Our Old Brain – Our Old Jailer

We may say, “I don’t read that stuff anymore” or “I no longer see it that way”. You don’t, but your brain does! We’re in conflict with new concepts; they don’t make sense because the wiring in our brain is still in its old groove.

The most frustrating reality of human psychology is that our neural wiring doesn’t move at the same speed as consciousness. This is why a slow repetitive approach is necessary, without becoming mechanical.

When we’re presented with a fresh approach but find ourselves slipping back into our old reactions, it’s because our brain is designed for efficient survival and safety. It views the familiar as safe, and the unfamiliar as a potential threat; new concepts trigger an immediate, subconscious feeling of conflict or discomfort.

So do we break out, or stay in our old conventional ways?

Knowing that our brain (our hard drive) is just running an old collection of software means that we can stop thinking we’re stupid. To actually rewire those grooves, we need to change our neuroplasticity.

Enter … meditation!
Upgrading the software.

Expect friction. When we try a new approach and feel internal conflict, we needn’t view it as a failure, but acknowledge it as the sensation of our brain resisting a new path. Actually, in meditation, our mind seems to get worse – it’s not. It’s just noticing more.

Because the old brain reacts automatically – following grooves created through years of repetition – consciousness now has to pause before reacting. This gives the new neural pathways a chance to fire in a different way.

The only approach to smooth things out is to feed the brain with new experiences consistently and gently until that becomes the path to enlightenment.

For this, we need the repetitive discipline of meditation.
In other words, shutting up.
🙂