The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness

You’re not actually struggling with meditating, you’re struggling with unrealistic expectations and an idealized image of what you think “should” be happening.

Stable, hyper-focused attention without mindfulness leads only to a state of blissful dullness: a complete dead end.

The condition in which the mind “stands back” to observe its own state and activities is called metacognitive introspective awareness.

Mindfulness is the optimal interaction between attention and peripheral awareness.

Attention analyzes our experience, and peripheral awareness provides the context. When one or the other doesn’t do its job, or when there isn’t enough interaction between the two, then we respond to situations less effectively. We may overreact, make poor decisions, or misinterpret what’s going on.

Developing raw mental power is the other part that often gets overlooked. Without this increase in power, you won’t get very far in cultivating mindfulness;

Mindfulness allows us to recognize options, choose responses, and take control of our lives. It gives us the power to become the person we want to be. It also leads to Insight, Wisdom, and Awakening.

Repeat step 3 until the meditation session is over, and remember, the only bad meditation session is the one you didn’t do!

At every Stage, all “you” really do is patiently and persistently hold intentions to respond in specific ways to whatever happens during your meditation. Setting and holding the right intentions is what’s essential.