The puzzle pieces of implicit memory are later assembled into explicit memories—the factual and autobiographical information of which we are aware. The more we can shine the light of mindsight on the free-floating puzzle pieces of the past—the implicit memories—and allow them to become explicit, the more we can free ourselves to live fully in the p

(The same crossover is true for our sense of touch, which is represented farther back in the brain, in a zone of the parietal lobe called the “somatosensory strip.”)

This “old mammalian brain” works closely with the brainstem and the body proper to create not only our basic drives but also our emotions. These feeling states are filled with a sense of meaning because the limbic regions evaluate our current situation. “Is this good or is this bad?”

Again I felt a defensive urge to give him a lecture about sharing. But I reminded myself to remain reflective and focus on my son’s experience, not mine. The essential stance here was to not judge who was right, and instead be accepting and receptive to him (openness). You can imagine that this all required mindsight, for sure.

brainstem represented in your palm. Place your thumb back down and you’ll see the approximate location of the limbic area (ideally we’d have two thumbs, left and right, to make this a symmetric model). Now curl your fingers back over the top, and your cortex is in place. These three regions—the brainstem, the limbic area, and the cortex—comprise wh

This is the brain that both shapes and is shaped by our mind. This is also the brain that forms one point of the triangle of well-being that is so central to mindsight.

Using mindsight to focus our attention in ways that integrate these neural circuits can be seen as a form of “brain hygiene.”

As we mature, the hippocampus weaves the basic forms of emotional and perceptual memory into factual and autobiographical recollections, laying the foundation for my ability to tell you about that long-ago snake encounter in the Sierras. However, this uniquely

Mindsight is a kind of focused attention that allows us to see the internal workings of our own minds.