The power of observation

SWATI KANNAN explores some of the benefits of meditation, including how it can change our personalities and behaviours, provided we are willing to become self-aware.

Often I wonder if meditation can change people’s personalities and behaviors. Does the fundamental act of meditation make us better human beings? After much deliberation, I would like to respond, “Yes.” Meditation can advance us as individuals, but not without self-observation and a will to change.

Observation is a skill we innately possess and intuitively use. For example, infants and children learn behaviors and develop personalities by observing their parents. Even important breakthroughs in science arise from the simple power of observation of nature, events and people around us. Novels about Sherlock Holmes rest on his acute ability to notice the details around him in deducing certain conclusions, and Isaac Newton is said to have surmised the concept of gravity by witnessing an apple fall from a tree. Of course, many people saw apples fall to the ground but only Newton discovered gravity. This means that simply looking is not enough – we need to observe.

Like any other skill, the art of observation or introspection
can be polished and used to improve our behaviors,
emotional reactions and responses to unplanned events in life.

By examining the world around us with curiosity, we develop an understanding of our environment. But these are external observations. What of internal or self-observation? In psychology, self-observation is termed ‘introspection’, and introspection is defined as “The examination of one’s own conscious thoughts and feelings.”¹ The process of introspection in psychology involves reflecting on one’s own mental state, but in the spiritual context it also refers to examination of one’s own spirit or soul.

Like any other skill, the art of observation or introspection can be polished and used to improve our behaviors, emotional reactions and responses to unplanned events in life.

These ideas give rise to an important question: How do we refine our ability to introspect both mentally and spiritually? Meditation? Most of the current research on the effects of meditation focuses on Mindfulness. The practice of mindful meditation has become mainstream now in many parts of the globe, and it has been studied in psychology to assess its effects on both physical and mental health.

When searching for how to practice Mindfulness, we find that most websites have the following protocol  in common:

Sit down quietly, with eyes closed.

Focus on the breath, and accept all sensations filtering through, without judgment. The goal is to achieve awareness of the present experience.

Instead of becoming overwhelmed by thoughts, feelings and body sensations, the person is better able to manage them, with practice.

Meditation allows space for observation of self without judgment.

Physiologically, practitioners of Mindfulness meditation show similar changes in the brain after just a few weeks of meditation:

The gray matter in the brain’s frontal cortex, which processes attention, focus and sensory processing, enlarges, thus increasing the skills necessary for observation, and

The pre-frontal cortex, which is associated with positive emotion, also demonstrates higher activity levels in meditators.² The brain surprisingly becomes more active during meditation, which has been linked to improved emotional regulation, especially in people who have meditated consistently for five years or more.

Psychologically, Mindfulness meditation provides:

• Insight into emotions,
• Boosts concentration, and
• Can help with relationships.

Mindfulness meditation has been integrated with other stress reduction techniques and with cognitive behavioral therapy to help with anxiety and recurring depression, respectively.

Through the art of meditation,
our awareness of our surroundings and
of our own internal situation increases.

If such contemplation leads to changes in the brain that increase attentiveness and result in mental well-being, how does that translate into improved introspection?’

Through the art of meditation, our awareness of our surroundings and of our own internal situation increases. Mingyur Ripoche, a young Tibetan monk and co-author of the bestseller, The Joy of Living, describes awareness as “the mind that knows”³. Awareness is already a characteristic of the mind. Mindfulness and awareness complement each other. And if you can train the mind with meditation, awareness is naturally improved.

Meditation allows space for observation of self without judgment. “It’s the act of paying attention… that gradually slows the rushing river [of thoughts and emotions] that would allow me to experience a bit of space between what I was looking at and the simple awareness of looking.”³ Most of us lose awareness or control during an angry outburst. After the outburst is over and we have had time to deliberate, we may apologize for our reaction. We may promise not to react so negatively again, however, if the mind could be self-aware during outraged behavior, the stormy response could be changed to a calmer reaction in that instant. If responses to situations can be altered, these actions can then lead to personality changes.

Since Mindfulness helps with awareness of our mental state, it requires no stretch of the imagination to understand that Heartfulness makes us aware of our feelings and our divine state. A divine state is characterized by inner beauty, strength and wisdom.

Since Mindfulness helps with awareness of our mental state,
it requires no stretch of the imagination to understand
that Heartfulness makes us aware of our feelings and our divine state.
A divine state is characterized by
inner beauty, strength and wisdom.

The practice of Heartfulness is not new, and has been taught in various ways in India, China and other Eastern countries. It emphasizes feeling divine love in the heart instead of just contemplating it. It goes beyond the thoughts and feelings of the mind. This technique increases perception of the higher Self, also known as the spirit or soul. By introspecting on our inner condition after meditation, we become aware of our spiritual progress, and subsequently transform our hearts to openly accept divine grace.

Observation is possible of the external world, the mind and the inner Self. They are all interconnected but, as stated before, simply looking is not enough.

Simply meditating is not enough. In order to change our thoughts, our emotional reactions and our personality, we must meditate and introspect with curiosity about our true divine nature. Becoming aware of the higher Self can change our thoughts, our emotional reactions and our personality. And through self-observation, if we learn that we are all spiritually equal, the world will be divinely impacted.

¹ Self-reflection. //www.memidex.com/self-reflection

² Holzel BK, et al. Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psych Res. 2011 Jan 30:191(1): 36-43

³ Mingyur Rinpoche & Swanson, Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom, 2009