Dr. Marcello Spinella, Professor of Psychology at Stockton University (and more specifically, neuropsychology) taught a meditation practice in our class on November 24th, 2020. Bringing his vast expertise to the table, Dr. Spinella explained what exactly happens in our brains when we meditate, and what it means to be in such a state.
Prior to speaking about the practice, I would like to go over what Dr. Spinella discussed and how it relates to meditation as a whole. Entitled “Mindfulness, Meditation & Yoga: Linking Brain & Mind,” Dr. Spinella presented a PowerPoint explaining what exactly the correlation is between these two topics. He opened by saying that Vipassana is a practice that allows one to “see clearly,” an insight meditation if you will. There are three parts that contribute to this, including:
1) Concentration, or Samadhi
2) Clarity, or Sati Sampajañña
3) Equanimity, or Upekkha.
Let us look closely at the components of the first part, concentration. Some people describe it as “being in the zone” or “flow,” a concept that our class had previously discussed in depth. Every sense is heightened; Dr. Spinella’s example being that after one meditation retreat, he ate a banana and the smell was so “ecstatic” that it heightened the taste to an exquisite level. Similarly, actions like sexual intercourse heighten as well — after all, who will enjoy the act more: the person focused on it in the moment, or the person thinking about a completely different action or memory entirely? People, overall, tend to be happier when focused.
Next, let us look at clarity. Clarity involves observing awareness — of emotions, thoughts, sensations, etcetera. Experiences become passing events rather than the focus of our identity in the moment.
Finally, we come to equanimity. Described as non-resistance towards experience, equanimity is about allowing things to happen to you and then letting them pass through you, without holding on to any resistance. Dr. Spinella put this in an interesting way, writing the following equation:
Suffering = Pain x Resistance
Expanding further, he stated that the amount of resistance one applies to a situation directly impacts the amount of suffering one experiences. He explained further:
S = P x R
100 = 10 x 10
60 = 10 x 6
20 = 10 x 2
0 = 10 x 0
As one can see, pain is a constant. One cannot move through life without experiencing some pain, but that does not mean one cannot alleviate the suffering by removing one’s own resistance. In the first numerical example, the pain holds a value of 10, and the resistance to that pain holds equal value. This causes the amount of suffering to increase exponentially in comparison to the pain initially caused. If one reduces their resistance by, say a value of 4 points, the reality of that suffering is reduced greatly too, even though the amount of pain has stayed the same. Going down the line, if one can get oneself to a place where there is no resistance, there will be no suffering. The pain will be there and will be experienced; but the suffering that typically accompanies it will no longer bring one down.
This is a very powerful visual, one I had never thought of. I loved the way Dr. Spinella explained it, how calmly he spoke even as he unveiled such a brilliant thought pattern. I have been using it recently to help with stressful situations, and I find that looking at it as if I am solving an equation has helped me significantly reduce daily life stressors.
Moving onwards to the technical terms, Dr. Spinella introduced three different networks responsible for differing aspects of the brain, as well as their cortex regions and overall roles in relation to this topic.
o There is the Default Mode Network (DMN), which is responsible for mental narrative, thinking about oneself, and the mind wandering. Located in the medial prefrontal and medial parietal cortices, the DMN is, as previously stated, responsible for the mind wandering off into the nether.
o The Salience Network (SN) is located in the anterior insula and anterior cingulate, and is responsible for salience and relevance, as well as catching oneself when one’s mind wanders.
o The Central Executive Network (CEN) is located in the dorsolateral prefrontal and lateral parietal cortices, and sustains attention, mental focus, and the acts of refocusing and continuing to stay focused.
The DMN and CEN are inversely related, so when one is active, the other one becomes quiet. This is essential knowledge when meditating, as understanding the functions of the brain helps one to visualize their own meditative process and the changes that result from it.
Some other essential skills that are necessary for meditative practice to work are as follows:
Curiosity (dhamma vicaya)
· Anything examined closely enough begins to hold interest, in turn engaging your brain and making your mind want to focus rather than needing to.
Compassion and Kindness (karuṇā , mettā,)
· As Dr. Spinella says “you can’t criticize yourself to enlightenment,” something Dr. Greene says as well.
Positive emotion (piti, sukha)
· Gradually noticed, not forced.
Meditation, ultimately, is a shift in awareness, reducing pain and the idea of separatism. It causes us to let go, stop resisting, and embrace the world as a whole. In terms of mental well-being, the DMN is overactive during suffering, or “running unchecked” and plays a part in mental and physical health issues such as depression, anxiety, rumination, traumatic stress, chronic pain, and ADHD.
Things that help reduce DMN activity and therefore its effects are:
1) Depression treatments
a) Psychotherapy
b) Meditation
2) Focus and Concentration
a) Flow/the zone/samadhi
3) Psychedelics
a) Yes, LSD. This is being tested safely and has a profound calming effect on people suffering from aforementioned health issues.
4) Meditation
a) Mindfulness
b) Loving-Kindness
*Fun side note: following this discussion, a couple of classes later we watched the documentary on the legendary Ram Dass, who infamously (or famously, depending on how you look at it) got fired from his job as a Harvard Professor for his experimentation with LSD and its impact on the mind. After losing his job, Ram Dass journeyed to India and found meditation to be a more suitable way to focus his mind, interesting considering the correlation between the two methods. *
Dr. Spinella describes meditation as many things, one of his favorite terms and my personal preference being “oceanic boundlessness.” Subsequent to this presentation, we gathered together and went through a guided meditation. I sat on my floor, cross legged with my butt planted on my feet, and listened to the instructions being given out. Dr. Spinella said that, rather than ignore the voices and sounds invading our senses, we should acknowledge them, focus on them, and then let them pass. This was extraordinarily helpful, as in my case I have a rambunctious household of people who oftentimes would not comprehend the definition of “peace and quiet” if it hit them in the face. Focusing on the loud noises interrupting my thoughts and the sounds enveloping me allowed me to home in on the singularity of the voices and accept them, rather than become irritated with myself and others for not having an empty mind or being distracting.
As I previously mentioned in my other meditative practices, I always start with a singular image of a metal ball the size of a penny floating around in my head. This one was no different, and as Dr. Spinella instructed all of us to focus on our individual selves, I pictured myself as this metal ball, even as I felt the twitch of my toes and the itch on my nose threating to knock my composure. The ache in my back came to the forefront of my mind but I ignored it, refocusing on that metal ball, becoming it once more. A sense of calm washed over me, and the process of focusing on that singular object as well as the voices that came and went became a repetitive but productive process, one that I was happy to oblige.
Dr. Spinella then instructed us, if we so chose, to imagine the objects in the room, and imagine how connected we were to everything around us. At first, that is exactly what I did; I pictured my bed behind me, the futon to my left and the yoga mat on my right, my bookshelf to the rear of my right side with The Perks of Being a Wallflower hanging by a thread on the top shelf.
Then I dug a little further, and I began to picture the beams of the house, the dirt beneath the foundation, the piece of the house that hits the air and the distance between that and the nearest cloud. It felt as if I was attempting to comprehend the fabric of my existence in relation to everything else, both inanimate and breathing. It was a surreal yet profound experience, and it changed my perception on meditation and the power it has to make one feel so deeply connected to everything.
I thoroughly enjoyed this practice, and it has changed my habits and my ways of meditating in my own time. This being my favorite practice of the semester, I cannot think of a better note to end on.
Until my Final Reflection,
Moujnir
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