A current buzzword for mind is ‘consciousness.’ Did you know you can now go to college and major in Consciousness Studies?
You are in good company in the Department of Consciousness Studies where you will find spiritual healers, psychologists, linguists, cognitive scientists and quantum physicists – all working together to better understand your mind as you experience it.
Your phenomenal mind is continuously trying to help you navigate a world of challenges and changes. Interestingly, this understanding of mind is a key component of the new ‘Wellness Model” which is transforming medical care today.
The term ‘Wellness Model’ refers to a multi-dimensional approach to care. As Dr. Bill Hettler, co-founder of the National Wellness Institute (NIW) notes, six dimensions of our lives must be taken into account as we seek to create and maintain wellness: social, occupational, spiritual, physical, intellectual and emotional dimensions. This holistic health approach notes the interconnectedness of all things.
In the center of a holistic approach, we find our minds doing their part to help us thrive. Interestingly, we now see mind as having much in common with Google. Our brains absorb and manage an inconceivable amount of information every day. It manages that information with one objective, to help us navigate the trajectory of our lives. That awesome task is beyond the ability of our most sophisticated computers.
And, our minds permit us to glimpse something larger than ourselves, consciousness. Our everyday mind stands at the threshold of consciousness, and exploration of that juncture is bearing rich fruit as we seek to better understand ourselves. Enter the quantum physicists.
Many formerly inexplicable experiences of mind along with the power of mind are now better understood as we have penetrated the world of the quantum where things are not as they seem.
Henry Stapp, Theoretical Physicist at Lawrence Berkeley Mathematics Institute states that there is a kind of duality after all – not the mind/body duality that’s been debated for centuries, but a material/non-material duality, a physical/quantum duality.
A better understanding of our minds is the result of this science. How we learn, how we come to be who we are, how we come to have our abilities and vulnerabilities. The fruits of this new science are technologies that help us cope when the going gets rough.
One of these technologies is at your fingertips. Meditation.
Meditation is not ‘pop psychology’. It is a method designed to help us in a variety of ways. Some form of meditation has been taught throughout the ages in diverse cultural contexts.
To meditate, simply pause. Settle into the moment. Take note of your breathing and the scent of fresh cut grass wafting through your window.
Experience for the moment, the now. Let thoughts, concerns, and your ‘to-do’ list go.
You will have experienced an extraordinary state of mind with that brief meditation. That state of mind is, in and of itself, therapeutic. It is also true that, as you let go of thoughts, there is a window of opportunity to peek at the awesome fruit of the ‘information processing system’ of your mind as it is unfolding and, acquiring wisdom.
Diane Richardson has taught college and practiced psychotherapy in California for many years. She has utilized meditative practices to explore consciousness and mind. She has been tracking developments in the new science of consciousness and in particular, theories developed from quantum psychology, for over ten years. She teaches Power Up Your Mind Classes and can be reached at [email protected] or 925-943-5503.
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