The Fundamental Mystery of the Mind, Annaka Harris
Guest Annaka Harris discusses the mystery of consciousness, defining it as "what it is like to be." She explores how meditation and questioning intuitions can help us understand consciousness, reduce suffering by dropping the illusion of self, and foster awe and compassion.
Deep Dive Analysis
14 Topic Outline
The Mystery of Consciousness and Its Personal Impact
Annika Harris's Journey: Migraines, Curiosity, and Meditation
Defining Consciousness: 'What It's Like to Be'
Childhood Curiosity and the Power of 'I Don't Know'
Meditation's Profound Effects and Scientific Experimentation
Meditation and the Illusion of Self: Scientific and Experiential Views
Practices for Dropping the Illusion of Self
Benefits of Uprooting the Sense of Self
Clarifying the 'Knowing' Aspect of Consciousness
The Hard Problem of Consciousness and Shaking Intuitions
Panpsychism: Consciousness as a Fundamental Feature of the Universe
Challenging Intuitions: Behavior as Evidence of Consciousness (Plants)
Listener Voicemail: Meditating with a Newborn
Listener Voicemail: Understanding 'Soft Mental Notes'
6 Key Concepts
Consciousness
An organism is conscious if there is something that it is like to be that organism; if it is having an experience from the inside. It is interchangeable with the word 'experience' and refers to the phenomenon of 'the lights being on at all' for a being.
Curiosity as Antidote
The act of becoming interested in what one is experiencing, even if it's painful or uncomfortable, can shift perspective and reduce suffering. This approach allows one to examine the experience rather than resisting it.
Illusion of Self
The strong, persistent feeling that we are a singular, separate 'self' or a center of all our experiences, distinct from our brain. Scientifically and logically, this is understood to be an illusion, as all behavior and experience result from complex brain processing, much of which is subconscious.
Hard Problem of Consciousness
The profound mystery of how non-conscious matter (like piles of rocks or swirling gas) can give rise to conscious experience. It is considered a deeper mystery than simply understanding the mechanics of a phenomenon, unlike a light bulb, where scientific understanding removes the mystery.
Panpsychism
A category of theories postulating that consciousness could be a more fundamental feature of the universe, meaning that some level of consciousness might be pervasive in all matter. This does not imply complex thought or a unified mind in non-complex systems like rocks, but rather a very minimal form of experience.
Soft Mental Note
A meditation technique involving the skillful use of thinking to connect to direct experience, such as noting 'in' on an in-breath or 'thinking' when distracted. A 'soft' note is like a whisper in the mind, with low volume and a gentle, non-judgmental tone, allowing focus to remain on the experience itself rather than the note.
7 Questions Answered
Consciousness is defined as the subjective experience of being an organism, or 'what it is like to be' that organism. It refers to the phenomenon of 'the lights being on at all' and is often interchangeable with the term 'experience'.
Curiosity can be an antidote to suffering by shifting one's perspective from resisting a negative feeling to examining it. This allows for a different relationship with the experience, reducing the pain caused by resistance.
Meditation, especially with sufficient practice, can lead to insights where the sense of being a separate self or having conscious will temporarily drops away. This is believed to happen because meditation, like psychedelics, can act on the default mode network in the brain, which is associated with the sense of self.
The 'Hard Problem of Consciousness' is the fundamental mystery of how non-conscious physical matter can give rise to subjective conscious experience. It's considered a deeper enigma than simply understanding the mechanics of a physical process.
Panpsychism is a theory that suggests consciousness might be a fundamental property of the universe, implying that all matter, even at a basic level like atoms or cells, could possess some form of consciousness. This does not mean non-complex matter has human-like thoughts or intentions, but rather a very minimal form of experience.
While our intuition often leads us to believe that certain behaviors (like crying) are conclusive evidence of consciousness, this intuition can be challenged. Examining complex plant behaviors that resemble human reactions, despite our assumption that plants are not conscious, suggests that behavior alone may not be definitive proof of consciousness.
Maintaining a meditation practice with a newborn requires flexibility, an open mind, and self-compassion. It's important not to rigidly cling to a previous routine, but rather to catch meditation where and when possible, even if it's only for a few minutes, and to avoid creating stress with one's partner over the practice.
18 Actionable Insights
1. Curiosity as Suffering’s Antidote
When experiencing negative feelings or pain, cultivate curiosity by asking ‘what is this feeling?’ or ‘where is it?’ to reduce suffering and resistance, as resisting only contributes to the pain.
2. Shift Emotional Language
When experiencing powerful emotions, shift your internal language from ‘I am [emotion]’ to ’there is [emotion]’; this creates distance from the emotion, preventing the sense of self from re-upping it indefinitely and fostering a more impersonal, curious relationship with it.
3. Practice Lightly, Experiment Often
When engaging in ‘glimpse practices’ (e.g., exploring the sense of self), approach them lightly without rigid expectation or ‘gritting your teeth,’ as strong desire can hinder the experience; instead, experiment with different techniques to find what resonates.
4. Use Soft Mental Notes
When using mental notes in meditation (e.g., ‘in,’ ‘out,’ ‘rising,’ ‘falling’), keep the internal ‘volume’ low, like a whisper, and ensure the tone is gentle and non-judgmental, rather than aggressive or self-flagellating.
5. Engage Consciousness Mystery
Actively probe the mystery of consciousness through contemplation or simple meditation techniques; this can provoke a sense of awe, offer perspective on your place in the universe, and boost overall well-being and happiness.
6. Douglas Harding’s ‘No Head’ Practice
During meditation, imagine that you don’t have a head while focusing on your breath or sounds; this practice can remove the perceived location of the self, providing a window onto a clearer picture of reality.
7. Joseph Goldstein’s ‘What is Knowing?’
Close your eyes during meditation, listen to all the sounds you’re hearing, and then ask yourself ‘What is knowing?’ or ‘Who is listening?’ to explore the fundamental nature of consciousness and challenge the sense of self.
8. New Parents: Flexible Meditation
As a new parent, maintain your meditation practice by being flexible, having an open mind, and accepting shorter sessions (even 1-10 minutes) as victories; avoid rigid adherence to old routines and prioritize family needs over home meditation time.
9. Handle Overwhelming Moments
When facing an overwhelming situation, consciously break it down and take it one moment at a time; this approach makes the situation much easier to handle than being overwhelmed by the whole.
10. Cultivate Compassion Through Meditation
Engage in meditation, particularly practices that diminish the sense of self, to create more internal room for cultivating deeper compassion for yourself and others, as a strong sense of self can limit this capacity.
11. Embrace Not Knowing in Meditation
In a meditation context, recognize and embrace the ‘healing power of not knowing’; this state can be a source of curiosity, awe, and wonder, serving as a powerful starting point for deeper understanding.
12. Meditation and Self-Illusion
Practice meditation to observe how the sense of being a self or having conscious will can temporarily drop away; this provides a better sense of the false illusions we often carry in our daily lives.
13. Challenge Intuitions on Consciousness
Actively question and challenge your ingrained intuitions about the nature of consciousness; this critical examination is crucial for potentially gaining a deeper, more accurate understanding of reality, similar to scientific breakthroughs that overturn common sense.
14. Encourage Child Curiosity
Teach children that saying ‘I don’t know’ is not only acceptable but a wonderful starting point for curiosity, awe, and wonder, fostering a powerful and encouraged sense of inquiry.
15. Read ‘Conscious’ for Awe
Read the first three pages of Annika Harris’s book ‘Conscious, A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind’ to experience a succinct and powerful sense of awe and wonder, as the author has an uncanny ability to produce this for the reader.
16. Reflect on Behavior & Consciousness
Question the intuition that observed behavior is conclusive evidence of consciousness by considering examples like plant behavior, which can mimic human reactions (e.g., to touch, light, sound) without necessarily implying consciousness.
17. Examine Consciousness’s Role in Behavior
Reflect on the strong intuition that consciousness is the primary driver of all behavior by considering that much brain processing is subconscious; this can lead to a more nuanced understanding of free will and action.
18. Explore Meditation for Children
For resources on teaching mindfulness and meditation to children, refer to episode 121 of the 10% Happier podcast, or explore Annika Harris’s ‘Mindful Games activity cards’ and her children’s book ‘I Wonder’.
7 Key Quotes
Curiosity can be an antidote to a lot of suffering.
Annika Harris
An organism is conscious if there is something that it is like to be that organism.
Annika Harris (quoting Thomas Nagel)
Resisting the negative feeling or the negative emotion just contributes to the pain you're experiencing.
Annika Harris
What you do follows from what you are.
Annika Harris (quoting Galen Strassen)
Without the self, there's just a lot more room for, for compassion.
Annika Harris
I would meditate even if it were a little bit bad for you.
Annika Harris (quoting Sam Harris)
It's all about starting again and again and again.
Dan Harris
2 Protocols
Joseph Goldstein's Glimpse Practice for Self-Illusion
Joseph Goldstein (described by Annika Harris and Dan Harris)- Close your eyes.
- Listen to all the sounds you're hearing.
- Ask yourself: 'What is knowing?' or 'Who is listening?'
Douglas Harding's 'Not Having a Head' Practice
Douglas Harding (described by Annika Harris)- Sit in meditation, focusing on sounds or breath.
- Imagine that you don't have a head.