:27:11,596 —> 01:27:13,035
they don’t actually
see the gorilla.
1485
01:27:14,256 —> 01:27:18,336
If we did it and none of you
had seen it, 95% of people
1486
01:27:18,436 —> 01:27:20,146
who have counted the
number of times —
1487
01:27:20,336 —> 01:27:23,226
usually you get a
plus on distribution.
1488
01:27:23,226 —> 01:27:25,936
So you can’t even
count correctly.
1489
01:27:26,716 —> 01:27:28,476
But then you don’t
see the gorilla.
1490
01:27:28,476 —> 01:27:31,306
Why? Because the
mind has told itself,
1491
01:27:31,306 —> 01:27:34,425
the brain has told itself
the white shirts are
1492
01:27:34,426 —> 01:27:35,296
what’s important.
1493
01:27:35,356 —> 01:27:37,286
Tune out everything
that’s not white.
1494
01:27:38,836 —> 01:27:41,246
Well, the brain it turns
out is fantastic is —
1495
01:27:41,636 —> 01:27:44,526
I just showed you, it sees
things that aren’t there,
1496
01:27:44,886 —> 01:27:46,426
and it doesn’t see
things that are there.
1497
01:27:46,546 —> 01:27:47,766
Not very reliable.
1498
01:27:50,016 —> 01:27:53,146
Now does that apply to you?
1499
01:27:53,316 —> 01:27:54,836
I’ll leave that for
you to decide.
1500
01:27:55,866 —> 01:27:58,756
Just ask your spouse or
your mother or your father.
1501
01:27:59,566 —> 01:28:02,965
Because that is part
of the default mode.
1502
01:28:03,306 —> 01:28:06,096
We are out of touch, seriously
out of touch with a lot
1503
01:28:06,096 —> 01:28:07,915
of different elements of this.
1504
01:28:08,286 —> 01:28:09,476
And this is just of a quote
1505
01:28:09,476 —> 01:28:11,996
from William James
that’s basically saying
1506
01:28:11,996 —> 01:28:14,116
if we could learn how
to bring the mind back
1507
01:28:14,116 —> 01:28:16,836
when it was wandering,
that would be a good thing.
1508
01:28:17,026 —> 01:28:18,465
Turns out the Buddhists
have been doing
1509
01:28:18,466 —> 01:28:19,766
that for thousands of years.
1510
01:28:20,056 —> 01:28:22,545
So I’m going to stop,
actually, at this point.
1511
01:28:22,866 —> 01:28:24,986
And take a few questions.
1512
01:28:24,986 —> 01:28:26,215
We have some time for questions.
1513
01:28:26,216 —> 01:28:27,946
And then we’ll stop
for the evening.
1514
01:28:28,806 —> 01:28:34,076
obviously, you can see that
I’ve just gotten started.
1515
01:28:35,846 —> 01:28:37,396
I hope you’ve just
gotten started.
1516
01:28:38,346 —> 01:28:39,056
I’m not joking.
1517
01:28:40,056 —> 01:28:42,146
Because this doesn’t stop.
1518
01:28:43,226 —> 01:28:44,866
It’s called your life.
1519
01:28:45,766 —> 01:28:49,446
And it’s all really
more than magnificent.
1520
01:28:50,616 —> 01:28:54,196
And if you can get into
that implicational meaning
1521
01:28:54,196 —> 01:28:58,666
of the poems, the poetry,
then there’s the potential
1522
01:28:58,666 —> 01:29:01,776
to actually live your life as
if it really mattered moment
1523
01:29:01,776 —> 01:29:04,606
by moment, and it turns
out that that’s recruiting
1524
01:29:04,856 —> 01:29:08,696
and morphing brain pathways
that when you’re depressed,
1525
01:29:08,916 —> 01:29:10,806
you’re into a depressive
rumination,
1526
01:29:11,516 —> 01:29:13,516
it’s not about shutting
that stuff off,
1527
01:29:13,596 —> 01:29:15,486
that kind of toxic
thought stream,
1528
01:29:15,726 —> 01:29:18,205
but actually learning how
to hold it differently.
1529
01:29:18,206 —> 01:29:19,516
And then you don’t
take it personally
1530
01:29:19,516 —> 01:29:22,596
and then you actually
don’t fall into depression.
1531
01:29:22,876 —> 01:29:24,696
You don’t relapse
into depression.
1532
01:29:24,696 —> 01:29:26,966
And I’m talking major
depressive disorder.
1533
01:29:27,666 —> 01:29:30,136
And so — and that
effects your telomeres,
1534
01:29:30,136 —> 01:29:33,006
and that effects actually
gene expression in the body
1535
01:29:33,366 —> 01:29:35,176
up regulating and
down regulating.
1536
01:29:35,176 —> 01:29:38,976
Hundreds of genes that have to
do with cancer and have to do
1537
01:29:38,976 —> 01:29:40,835
with inflammatory responses.
1538
01:29:40,836 —> 01:29:44,166
So if — your whole
body is really plastic,
1539
01:29:44,166 —> 01:29:46,476
and the more you tune the mind
1540
01:29:46,476 —> 01:29:49,446
and the body together
the more you participate
1541
01:29:49,616 —> 01:29:51,036
in your own health
and well being.
1542
01:29:51,356 —> 01:29:54,696
I like to call the medicine
of the future or the medicine
1543
01:29:54,696 —> 01:29:57,076
of the present, actually,
participatory medicine.
1544
01:29:57,496 —> 01:29:59,846
That’s what — because
there’s not enough money
1545
01:30:00,426 —> 01:30:03,996
to fund medicine if we just
use the auto mechanic’s model.
1546
01:30:03,996 —> 01:30:05,676
So we need to all participate.
1547
01:30:05,906 —> 01:30:08,306
And isn’t it interesting,
that in order
1548
01:30:08,306 —> 01:30:11,635
to participate the greatest
evidence is suggesting we need
1549
01:30:11,636 —> 01:30:15,446
to go back to ancient,
ancient practices from very,
1550
01:30:15,446 —> 01:30:17,896
very old traditions
that are mostly not
1551
01:30:18,096 —> 01:30:19,566
from this side of the planet.
1552
01:30:19,836 —> 01:30:23,406
But that turns out have
deep, deep connections
1553
01:30:23,626 —> 01:30:27,146
with our culture and
with our nervous system
1554
01:30:27,306 —> 01:30:28,976
and with your love.
1555
01:30:29,526 —> 01:30:31,206
So I’ll leave it at that.
1556
01:30:31,206 —> 01:30:33,786
I want to thank you for
your attention, and I’m open
1557
01:30:33,786 —> 01:30:35,036
to having a few questions.
1558
01:30:35,466 —> 01:30:35,976
Thank you.
1559
01:30:36,516 —> 01:30:49,696
[ Applause ]
1560
01:30:50,196 —> 01:30:51,566
>> Thank you for your attention.
1561
01:30:52,526 —> 01:30:52,836
And —
1562
01:30:52,836 —> 01:30:56,376
>> And if you need
to go we understand.
1563
01:30:56,516 —> 01:30:57,526
>> Yeah, obviously.
1564
01:30:57,526 —> 01:30:58,755
It’s 6 o’clock.
1565
01:30:58,866 —> 01:31:02,176
>> There is a book signing
outside the auditorium
1566
01:31:02,176 —> 01:31:04,236
after the question
and answer period.
1567
01:31:04,236 —> 01:31:05,366
Just so people know.
1568
01:31:05,366 —> 01:31:07,186
>> And so why don’t we
— okay, you’ve got —
1569
01:31:07,186 —> 01:31:09,635
why don’t you line up with
that microphone behind the guy
1570
01:31:09,636 —> 01:31:12,276
who has it, and we’ve got
another one over here.
1571
01:31:12,856 —> 01:31:14,856
So go ahead.
1572
01:31:21,726 —> 01:31:24,786
Oh, you’re not actually
asking a question,
1573
01:31:24,786 —> 01:31:26,466
you’re just offering —
well, give it to her.
1574
01:31:29,826 —> 01:31:30,616
>> Thank you so much.
1575
01:31:30,616 —> 01:31:32,226
I really appreciate that talk.
1576
01:31:32,226 —> 01:31:33,205
It was fascinating.
1577
01:31:33,926 —> 01:31:37,036
One question I had was
actually from your biography
1578
01:31:37,036 —> 01:31:39,666
that was provided, which
was just talking about you
1579
01:31:39,666 —> 01:31:42,146
and your wife’s interest
in supporting initiatives
1580
01:31:42,176 —> 01:31:45,156
that further mindfulness
in K through 12 education.
1581
01:31:45,316 —> 01:31:47,766
And I wondered if you could
just provide some examples
1582
01:31:47,766 —> 01:31:49,446
of what exactly that can look
1583
01:31:49,526 —> 01:31:53,226
like in public education
and beyond?
1584
01:31:53,226 —> 01:31:54,925
>> Okay, thank you
for that question.
1585
01:31:54,926 —> 01:31:58,076
I alluded to it, but
obviously, you know,
1586
01:31:59,496 —> 01:32:03,636
the subject of mindfulness is
so vast and to do it in a way
1587
01:32:03,636 —> 01:32:06,276
that isn’t just throwing facts
1588
01:32:07,006 —> 01:32:11,846
at you would take actually
multiple occasions.
1589
01:32:12,336 —> 01:32:18,366
Or you can remember what we
touch on today and then find
1590
01:32:18,366 —> 01:32:22,216
out more for yourself, which
is really the best part.
1591
01:32:22,216 —> 01:32:25,896
But in the book that my wife
and I, Myla, wrote together
1592
01:32:25,896 —> 01:32:28,625
on mindful parenting, which
is a while other story,
1593
01:32:28,886 —> 01:32:32,996
there’s a chapter in there about
fourth and fifth grade teacher
1594
01:32:32,996 —> 01:32:38,226
from the Utah public school who
herself experienced mindfulness
1595
01:32:38,226 —> 01:32:40,786
in MBSR for medical
reasons, health reasons,
1596
01:32:41,156 —> 01:32:43,306
and then brought it into
her classroom against all
1597
01:32:43,306 —> 01:32:45,156
of my advice, in Mormon Utah
1598
01:32:45,576 —> 01:32:47,396
and it transformed
the entire school.
1599
01:32:47,936 —> 01:32:49,486
So you could start there.
1600
01:32:49,536 —> 01:32:51,896
You can also Google
mindfulness in education.
1601
01:32:51,896 —> 01:32:55,755
You’ll find out there are
groups of teachers in lots
1602
01:32:55,756 —> 01:32:57,106
of different places
that are doing this.
1603
01:32:57,106 —> 01:33:01,436
And if you want to take a trip
up 89 to South Burlington,
1604
01:33:01,436 —> 01:33:03,766
Vermont, I was just there
a couple of weeks ago,
1605
01:33:03,766 —> 01:33:06,656
and they are doing amazing
things in that school system.
1606
01:33:06,856 —> 01:33:10,366
The superintendent and one of
the principals actually came
1607
01:33:10,366 —> 01:33:12,836
to a day-long mindfulness
retreat that I did
1608
01:33:12,836 —> 01:33:15,576
for the teachers and
there are hundreds
1609
01:33:15,576 —> 01:33:16,876
of teachers bringing mindfulness
1610
01:33:16,876 —> 01:33:20,146
into their curriculum
at every age.
1611
01:33:20,456 —> 01:33:22,366
So there’s a lot to
be said about it.
1612
01:33:22,366 —> 01:33:24,046
I think it’s one
of the best things
1613
01:33:24,046 —> 01:33:25,916
to happen in modern education.
1614
01:33:26,276 —> 01:33:33,456
And it’s really inspiring the
teachers because nowadays it’s
1615
01:33:33,456 —> 01:33:36,736
so challenging, and there’s so
much stress in that profession.
1616
01:33:36,986 —> 01:33:39,706
And so many of the kids come
and they’re not ready to learn.
1617
01:33:39,706 —> 01:33:41,546
So they need to learn
how to learn,
1618
01:33:41,906 —> 01:33:44,406
tuning the instrument before
you play it, so to speak.
1619
01:33:44,736 —> 01:33:48,936
And this is a way to
actually allow that to happen
1620
01:33:48,936 —> 01:33:51,375
and in a way that — I’ve
been in classrooms like this
1621
01:33:51,376 —> 01:33:53,546
in Oakland, and in
Manhattan, in New York City,
1622
01:33:53,996 —> 01:33:56,716
public schools, unbelievable.
1623
01:33:57,046 —> 01:34:00,066
I mean, and one teacher in
South Burlington called it a
1624
01:34:00,066 —> 01:34:00,925
pin-drop moment.
1625
01:34:01,326 —> 01:34:04,596
You could hear a pin drop
in these classes where a lot
1626
01:34:04,596 —> 01:34:07,585
of the kids are like,
ordinarily all over the place.
1627
01:34:07,886 —> 01:34:09,906
But they have actually
learned how to drop in.
1628
01:34:09,906 —> 01:34:12,376
It’s value for attention
deficit disorder,
1629
01:34:12,376 —> 01:34:16,346
attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder, and it’s also valuable
1630
01:34:16,346 —> 01:34:18,205
for the teacher’s sanity.
1631
01:34:18,656 —> 01:34:20,716
Thank you.
1632
01:34:21,656 —> 01:34:22,135
So —
1633
01:34:23,616 —> 01:34:28,476
>> Hello. I was just wondering
what your general advice would
1634
01:34:28,536 —> 01:34:32,196
be, when we’re trying to, you
know, live it moment by moment,
1635
01:34:32,196 —> 01:34:34,986
but we’re faced with moments
where we have to make decisions.
1636
01:34:35,626 —> 01:34:38,656
And I know we have to make
dozens of decisions every day.
1637
01:34:38,656 —> 01:34:40,796
And sometimes they are
big decisions regarding,
1638
01:34:41,246 —> 01:34:43,816
like our futures or
personal relationships,
1639
01:34:43,816 —> 01:34:45,295
and my friends are
always telling me,
1640
01:34:45,296 —> 01:34:46,496
like, don’t overthink it.
1641
01:34:46,766 —> 01:34:48,465
>> Don’t overthink it?
1642
01:34:48,466 —> 01:34:51,826
>> Yeah. But I know
it’s really difficult.
1643
01:34:51,826 —> 01:34:52,346
So —
1644
01:34:52,866 —> 01:34:54,696
>> Well, it’s a great question.
1645
01:34:57,186 —> 01:34:58,146
Now you want an answer?
1646
01:34:58,776 —> 01:34:59,016
>> Yeah.
1647
01:34:59,516 —> 01:35:01,965
[ Laughter ]
1648
01:35:02,466 —> 01:35:04,966
>> I realize that’s the reason
why I decided to come today.
1649
01:35:05,126 —> 01:35:06,166
>> Oh. Wonderful.
1650
01:35:09,096 —> 01:35:09,625
Wonderful.
1651
01:35:10,126 —> 01:35:14,446
[ Laughter ]
1652
01:35:14,946 —> 01:35:18,276
>> You’re probably
going to overthink it.
1653
01:35:19,496 —> 01:35:23,606
But you can hold that in
awareness, the overthinking.
1654
01:35:23,906 —> 01:35:26,116
And the awareness will
actually take care of you.
1655
01:35:26,406 —> 01:35:29,276
A lot of times — let’s
say it’s relationships,
1656
01:35:29,276 —> 01:35:30,906
you mentioned relationships,
is that right?
1657
01:35:32,356 —> 01:35:34,085
And it’s very complicated.
1658
01:35:34,086 —> 01:35:37,976
And you know, mindfulness
is all about relationships.
1659
01:35:38,296 —> 01:35:39,296
We start with the body.
1660
01:35:39,856 —> 01:35:41,496
What’s my relationship
with my body?
1661
01:35:42,096 —> 01:35:44,375
It’s pretty weird even to
say I have a relationship
1662
01:35:44,376 —> 01:35:44,986
with my body.
1663
01:35:45,156 —> 01:35:45,746
Who’s talking?
1664
01:35:48,486 —> 01:35:49,696
You’re not your body.
1665
01:35:49,786 —> 01:35:51,646
But you have a body.
1666
01:35:51,646 —> 01:35:54,976
Oh yeah? So something
even there,
1667
01:35:54,976 —> 01:35:57,896
that we don’t know a
lot more than we let on.
1668
01:35:58,366 —> 01:35:59,696
Okay, then you have
a relationship
1669
01:35:59,746 —> 01:36:01,956
with your mind and your heart.
1670
01:36:02,336 —> 01:36:06,076
In all Asian languages, as you
may know, the word for mind
1671
01:36:06,076 —> 01:36:07,686
and the word for heart
is the same word.
1672
01:36:08,006 —> 01:36:09,396
So when you hear the
word mindfulness,
1673
01:36:09,396 —> 01:36:10,755
if you’re not hearing
heartfullness,
1674
01:36:10,756 —> 01:36:12,946
you’re not hearing — you’re
not really understanding.
1675
01:36:13,506 —> 01:36:18,566
It’s got this tenor of
spaciousness of heart, okay?
1676
01:36:18,996 —> 01:36:22,616
So inside of that, a
certain kind of trust.
1677
01:36:23,046 —> 01:36:24,416
And trust in what?
1678
01:36:24,566 —> 01:36:25,946
How about your own beauty?
1679
01:36:27,106 —> 01:36:29,986
Okay, so when you start to
know yourself in that kind
1680
01:36:29,986 —> 01:36:32,286
of non conceptual way,
not with thinking,
1681
01:36:32,286 —> 01:36:37,116
but through embodied awareness
of sensation and of, you know,
1682
01:36:37,356 —> 01:36:39,356
hearing and smelling and
tasting, and stuff like —
1683
01:36:40,036 —> 01:36:43,346
and of your thoughts, that
are overthinking who to be
1684
01:36:43,346 —> 01:36:44,436
in a relationship with,
1685
01:36:44,436 —> 01:36:46,556
or who to break off
a relationship with,
1686
01:36:46,556 —> 01:36:49,486
or whatever it is, and you’re
not judging that whole thing —
1687
01:36:50,806 —> 01:36:55,885
your deeper intuition and
wisdom is trustworthy.
1688
01:36:57,766 —> 01:37:02,436
And when you get into trouble,
that’s trustworthy too.
1689
01:37:02,436 —> 01:37:05,295
Oh, I see, I made this kind
of decision, I overthought it
1690
01:37:05,386 —> 01:37:08,616
to this degree, and
I wound up, whamo,
1691
01:37:08,946 —> 01:37:10,496
in some place I didn’t
want to be.
1692
01:37:10,806 —> 01:37:12,776
That’s important information.
1693
01:37:12,776 —> 01:37:14,056
That’s useful data.
1694
01:37:14,956 —> 01:37:18,006
Then you learn from that, an
the next time if you’re really,
1695
01:37:18,106 —> 01:37:19,786
really, really, really mindful,
1696
01:37:20,026 —> 01:37:21,516
you won’t repeat
the same pattern.
1697
01:37:22,516 —> 01:37:25,986
But mostly what we do is
repeat the same old pattern,
1698
01:37:26,186 —> 01:37:27,856
over and over and over again.
1699
01:37:28,226 —> 01:37:30,896
Because we’re attracted
to just those people
1700
01:37:31,046 —> 01:37:32,996
who are not so healthy for us.
1701
01:37:33,876 —> 01:37:36,146
If you’ve read The Power of
Now, Ecarte Tole [Phonetic],
1702
01:37:36,246 —> 01:37:38,656
which I recommend you read
these kinds of things,
1703
01:37:38,876 —> 01:37:42,066
he talks about a kind of
construct called a pain body.
1704
01:37:42,866 —> 01:37:46,476
So a lot of, like, falling
in love is like if you start
1705
01:37:46,476 —> 01:37:50,356
to look at it, is by pain
body, what’s all knotted up
1706
01:37:50,356 —> 01:37:54,465
and painful and hurt in me
recognizes what’s all knotted up
1707
01:37:54,466 —> 01:37:57,766
and painful and hurt in you, and
those pain bodies fall in love.
1708
01:37:57,766 —> 01:37:59,885
Meanwhile — not a good idea.
1709
01:38:00,376 —> 01:38:03,116
Because it’s what you call
a dysfunctional relationship
1710
01:38:03,116 —> 01:38:03,946
from the start.
1711
01:38:04,846 —> 01:38:10,366
You know, but the awareness can
see that, and it can save you.
1712
01:38:10,366 —> 01:38:11,986
I have a friend at MIT,
1713
01:38:11,986 —> 01:38:13,965
one of the graduate
students with me in my lab.
1714
01:38:14,376 —> 01:38:17,266
And he said — he decided
to get married at one point,
1715
01:38:17,596 —> 01:38:19,755
and I did — the only
time I’ve ever done this,
1716
01:38:19,996 —> 01:38:22,776
I gave somebody advice about
who they wanted to marry.
1717
01:38:22,886 —> 01:38:24,516
And I said don’t do it.
1718
01:38:25,596 —> 01:38:26,226
I was young.
1719
01:38:27,156 —> 01:38:27,856
And arrogant.
1720
01:38:28,276 —> 01:38:29,206
So I said don’t do it.
1721
01:38:29,656 —> 01:38:31,226
He did it anyway, of course.
1722
01:38:31,566 —> 01:38:32,276
He got married.
1723
01:38:32,506 —> 01:38:33,716
Thee years later
they got divorced,
1724
01:38:33,756 —> 01:38:36,126
and he said to me
later, he said you know,
1725
01:38:36,646 —> 01:38:38,116
how come it took
you three seconds
1726
01:38:38,166 —> 01:38:39,816
to see what it took
me three years to see.
1727
01:38:39,816 —> 01:38:43,545
And I said well, it’s because,
you know, I wasn’t in it.
1728
01:38:44,476 —> 01:38:45,776
To see it when you’re in it,
1729
01:38:46,366 —> 01:38:49,666
that requires a whole different
rotation in consciousness.
1730
01:38:49,766 —> 01:38:51,036
But it is trustworthy.
1731
01:38:51,036 —> 01:38:54,786
So there is no answer to your
question, it’s life unfolding.
1732
01:38:54,896 —> 01:38:57,146
And whether it’s your
relationship to another person
1733
01:38:57,306 —> 01:39:00,635
or with choosing courses or
a career path or anything
1734
01:39:00,636 —> 01:39:02,286
like that, trust your love.
1735
01:39:02,806 —> 01:39:09,056
And as what’s his name, Joseph
Campbell said, and you know,
1736
01:39:09,056 —> 01:39:12,766
this is a really good piece
of advice, follow your bliss.
1737
01:39:13,756 —> 01:39:14,706
Follow your bliss.
1738
01:39:15,076 —> 01:39:17,046
And it will teach you
everything you need to know,
1739
01:39:17,046 —> 01:39:19,466
including how sometimes
following your bliss needs
1740
01:39:19,466 —> 01:39:21,076
to be modulated a little bit.
1741
01:39:23,446 —> 01:39:26,385
I hope that helps, because I
don’t have anything else to say.
1742
01:39:26,386 —> 01:39:27,636
>> Thank you.
1743
01:39:28,516 —> 01:39:35,096
[ Applause ]
1744
01:39:35,596 —> 01:39:38,186
>> People are saying that
life is more complicated
1745
01:39:38,186 —> 01:39:41,186
and more stressful now,
and I would believe it,
1746
01:39:41,186 —> 01:39:44,056
I don’t have anything
to measure it against.
1747
01:39:44,056 —> 01:39:45,186
And also the same with war.
1748
01:39:45,186 —> 01:39:48,436
That people go to war and come
back having experienced things
1749
01:39:48,436 —> 01:39:50,656
that they might not have
lived through in other wars.
1750
01:39:51,216 —> 01:39:55,466
And there are scientists
working on PTSD and trying
1751
01:39:55,466 —> 01:39:58,946
to help people heal from those
things they might not have
1752
01:39:59,016 —> 01:39:59,476
lived through.
1753
01:39:59,756 —> 01:40:01,396
And so sometimes I
think about how we’re —
1754
01:40:01,916 —> 01:40:05,346
like, if the world is becoming
for stressful or complicated
1755
01:40:05,836 —> 01:40:07,916
and our answer is
change yourself,
1756
01:40:07,946 —> 01:40:11,486
change your relationship
with that stress, it seems —
1757
01:40:12,406 —> 01:40:16,406
I’m not sure, it seems — I
don’t know how to say it —
1758
01:40:16,666 —> 01:40:17,546
>> I got it.
1759
01:40:18,086 —> 01:40:19,656
Thanks. That’s the
other half of my talk.
1760
01:40:19,656 —> 01:40:20,266
>> All right.
1761
01:40:21,176 —> 01:40:23,356
>> So thank you for
bringing that up.
1762
01:40:23,356 —> 01:40:26,186
So let me just very
quickly say this isn’t
1763
01:40:26,186 —> 01:40:27,726
about changing yourself.
1764
01:40:27,726 —> 01:40:28,915
It’s about recognizing —
1765
01:40:28,916 —> 01:40:31,506
it’s exactly the opposite
of changing yourself.
1766
01:40:31,506 —> 01:40:34,516
It’s recognizing the
beauty in yourself already.
1767
01:40:34,776 —> 01:40:36,126
No change necessary.
1768
01:40:36,426 —> 01:40:39,816
Now imagine if the congress
actually were mindful.
1769
01:40:42,686 —> 01:40:45,016
Okay? Actually, there
is a congress man
1770
01:40:45,536 —> 01:40:50,896
in the congress now, Tim Ryan
from the 17 eighteenth district
1771
01:40:50,896 —> 01:40:54,875
in Ohio who is doing everything
he can to bring mindfulness
1772
01:40:54,876 —> 01:40:58,356
into the main stream in the
political and economic circles.
1773
01:40:58,956 —> 01:41:01,266
You’ll see his name
around from time to time.
1774
01:41:01,266 —> 01:41:02,526
Fifth term congress man.
1775
01:41:02,866 —> 01:41:06,726
But the much longer thing,
and I wrote 100 pages
1776
01:41:06,936 —> 01:41:09,346
of mindful politics and
coming to our senses.
1777
01:41:09,546 —> 01:41:11,216
This is not about forgetting
1778
01:41:11,216 —> 01:41:13,726
about social change
or transformation.
1779
01:41:14,056 —> 01:41:18,635
But in order to really have
profound social change that’s
1780
01:41:18,636 —> 01:41:22,716
in alignment with
humanity and with kindness,
1781
01:41:22,716 —> 01:41:24,106
we have to look at
our own minds.
1782
01:41:24,136 —> 01:41:27,356
Because even the social change
agents are driven by greed,
1783
01:41:27,356 —> 01:41:29,806
hatred, and delusion, just
like all the rest of us.
1784
01:41:30,236 —> 01:41:33,286
Okay, so until we
learn how to sort
1785
01:41:33,286 —> 01:41:38,646
of at least recognize the toxic
or the sort of inquisitive,
1786
01:41:38,956 —> 01:41:43,656
violent aspects in ourself,
then we can do all we want
1787
01:41:43,656 —> 01:41:46,316
to transform the
institutions and even the laws.
1788
01:41:46,546 —> 01:41:50,136
But human beings, being
what they are, what we need
1789
01:41:50,136 —> 01:41:51,896
to do is transform the species.
1790
01:41:52,446 —> 01:41:54,356
Or I wouldn’t say
transform the species,
1791
01:41:54,546 —> 01:41:56,756
I would say have the
species come into its own.
1792
01:41:57,046 —> 01:41:59,626
Because we call ourselves
Homo sapiens sapiens.
1793
01:42:00,186 —> 01:42:04,906
In Latin, saperi [Phonetic] is
the verb to taste or to know.
1794
01:42:04,906 —> 01:42:05,736
Okay, K-N-O-W.
1795
01:42:06,196 —> 01:42:09,206
So Homo sapien sapien is
the species that knows.
1796
01:42:09,436 —> 01:42:11,175
And knows that it knows.
1797
01:42:11,176 —> 01:42:14,486
So in other words, awareness,
yes, and meta awareness,
1798
01:42:14,486 —> 01:42:15,666
awareness of awareness.
1799
01:42:15,886 —> 01:42:17,916
Now if we really —
that would be wisdom.
1800
01:42:19,106 —> 01:42:20,916
If we actually were wise,
1801
01:42:21,486 —> 01:42:25,486
then we would see what
war does to societies.
1802
01:42:25,816 —> 01:42:28,916
We would understand that we —
1803
01:42:28,916 —> 01:42:31,326
you know, with the kind
of preciosity and weapons
1804
01:42:31,326 —> 01:42:34,596
and fire power and everything,
we need to find other ways
1805
01:42:34,596 —> 01:42:36,085
of resolving human conflict.
1806
01:42:36,376 —> 01:42:37,596
But where’s that
going to come from?
1807
01:42:37,756 —> 01:42:39,386
It’s going to come out
of the same human heart,
1808
01:42:39,466 —> 01:42:42,486
the same human mind,
and corporations,
1809
01:42:42,486 —> 01:42:44,836
which after all mean
bodies, okay,
1810
01:42:45,026 —> 01:42:48,026
the corpus or the body politic.
1811
01:42:48,446 —> 01:42:50,756
And that’s made up
of human beings.
1812
01:42:50,996 —> 01:42:54,376
So we do need to sort of
tune the instrument on lots
1813
01:42:54,376 —> 01:42:58,446
of different levels, including
the law and jurisprudence
1814
01:42:58,446 —> 01:43:08,096
to actually privilege awareness
over a kind of dualistic,
1815
01:43:08,096 —> 01:43:14,375
adversarial condition where
it’s really winners and losers.
1816
01:43:15,166 —> 01:43:18,716
And a huge amount of harm and
social injustice gets done
1817
01:43:18,886 —> 01:43:21,316
and then we learn to sort of
tolerate it, thinking well,
1818
01:43:21,316 —> 01:43:24,436
a hundred years from
now it will be better.
1819
01:43:25,076 —> 01:43:27,836
So this is not going
to happen over night.
1820
01:43:27,836 —> 01:43:29,626
I have a very long time horizon.
1821
01:43:29,626 —> 01:43:33,166
Like — I like to say, one
Zen master put it this way,
1822
01:43:33,366 —> 01:43:35,306
never forget the
thousand-year view.
1823
01:43:35,546 —> 01:43:38,146
I actually have pretty
much a thousand year view.
1824
01:43:38,386 —> 01:43:40,386
If it happens in 100,
so much the better.
1825
01:43:41,006 —> 01:43:44,066
Even where we would site
nuclear power plants,
1826
01:43:44,066 —> 01:43:46,295
if we were building nuclear
power plants in, say,
1827
01:43:46,296 —> 01:43:48,006
northern Japan, for instance.
1828
01:43:48,006 —> 01:43:51,306
Where would you site
them, knowing the geology
1829
01:43:51,306 —> 01:43:53,415
of the Pacific Rim
and northern Japan.
1830
01:43:53,686 —> 01:43:56,726
Oh, maybe not too
close to the water.
1831
01:43:57,446 —> 01:43:58,316
I don’t know.
1832
01:43:58,626 —> 01:44:01,376
You need an awful lot of
mindfulness to actually,
1833
01:44:01,376 —> 01:44:04,076
you know, come up with
something like that.
1834
01:44:04,316 —> 01:44:07,456
So it has infinite
number of implications.
1835
01:44:07,456 —> 01:44:10,746
And I apologize for actually
not having spent more time
1836
01:44:10,976 —> 01:44:13,496
on this talk going there.
1837
01:44:13,856 —> 01:44:16,076
It is all in coming
to our senses,
1838
01:44:16,076 —> 01:44:18,156
and there’s an awful
lot happening
1839
01:44:18,156 —> 01:44:19,466
in the world nowadays
around that.
1840
01:44:19,976 —> 01:44:21,616
So we’ll take one more
and then we will stop.
1841
01:44:21,966 —> 01:44:24,796
Two more. If two people are
standing up, I’ll take —
1842
01:44:25,266 —> 01:44:26,826
are you standing
up for a question?
1843
01:44:27,466 —> 01:44:29,066
You’re just the microphone
holder?
1844
01:44:29,366 —> 01:44:30,876
Do you want to sing
or something,
1845
01:44:30,876 —> 01:44:33,436
or just like — this
is your moment.
1846
01:44:33,436 —> 01:44:35,165
I mean, American Idol.
1847
01:44:35,166 —> 01:44:37,836
>> I can make —
1848
01:44:37,836 —> 01:44:41,676
>> This will be —
you want to sing?
1849
01:44:41,996 —> 01:44:47,946
>> I’m hoping — I’m a
resident at the hospital here,
1850
01:44:48,076 —> 01:44:50,206
and I know you’re getting
involved with trying
1851
01:44:50,206 —> 01:44:52,966
to bring this into, you know,
more main stream medicine.
1852
01:44:52,966 —> 01:44:56,566
And I’m hoping it’s not going
to be like, a hundred —
1853
01:44:56,566 —> 01:44:59,516
>> Oh no, it’s already — it’s
already in main stream medicine,
1854
01:44:59,756 —> 01:45:02,436
just — just not here.
1855
01:45:02,436 —> 01:45:07,505
>> Right — so I — I mean, it’s
definitely not encouraged for us
1856
01:45:07,896 —> 01:45:11,656
to take care of ourselves,
and the amount of stresses
1857
01:45:11,656 —> 01:45:14,396
and appointments and
phone calls and now EDH,
1858
01:45:14,396 —> 01:45:17,346
our new computer system —
1859
01:45:17,796 —> 01:45:19,026
>> I heard about that.
1860
01:45:19,026 —> 01:45:21,446
>> — and 30 minute — you
know, I’m in psychiatry,
1861
01:45:21,446 —> 01:45:26,425
and 30 minutes to like, adjust
meds, and also the person wants
1862
01:45:26,426 —> 01:45:27,476
to talk to me and all of that.
1863
01:45:27,766 —> 01:45:31,545
And it’s completely
stressed me out.
1864
01:45:31,656 —> 01:45:35,506
But I can only imagine — and
I’m pretty great [Inaudible]
1865
01:45:35,636 —> 01:45:37,516
and good, you know,
great faculty.
1866
01:45:37,826 —> 01:45:40,766
But if I were to say you
know what, I’m going to go
1867
01:45:40,766 —> 01:45:44,665
to Shimbala to meditate, because
I do meditation in Shimbala —
1868
01:45:45,546 —> 01:45:47,976
>> You mean the Shimbala
meditation center in Colorado?
1869
01:45:48,096 —> 01:45:50,375
>> Well, there’s one in — White
River Junction there’s one.
1870
01:45:50,766 —> 01:45:51,205
>> Okay.
1871
01:45:51,506 —> 01:45:53,366
>> But I’ve, you
know, taken courses
1872
01:45:53,366 —> 01:45:54,916
and like, level 1 and level 2.
1873
01:45:54,916 —> 01:45:58,636
And — but if I were to
say that, you know what,
1874
01:45:58,636 —> 01:46:01,346
I’m going to go for lunch, and
we’re not really doing anything,
1875
01:46:01,346 —> 01:46:03,616
I’m going to go meditate for an
hour, and then I’m going to be
1876
01:46:03,616 —> 01:46:05,936
so much more there
for my patients.
1877
01:46:06,776 —> 01:46:09,746
It probably — even with
these kind, you know,
1878
01:46:10,166 —> 01:46:13,136
good mentors, it’s
not going fly.
1879
01:46:13,136 —> 01:46:16,206
And I advise my patients
on these things.
1880
01:46:16,316 —> 01:46:19,436
But still the medical
professionals are —
1881
01:46:19,436 —> 01:46:19,646
>> You see —
1882
01:46:19,646 —> 01:46:22,706
>> — these superhuman
people that I’m not.
1883
01:46:23,386 —> 01:46:27,056
>> In a talk like this I
can only in some sense point
1884
01:46:27,056 —> 01:46:32,465
to how deeply the
penetration has gone.
1885
01:46:33,096 —> 01:46:35,335
However, what you’re
saying is not deep enough,
1886
01:46:35,606 —> 01:46:37,246
by any stretch of
the imagination.
1887
01:46:37,246 —> 01:46:40,616
And it takes a long, long
time to shift a culture
1888
01:46:40,616 —> 01:46:42,056
that has its own self interest.
1889
01:46:43,096 —> 01:46:43,896
A long time.
1890
01:46:44,636 —> 01:46:45,936
So one —
1891
01:46:45,936 —> 01:46:48,425
>> Just like I’m sure it
takes a long time for people
1892
01:46:48,426 —> 01:46:50,816
to get to your clinic.
1893
01:46:50,816 —> 01:46:53,156
I know the chronic pain
patients we’re seeing,
1894
01:46:53,156 —> 01:46:56,576
we’re not advising, like,
any of the recommend —
1895
01:46:56,576 —> 01:46:57,596
you know, what you guys —
1896
01:46:57,626 —> 01:46:59,726
>> But you could
set up an M B S R —
1897
01:46:59,796 —> 01:47:01,876
maybe there is, is
there an MBSR —
1898
01:47:01,876 —> 01:47:05,286
>> Not even close.
1899
01:47:05,286 —> 01:47:07,606
>> Well, that’s not
that radical to do.
1900
01:47:08,086 —> 01:47:09,086
Are you in psychiatry?
1901
01:47:09,336 —> 01:47:09,466
>> Yes.
1902
01:47:09,826 —> 01:47:11,356
>> Yeah, well, it’s
not that radical to do.
1903
01:47:11,356 —> 01:47:13,965
Maybe medicine should do it,
if psychiatry has an aversion
1904
01:47:13,966 —> 01:47:15,096
to the mind-body connection.
1905
01:47:16,516 —> 01:47:21,326
[ Laughter ]
1906
01:47:21,826 —> 01:47:23,776
>> I even know
gastroenterologists
1907
01:47:23,776 —> 01:47:28,686
who are working with
veterans who have PTSD
1908
01:47:28,686 —> 01:47:33,665
and pulmonologists, I mean, this
goes — transcends specialty.
1909
01:47:33,666 —> 01:47:36,976
>> There are some, and you would
hope psychiatry would the most
1910
01:47:36,976 —> 01:47:38,566
open to it.
1911
01:47:38,566 —> 01:47:39,946
>> Well, I don’t
know if I would hope.
1912
01:47:39,946 —> 01:47:40,756
But you would hope.
1913
01:47:40,876 —> 01:47:43,056
If you hope it, then
make it happen.
1914
01:47:43,056 —> 01:47:47,045
You see, the psychiatry of
the future, where does it lie?
1915
01:47:47,046 —> 01:47:48,856
>> Not in medication.
1916
01:47:49,246 —> 01:47:50,966
>> Well, where does it lie?
1917
01:47:51,036 —> 01:47:52,286
I’m being serious with you now.
1918
01:47:53,246 —> 01:47:56,076
>> Well, I think in the
neuro sciences, and —
1919
01:47:56,076 —> 01:47:59,106
>> No, no, I’m looking for
something much simpler.
1920
01:47:59,346 —> 01:48:00,675
It lies with you.
1921
01:48:00,886 —> 01:48:01,216
>> Oh.
1922
01:48:01,516 —> 01:48:04,135
>> It lies with that impulse
to have come to this talk.
1923
01:48:04,616 —> 01:48:07,596
It lies with that impulse
to go to the Shambala center
1924
01:48:07,596 —> 01:48:09,856
and clear your mind and
then be more present.
1925
01:48:09,856 —> 01:48:12,936
If you want the medicine of
the future to be different
1926
01:48:12,936 —> 01:48:14,596
or the psychiatry of the
future to be different,
1927
01:48:14,826 —> 01:48:17,366
don’t look around for
someone else to do it.
1928
01:48:17,466 —> 01:48:18,316
You do it.
1929
01:48:18,316 —> 01:48:19,986
When will you be good enough?
1930
01:48:19,986 —> 01:48:22,496
Never. Because part of
your mind will tell you,
1931
01:48:22,686 —> 01:48:25,066
you don’t have enough power,
you don’t have enough influence,
1932
01:48:25,066 —> 01:48:25,906
you don’t have enough this.
1933
01:48:26,106 —> 01:48:26,916
You’ve got plenty.
1934
01:48:27,196 —> 01:48:28,256
As a medical resident,
1935
01:48:28,256 —> 01:48:30,616
as a psychiatry resident,
you’ve got plenty.
1936
01:48:30,786 —> 01:48:33,576
And if people don’t want
to do it, that’s too bad.
1937
01:48:33,576 —> 01:48:35,176
But you can take the initiative.
1938
01:48:35,176 —> 01:48:36,126
And I’m not joking.
1939
01:48:36,126 —> 01:48:38,446
I mean, we’re really
talking about a rotation
1940
01:48:38,446 —> 01:48:39,456
in consciousness here.
1941
01:48:39,656 —> 01:48:42,256
And the institutions change
when people are willing
1942
01:48:42,256 —> 01:48:45,876
to actually own how you take it,
1943
01:48:46,106 —> 01:48:48,856
and you’ve had enough
medical training to be able
1944
01:48:48,856 —> 01:48:51,255
to make coherent
arguments that a lot
1945
01:48:51,256 —> 01:48:53,626
of the way the healthcare
system is set up, I’m guessing,
1946
01:48:53,626 —> 01:48:55,746
just from what you’ve said,
is toxic to the people
1947
01:48:55,746 —> 01:48:56,766
that you’re most trying to help.
1948
01:48:57,056 —> 01:48:58,465
What kind of a set up is that?
1949
01:48:58,976 —> 01:49:01,866
Even if you have a better
medical records system.
1950
01:49:04,516 —> 01:49:10,186
[ Laughter ]
1951
01:49:10,686 —> 01:49:12,766
>> Okay, this will be
the last one, then.
1952
01:49:12,766 —> 01:49:14,196
>> There’s somebody
really ahead of me.
1953
01:49:14,296 —> 01:49:17,396
I just wanted to let people
know we do have upper valley
1954
01:49:17,716 —> 01:49:21,296
[Inaudible] associates,
we’re psycho therapists,
1955
01:49:21,296 —> 01:49:23,506
and we’re in our sixth year
1956
01:49:23,996 —> 01:49:27,626
of offering mindfulness-based
cognitive therapy.
1957
01:49:28,066 —> 01:49:32,266
>> Another thing I didn’t get
to really talk about too much,
1958
01:49:32,266 —> 01:49:33,826
mindfulness-based
cognitive therapy.
1959
01:49:33,826 —> 01:49:36,866
But yeah, I mean, there are —
I’m sure there are resources
1960
01:49:36,866 —> 01:49:39,786
in this area, lots of them,
like the Shambala center.
1961
01:49:40,046 —> 01:49:42,806
Are there any MBSR teachers
here, in the community?
1962
01:49:43,056 —> 01:49:43,495
There you go.
1963
01:49:44,146 —> 01:49:44,476
Say —
1964
01:49:46,516 —> 01:49:49,106
[ Inaudible audience comment ]
1965
01:49:49,606 —> 01:49:52,016
>> No, wait a minute, someone
just said no, there’s another
1966
01:49:52,016 —> 01:49:54,036
at Dartmouth, Hitchcock.
1967
01:49:54,036 —> 01:49:58,596
But MBSR is at Dartmouth
Hitchcock?
1968
01:49:58,596 —> 01:50:00,096
[ Inaudible audience comment ]
1969
01:50:00,096 —> 01:50:01,516
>> Well, you see,
the doctor doesn’t —
1970
01:50:02,076 —> 01:50:08,136
you know, so between the two of
you, you have an insurrection.
1971
01:50:09,306 —> 01:50:12,245
How many else — how many other
people are here with that,
1972
01:50:12,416 —> 01:50:15,646
how many are — oh, so
now you have a revolution.
1973
01:50:15,646 —> 01:50:19,526
I mean, you know, listen,
that’s how institutions change.
1974
01:50:19,526 —> 01:50:21,586
And you can do it with
tremendous intelligence,
1975
01:50:21,626 —> 01:50:27,136
with tremendous propriety,
with tremendous intentionality.
1976
01:50:27,366 —> 01:50:28,226
And kindness.
1977
01:50:28,226 —> 01:50:30,736
So that it’s not like you’re
going to go and just sort
1978
01:50:30,736 —> 01:50:32,726
of be obnoxious and tell
everybody what they’re
1979
01:50:32,726 —> 01:50:33,446
doing wrong.
1980
01:50:33,646 —> 01:50:38,366
But to actually offer a new
option that I’m not joking,
1981
01:50:38,366 —> 01:50:39,996
folks, people are dying for.
1982
01:50:40,986 —> 01:50:42,526
People are dying for it.
1983
01:50:42,526 —> 01:50:44,536
Metaphorically and literally.
1984
01:50:45,016 —> 01:50:47,896
And if — there’s never been
more scientific evidence
1985
01:50:47,896 —> 01:50:49,755
in favor of moving
in this direction.
1986
01:50:49,996 —> 01:50:53,686
So in some sense what I’m
saying is the responsibility
1987
01:50:53,866 —> 01:50:56,466
for the future of
not only medicine
1988
01:50:56,466 —> 01:51:00,676
but our society is a
distributive responsibility.
1989
01:51:00,846 —> 01:51:04,075
And as I like to say, the
world needs all its flowers
1990
01:51:04,076 —> 01:51:06,166
and you’re one, whether
your mind says,
1991
01:51:06,166 —> 01:51:08,026
and it’s like depressive
rumination,
1992
01:51:08,246 —> 01:51:10,206
he means everybody else
in the room but not me.
1993
01:51:10,206 —> 01:51:12,386
No, I mean you.
1994
01:51:12,866 —> 01:51:16,876
And see if you don’t recognize
the flower that you are,
1995
01:51:16,876 —> 01:51:19,786
and the genus that you are,
and the beauty that you are,
1996
01:51:19,786 —> 01:51:22,106
and take it and — someplace
1997
01:51:22,226 —> 01:51:26,446
where it can illuminate
some tiny little corner
1998
01:51:26,756 —> 01:51:29,846
that may be insignificant,
but isn’t, you think it is
1999
01:51:29,846 —> 01:51:34,816
but it isn’t, and just apply
what you care most deeply
2000
01:51:34,816 —> 01:51:35,276
about there.
2001
01:51:35,576 —> 01:51:38,516
That’s how health — that’s
how the care gets back
2002
01:51:38,516 —> 01:51:39,585
into healthcare.
2003
01:51:39,806 —> 01:51:43,035
We’re not talking about health
insurance reform, we’re talking
2004
01:51:43,036 —> 01:51:44,846
about healthcare reform.
2005
01:51:45,066 —> 01:51:48,106
And we haven’t seen the
beginning of healthcare reform.
2006
01:51:48,106 —> 01:51:51,626
And when we do, it will be
a participatory medicine.
2007
01:51:51,626 —> 01:51:55,466
It will be recruiting the
interior dimensionality
2008
01:51:55,466 —> 01:51:58,516
and resources that every
single human being by virtue
2009
01:51:58,716 —> 01:52:02,296
of being born a human being
has to one degree or another.
2010
01:52:02,486 —> 01:52:03,986
And that degree is huge.
2011
01:52:04,636 —> 01:52:06,406
And we need to learn
how to recruit it,
2012
01:52:06,596 —> 01:52:09,635
because anything else
will just be technology
2013
01:52:09,636 —> 01:52:13,256
and it will be all doing-based
and none of it being-based.
2014
01:52:13,576 —> 01:52:16,016
And we’re not called
human doings,
2015
01:52:16,016 —> 01:52:17,186
we’re called human beings.
2016
01:52:17,516 —> 01:52:21,675
So at that, I’m going to stop it
because again, the — it’s late.
2017
01:52:21,846 —> 01:52:23,325
But thank you very much
for your attention.
2018
01:52:25,516 —> 01:52:31,690
[ Applause ]