MANAGING YOUR MONKEY MIND

Many new students come to my Mindfulness Meditation class with the goal or desire to stop the troubling “mind chatter” going on in their head. The human default mode network (DMN as it is known in neuroscience) is that of mind-wandering or ”monkey mind.” I always explain to them that there is nothing wrong with monkey mind. In fact, it is a sign of a normal and healthy brain function. During mind chatter, the flow of blood provides nutrients to nourish the brain. A disruption to the mind chatter can be a symptom of brain abnormalities such Alzheimer’s or a coma.

I further explain to my students that it is not the “chattering” that causes their troublesome experience rather it is the “content and quality” of thoughts that are produced during such chattering. If the thought content and quality are negative, (for example: I don’t like myself, I failed, I am not desirable, etc.) then the affect is adverse. If, however, the thought content and quality are positive, (for example: I feel great after that exercise, I enjoyed that meal, I like where I am, etc.) then their affect is wholesome.

If you study the content and quality of your thoughts produced during mind chatter, you will find that they are always in the languages and experiences that of your past: there is no way that they would contain anything to which you have never been exposed. For example, you will never think of pepes unless you know that it is a delicious dish from Java where the fish/chicken/tofu is smeared with curry and other exotic herbs, wrapped in banana leaf and barbecued. Your thoughts do not chatter in Sundanese or Arabic, unless you know those languages.

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With wisdom you come to understand that the content and quality of your thoughts in mind chatter are conditioned by your life experiences. Further, you can conclude that any conditioning or habit can be replaced with another mindset. Therefore, the content and quality of your thoughts can consciously be changed from adverse to wholesome. Obviously, the wholesome experience will improve your quality of life as you become happier.
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Mindfulness Meditation practice can help you transform the content and quality of your thoughts to ones that are more wholesome through strategically planning and skillfully pursuing active changes to the brain. In addition to helping you change the content and quality of your thoughts, Mindfulness Meditation practice can also help you learn how to skillfully manage your thoughts and emotions as well as reduce the frequency of your chatter.

​For more on this topic, read Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body by authors Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson.

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