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Reading Fiction Improves our Ethical Skills

March 1, 2015 By J. R. Thorpe

The book, and even the simple act of reading, sometimes seems under threat of extinction. After a study in 2006 revealed that people “reading” text on the Internet only actually read about 20 percent of the content — (they skimmed the content in an F-shape, looking at the beginning of each line and then checking for important words) — it’s been yelled from the rooftops: Reading is over! We’ve forgotten how to do it! Tablets are killing our ability to digest text! All books will soon be recycled into packaging for our new iWatches! But science remains resolute, pointing out the many different ways in which reading still influences our lives — and our brains. And there are many: from stress reduction to brain evolution to memory and empathy, reading is a pretty powerful tool. Careful where you point that novel.

We absorb text in huge amounts every day, and are only gradually discovering just how much its packaging affects how we understand it. Studies have shown, amongst other things, that red text makes us read and understand far slower (it makes us anxious), and that being exposed to fast food logos quickens our reading speed. Everything from font to placement on the page affects us. It’s not just a one-way transmission of information from page to brain; instead, we’re perpetually negotiating and shifting in how we react and what we retain.

Rest assured that reading is still a profoundly simple (and, it turns out, calming) act. Here’s a list of just seven of the amazing things that science has figured out about reading and the brain.

1. Reading reduces stress even more than music.

Your library is great for your mental health. In 2009, the University of Sussex did a study that showed that half an hour of dedicated reading is better for your stress levels than several other more traditional methods of relaxation, like having a cup of tea or listening to music. It reduced stress levels by up to 68 percent, which is pretty significant.

Scientists think the reason is partially escapism, partially physical focus: complete immersion in a book means the body is less focussed on its own tense muscles, and relaxes.

2. You don’t read more slowly on paper than you do on a screen — but you might remember more.

Before 1992, studies seemed to show that books were on the way out: readers looked as if they were comprehending text more slowly on a physical page than they did on a screen. Since then, however, studies have been a bit more diverse — largely because we’ve got so much more text and so many more types of screens — and scientists aren’t sure that’s actually the case.

You may, however, retain less information from the story if you’re reading a tablet than if you’re reading a physical book. Annoying for Kindle owners.

3. Reading might have evolved our brains.

Dr. Maryanne Wolf, in her bestselling book Proust And The Squid, has a theory: the invention of reading, several thousands of years ago, prompted our brains to evolve, allowing us to assimilate information differently. Reading, for Wolf, is one of the crucial elements in human genetic and intellectual history, and has a pretty huge role to play in how we think, work, record, and remember.

The theory is still debated — but either way,Stanislas Dehaene, in Reading In The Brain, points out how completely ridiculous it is that our brains, which first existed simply to survive on an African savannah, can now happily comprehend Shakespeare.

4. We actually react physically to metaphors in books.

 A study by Emory University revealed thatmetaphors are actually more physical than we think they are — at least the ones about texture. They compared peoples’ MRI scans when they heard metaphors that used texture (“She had a rough day” was the example they gave), to when they heard the same statement without a metaphor (“She had a bad day”).

The results? On hearing the texture metaphor, the part of the brain that activates when we actually touch something lit up. We’re genuinely feeling the metaphors we read.

5. Reading fiction improves our ethical and empathetic skills

Reading fiction — immersing yourself in the life of another and seeing the world through their eyes —  has always anecdotally been good for broadening one’s outlook. But now there’s hard science to say it actually makes us more empathetic.

To be fair, the study (done, again, at Emory, who are doing a lot of work on books and their interaction with the brain) focussed entirely on the kind of fiction that’s explicitly about character, from Anna Karenina to the steam-of-consciousness modernists like Virginia Woolf. But the results were pretty unequivocal: after reading them, subjects were more empathetic and emotionally intelligent, able to “feel” the movements of the characters in the movement areas of their own brains.

6. Reading intricate characters prompts the brain to ‘write’ them.

The brain has numerous ways of interpreting and remembering letter symbols; it develops a symbolic language to help it. But one of the most fascinating ways in which it copes happens when it’s reading something particularly complicated and unfamiliar, like kanji or calligraphy. It turns out that the brain actually “writes” the letter; the part of the brain associated with physically making text lights up, as if it’s physically moving a pen over the lines of the symbol.

7. Poetry boosts our memory.

Poetry, it turns out, stimulates our brains in much the same way that music does: it links to the right half of the brain, which regulates emotion. It’s also prone to send us into a self-reflective, memory-boosting state, particularly when reading well-known poems we love. Poetry also lights up the areas of the brain that concern memory and switch on when we’re relaxing. Call it the “poetry trance.”

 

J.R. Thorpe is a writer for bustle.com, where the article was originally published.

Filed Under: Books

BOOKS: Maya Angelou on Love, Compassion, and Self-Compassion

July 1, 2014 By Elizabeth Pyjov

One of the most renowned and influential voices of our time passed away on May 28, 2014. Maya Angelou was a poet, dancer, actress, singer, and writer most famous for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Her profound ideas live on—here are Maya Angelou’s inspiring words on love, compassion, and self-compassion.

maya_angelou

Maya Angelou on Love and Compassion

 “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”

 “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet.”

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” 

 “The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise.” 

“To those who have given up on love, I say, ‘Trust life a little bit.'”

 “If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don’t be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning ‘Good morning’ at total strangers.” 

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.” I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

Maya Angelou on Self-compassion

“If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?”

“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.”

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” 

“The question is not how to survive, but how to thrive with passion, compassion, humor and style.”

“I don’t know if I continue, even today, always liking myself. But what I learned to do many years ago was to forgive myself. It is very important for every human being to forgive herself or himself because if you live, you will make mistakes- it is inevitable. But once you do and you see the mistake, then you forgive yourself and say, ‘Well, if I’d known better I’d have done better,’ that’s all. So you say to people who you think you may have injured, ‘I’m sorry,’ and then you say to yourself, ‘I’m sorry.’ If we all hold on to the mistake, we can’t see our own glory in the mirror because we have the mistake between our faces and the mirror; we can’t see what we’re capable of being. You can ask forgiveness of others, but in the end the real forgiveness is in one’s own self. I think that young men and women are so caught by the way they see themselves. Now mind you. When a larger society sees them as unattractive, as threats, as too black or too white or too poor or too fat or too thin or too sexual or too asexual, that’s rough. But you can overcome that. The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself. If we don’t have that we never grow, we never learn, and sure as hell we should never teach.” 

Elizabeth Pyjov is the Editor-in-chief of Compassion Journal. She currently teaches Compassion Cultivation Training at Columbia University to graduate students and faculty, as well as to the general public at the renowned Tibet House in New York City. She has taught workshops about compassion at Columbia, NYU, Tibet House, and the Harvard Club of New York, where she leads a special-interest group about compassion. 

 

Filed Under: Books

BOOKS: Lovingkindness by Sharon Salzberg

April 1, 2014 By Dent Gitchel

By Dent Gitchel

 Lovingkindness: TheRevolutionary Art of Happiness is a must-read for those interested in well-being and fulfillment. Author and meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg explains important Buddhist concepts like compassion (karuna) and lovingkindness (metta). As the body of scientific research on happiness and meditation grows, there is rising interest in contemplative approaches to happiness and self-development. Contemplative practices may seem difficult, but Salzberg helps to make them accessible. Ultimately, lovingkindness is presented not as a concept, but as a precious human experience that we all have and that can be cultivated further. In Salzberg’s own words, lovingkindness is “the ability to embrace all parts of ourselves, as well as all parts of the world.” Salzberg gives readers a roadmap to begin a journey into widening the heart.

It may be surprising that when doing lovingkindness meditation, Salzberg recommends that we start with sending good wishes to ourselves. According to Salzberg, “when we do metta practice, we begin by directing metta toward ourselves. This is the essential foundation for being able to offer genuine love to others.” Making ourselves the object of our own love and compassion may seem odd to those raised in modern Western culture. The approach presented in Lovingkindness is that love is in our true nature, but that it cannot be truly directed toward others until it is directed toward ourselves. Salzberg highlights self-kindness as a fundamental step in the development of lovingkindness. 

 A second intriguing aspect of meditation as it is presented in the book is its use of reflection, phraseology, and imagination. One might assume that meditation is a mindless or trance-like state. In Salzberg’s approach, however, reflection is an essential component of meditation. She believes that a key step in developing self-lovingkindness is to reflect on happiness and friendship: what happiness and friendship truly are and how to go about achieving them. Salzberg encourages us to think about the similarity between ourselves and others in respect to these basic human values.

 Though there is currently widespread interest in Buddhism, many of its goals and concepts may be hard to understand. Ideas such as having love or compassion for everyone can be daunting. The roadmap Salzberg presents in this text helps to make such abstract ideas easier to grasp. To enhance the power of reflection, Salzberg emphasizes the use of phrases and imagination. When reflecting on our own goodness and aspiration for happiness, we may offer ourselves phrases such as, “may I be happy” or “may I dwell in peace.” When breaking down barriers between self and others, she recommends phrases such as, “just as I want to be happy, so you want to be happy.” This use of reflection, phraseology, and imagination may help make meditation accessible for beginners. The exercises progress in a systematic manner. Self-lovingkindness is the first step. Gradually, lovingkindness is extended to those near and dear, and then to others who are more difficult. Salzberg then guides us in further widening the circle of compassion to all beings. 

 Many human beings are starved for this type of love. Smothered by the expectations of others and critical minds, experiences of love may be tinged with expectations and attachment. Lovingkindness, on the other hand, is unconditional, without expectations, and free of attachment. To love oneself or another unconditionally is to want and wish the best with no strings attached.

Self-help books and workshops are available to us in dizzying numbers, making it difficult to choose whose advice to follow. If the goal is to be truly humane and to develop our innate capacities for genuine, meaningful lives and communities, this book is an invaluable resource. It offers traditional Buddhist concepts in a manner that is accessible to modern readers and non-Buddhists, and it helps to normalize the process of meditation. What is presented in this book is nothing less than a roadmap to love and compassion, which, to Salzberg, are among the birthrights of being human.

Summary

Title: Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

Author: Sharon Salzberg

Length: 208 pages

List price: $14.95

Published: Shambhala Publications, 1995

 

Dr. Dent Gitchel completed Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Training in 2012-2013. He teaches Compassion Cultivation Training in Little Rock, Arkansas. He received a PhD in Rehabilitation Education and Research at the University of Arkansas and was a Walton Distinguished Doctoral Fellow. He also worked in the Department of Educational Statistics and Research methods and received Post-Masters certificates in both Education Statistics Research and Educational measurement.

Filed Under: Books

BOOKS: Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff

September 16, 2013 By Mathew Skinta

Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind is a wonderfully accessible, personal journey through research and practice written by psychologist Kristin Neff. Self-compassion is a tricky concept. Neff guides readers through the self-compassion cultivation practices that recent studies have found helpful. Every chapter also includes a personal anecdote that grounds these practices in real life. Neff’s disclosures detail infidelity, divorce, the unique experiences of raising an autistic child, and what it means to be a romantic partner in a culture that does not always respect vulnerability and difference, particularly for women. In each case, Neff is able to masterfully link her life experiences with the practices that have brought meaning to her struggles and taught her self-compassion. The book is valuable for its smooth integration of these three approaches to self-compassion: summary of the science, Neff’s personal experience, and clear instructions on how to practice self-compassion.

Self-compassion may sound trivial or indulgent; however, it is incredibly difficult. Neff spells out how self-compassion undermines our deeply held beliefs about what it means to feel wronged, to defend ourselves from emotional slights with our habitual armor, or to hold on to suffering we are not ready to let go of yet. Self-compassion is more than an internal experience – it is a way of being in the world that allows us to be better parents, spouses, and teachers. It is a reminder that “I am someone worthy of love and care because, like all of us, I am human and experience pain. I don’t need to defend my worth.”

A notable practice Neff offers is the self-compassionate break. According to Neff, a self-compassionate break consists of 1) taking a moment in the midst of an argument, a frustration, or a painful moment to take a mental step back and recognize the suffering that is happening; 2) connecting with the common, shared experience of that particular pain – either with others in the world who may be having the same experience in the moment, or with the pain of the person we are arguing with; and then 3) extending a sense of warmth and kindness to ourselves and others. Often, the feeling of kindness can be evoked by remembering the words of a loved one, such as a friend who used to say: “Honey, of course you’re hurt right now… it’s totally understandable and you should remember to take a deep breath and be gentle with yourself.” According to Neff, this shift in perspective can make a huge difference in our skillfulness and well-being.

Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind is unique in how it combines the practical, the personal, and the scientific. Neff offers exercises that can bring self-compassion into your life right now. She drives home these practical lessons by diving into the messy ups and downs of her life and describing how self-compassion has altered it. At the same time, Neff is deeply grounded in the science of self-compassion. She describes the studies, researchers, and personalities involved in exploring the definitions and effects of self-compassion. Ultimately, Neff explains how self-compassion opens the door to being a compassionate and gentle presence in the world. Being kind to ourselves allows us to be kind to others, whether it is smiling back at a neighbor, noticing when a loved one needs a hug, or taking advantage of the opportunity to do something kind for a friend.

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About the Author

Matthew Skinta, Ph.D., is a clinical health psychologist in San Francisco. You can learn more about him at http://www.drmatthewskinta.com/. 

 

Filed Under: Books

BOOKS: You’re Only Human: Three Books That Forgive Your Faults

September 16, 2013 By Kelly McGonigal

 

We all have goals and dreams, and as you pursue them, don’t beat yourself up over your setbacks. The science of willpower shows that guilt and shame only sabotage self-control. The way to get back on track is forgiving your failures. Whatever your regrets, bad habits or temptations, you’re not screwed up, you’re human. And it’s not just you. It’s all of us. Here are my three favorite books for remembering that.

1. A Primate’s Memoir by Robert M. Sapolsky

In A Primate’s Memoir, neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky recounts his years in the Serengeti observing baboons. A wild animal story may seem an unlikely place to discover your humanity, but sometimes self-compassion is easiest to come at sideways. You’ll empathize with the monkeys’ social striving, as they jockey for status and sex. When they give up foraging for real food in favor of eating human garbage, you may be reminded of your own junk food addiction. And when tragedy strikes, you will find yourself deeply moved, mourning these wild primates who seem to represent our most basic instincts.

2. Start Where You Are by Pema Chödrön

In Start Where You Are, Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön makes an unexpected promise. Those despicable parts of your human nature? They’re the raw material for wisdom and growth. “You can feel as wretched as you like, and you’re still a good candidate for enlightenment,” she reassures us. Whether you want to meditate your way to Buddhahood or just quit smoking, you don’t have to wait to become someone else. Many of us have a desperate hope: On Jan. 1, I’ll wake up and I won’t be angry, I won’t be anxious, I won’t want that cookie. Then I can forgive my mother, stop drinking and stick to my diet. Chödrön gives us permission to get started no matter how overwhelmed or flawed we feel — and reminds us that we don’t really have any other choice.

3. PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives  by Frank Warren

In 2004, Frank Warren handed out 3,000 postcards to strangers. He asked them to write a secret they had never told anyone and mail it back anonymously. PostSecret is a compilation of these cards. Some secrets will sound familiar, though you may never have said them out loud:

“I waste office supplies because I hate my boss.”

“I feel guilty about sometimes wishing that I didn’t have children.”

“I can eat a dozen donuts in one sitting.”

Some secrets are funny, like the person who confessed: “I write the same thing on all my thank you notes, and I worry that my relatives will compare them and find out.” Others will break your heart, like the postcard that reads, “Sometimes I hope the drugs will take me before the loneliness ever gets its chance.”

The introduction to PostSecret tells us, “The things that make us feel so abnormal are actually the things that make us all the same.” That’s why I love these three books. They invite us to see ourselves as we are and to stop beating ourselves up about it. We aren’t all bad, and we aren’t all good. We’re human. We can make peace with that, even as we aspire to be better.

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About the Author

 Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., is a health psychologist teaching at Stanford University and specializing in the mind-body connection. Her work focuses on how we can translate neuroscience and modern psychology research into practical strategies for better health, happiness, personal success, and relationships. She is the author of The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It and Yoga for Pain Relief: Simple Practices to Calm Your Mind and Heal Your Pain. McGonigal is also the Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal of research on yoga, meditation, and integrative medicine.

Republished with permission from NPR.

Filed Under: Books

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