TED英語(yǔ)演講課
給心靈放個(gè)假吧
每個(gè)人都有自己的壞習(xí)慣,但是我們中的很多人并不知道該如何去改掉我們的壞習(xí)慣。
今天的TED演講告訴大家改掉壞習(xí)慣的簡(jiǎn)單方式。
When I was first learning to meditate,
當(dāng)我第一次學(xué)習(xí)冥想的時(shí)候,
the instruction was to simply pay attention to my breath,
得到的啟示就是, 注意自己的呼吸,
and when my mind wandered,
而當(dāng)我的思緒開(kāi)小差時(shí),
to bring it back.
就把它拉回來(lái)。
Sounded simple enough.
聽(tīng)起來(lái)很簡(jiǎn)單。
Yet I'd sit>但當(dāng)我在靜坐冥想時(shí),
sweating through T-shirts in the middle of winter.
即使在冬天也會(huì)讓我汗流浹背。
I'd take naps every chance I got because it was really hard work.
我每有機(jī)會(huì)都會(huì)小睡一會(huì),因?yàn)檎娴暮苄量唷?/span>
Actually, it was exhausting.
實(shí)際上,是精疲力竭了。
The instruction was simple enough but I was missing something really important.
指導(dǎo)很簡(jiǎn)單,但我錯(cuò)過(guò)了一些非常重要的東西。
So why is it so hard to pay attention?
那為什么專(zhuān)注會(huì)這么困難呢?
Well, studies show that even when we're really trying to pay attention to something -- like maybe this talk -- at some point,
研究表明,就算是我們嘗試著專(zhuān)注于一些事情 -- 就像這個(gè)演講 -- 到某個(gè)時(shí)間點(diǎn),
about half of us will drift off into a daydream,
我們當(dāng)中會(huì)有一半的人, 都會(huì)恍惚,進(jìn)入神游狀態(tài),
or have this urge to check our Twitter feed.
或是會(huì)有一股沖動(dòng), 想去刷一刷推特。
So what's going>這到底是怎么回事呢?
It turns out that we're fighting>原來(lái)我們與之抗?fàn)幍模?是一種最近被科學(xué)界發(fā)現(xiàn)的 -- 「演化保守的學(xué)習(xí)過(guò)程」,
one that's conserved back to the most basic nervous systems known to man.
它會(huì)被保存在人類(lèi)所知的最基本神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)里面。
This reward-based learning process is called positive and negative reinforcement,
這類(lèi)獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)為本的學(xué)習(xí)過(guò)程, 稱(chēng)之為正強(qiáng)化和負(fù)強(qiáng)化, 基
and basically goes like this.
基本上是這樣的。
We see some food that looks good,
我們看到了看起來(lái)好吃的食物,
our brain says, 'Calories!
我們的大腦會(huì)說(shuō):“卡路里!
...
..
Survival!'
生存!”
We eat the food,
然后我們把食物吃下去,
we taste it -- it tastes good.
我們嘗了,味道不錯(cuò)。
And especially with sugar,
尤其是有加糖的,
our bodies send a signal to our brain that says,
我們的身體向我們的大腦發(fā)出信號(hào)說(shuō),
'Remember what you're eating and where you found it.'
“記住你在吃什么,在哪里找到的?!?/span>
We lay down this context-dependent memory and learn to repeat the process next time.
我們建立了這個(gè)上下文相關(guān)的記憶,并每一次都在重復(fù)。
See food, eat food, feel good, repeat.
看到食物、 吃下食物、感覺(jué)很好。
Trigger, behavior, reward.
觸發(fā),行為,獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)。
Simple, right?
很簡(jiǎn)單對(duì)吧?
Well, after a while,
嗯,過(guò)了一段時(shí)間,
our creative brains say,
我們富有創(chuàng)造力的大腦說(shuō),
'You know what?
“你知道嗎?
You can use this for more than just remembering where food is.
你不只可以利用這個(gè)過(guò)程來(lái)記住食物在哪里,
You know, next time you feel bad,
而且還可以在下一次你感覺(jué)不好的時(shí)候,
why don't you try eating something good so you'll feel better?'
嘗試吃一些好吃的,好讓你感覺(jué)好點(diǎn)呢?”
We thank our brains for the great idea,
我們要感謝自己的腦袋里有這么好的點(diǎn)子,
try this and quickly learn that if we eat chocolate or ice cream when we're mad or sad,
試著做且學(xué)得快,就是當(dāng)我們生氣或是傷心的時(shí)候, 如果我們吃下巧克力或雪糕,
we feel better.
我們就會(huì)感覺(jué)好一點(diǎn)。
Same process, just a different trigger.
同樣的過(guò)程, 只是用不一樣的觸發(fā)方式
Instead of this hunger signal coming from our stomach,
來(lái)代替原本我們的饑餓感,
this emotional signal -- feeling sad -- triggers that urge to eat.
這種情緒信號(hào)-感覺(jué)悲傷-觸發(fā)了想吃東西的沖動(dòng)。
Maybe in our teenage years,
也許在我們十幾歲的時(shí)候,
we were a nerd at school,
曾經(jīng)也是個(gè)書(shū)呆子,
and we see those rebel kids outside smoking and we think, 'Hey,
我們看到外面那些叛逆的孩子抽煙,我們想,“嘿,
I want to be cool.'
我想要????!?/span>
So we start smoking.
于是我們就開(kāi)始抽煙。
The Marlboro Man wasn't a dork,
萬(wàn)寶路人不是呆子,
and that was no accident.
這并不意外。
See cool, smoke to be cool, feel good.
看到別人???, 抽煙???, 感覺(jué)良好,
Repeat.
重復(fù)一遍。
Trigger, behavior, reward.
觸發(fā),行為,獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)。
And each time we do this,
每次我們這么做,
we learn to repeat the process and it becomes a habit.
學(xué)會(huì)去重復(fù)這個(gè)過(guò)程, 就養(yǎng)成了習(xí)慣。
So later, feeling stressed out triggers that urge to smoke a cigarette or to eat something sweet.
所以之后, 感覺(jué)有壓力的時(shí)候, 就會(huì)想去去抽煙或是去吃一些甜的東西。
Now, with these same brain processes,
那些相同的大腦過(guò)程,
we've gone from learning to survive to literally killing ourselves with these habits.
讓我們經(jīng)歷了從學(xué)習(xí)生存, 到用這些習(xí)慣殘害著我們自己的過(guò)程。
Obesity and smoking are among the leading preventable causes of morbidity and mortality in the world.
肥胖和吸煙是世界上主要的可預(yù)防的發(fā)病和死亡原因之一。
So back to my breath.
所以回到我之前提到的呼吸。
What if instead of fighting our brains,
假設(shè)我們不要再跟自己的腦袋去抗?fàn)帲?/span>
or trying to force ourselves to pay attention,
也不要再?gòu)?qiáng)逼自己去專(zhuān)注,
we instead tapped into this natural,
而是借助這個(gè)天然的、
reward-based learning process ...
以獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)為本的學(xué)習(xí)過(guò)程......
but added a twist?
然后稍微轉(zhuǎn)換一下思路?
What if instead we just got really curious about what was happening in our momentary experience?
如果我們只是對(duì)我們瞬間經(jīng)歷中發(fā)生的事情感到好奇呢?
I'll give you an example.
我給大家舉個(gè)例子。
In my lab,
在我的實(shí)驗(yàn)室里
we studied whether mindfulness training could help people quit smoking.
我們研究了冥想的訓(xùn)練是不是可以幫助人們戒煙。
Now, just like trying to force myself to pay attention to my breath,
其實(shí),就像嘗試著強(qiáng)迫自己去專(zhuān)注呼吸一樣,
they could try to force themselves to quit smoking.
他們也可以嘗試著去強(qiáng)迫自己戒煙。
And the majority of them had tried this before and failed -->他們大部份人之前都嘗試過(guò)了, 但都失敗,平均每個(gè)人嘗試過(guò)六次。
Now, with mindfulness training,
現(xiàn)在,用冥想的訓(xùn)練方法,
we dropped the bit about forcing and instead focused>我們把強(qiáng)迫的那部份去掉, 取而代之的是專(zhuān)注于好奇。
In fact, we even told them to smoke.
事實(shí)上,我們甚至讓他們吸煙。
What?
什么?
Yeah, we said,
是的,我們說(shuō),
'Go ahead and smoke,
“去抽吧,
just be really curious about what it's like when you do.'
去抽煙就對(duì)了, 只是在抽煙的時(shí)候,真心的去好奇一下抽煙到底是怎么回事。 '
And what did they notice?
結(jié)果他們覺(jué)察到了什么?
Well here's an example from>讓我們來(lái)看看其中的一位抽煙者怎么說(shuō)。
She said, 'Mindful smoking: smells like stinky cheese and tastes like chemicals, YUCK!'
她說(shuō):“注意吸煙:煙聞起來(lái)像臭奶酪,嘗起來(lái)像化學(xué)品,惡心!”
Now, she knew,
現(xiàn)在她知道了
cognitively that smoking was bad for her,
意識(shí)到吸煙對(duì)她有害,
that's why she joined our program.
所以她才加入我們的項(xiàng)目。
What she discovered just by being curiously aware when she smoked was that smoking tastes like shit.
她發(fā)現(xiàn),在抽煙的時(shí)候, 只要好奇地去體會(huì), 就會(huì)察覺(jué)到煙的味道像大便。
Now, she moved from knowledge to wisdom.
現(xiàn)在,她從認(rèn)知升華到了智慧。
She moved from knowing in her head that smoking was bad for her to knowing it in her bones,
她從意識(shí)到親身經(jīng)歷, 明白了抽煙對(duì)她有害,
and the spell of smoking was broken.
這時(shí)抽煙的魔咒就會(huì)被破解。
She started to become disenchanted with her behavior.
她開(kāi)始對(duì)她的行為有些覺(jué)悟。
Now, the prefrontal cortex,
其實(shí),前額葉皮質(zhì),
that youngest part of our brain from an evolutionary perspective,
從進(jìn)化的角度看我們大腦中最年輕的部分,
it understands>它在知識(shí)層面上理解我們不應(yīng)該吸煙。
And it tries its hardest to help us change our behavior,
它盡力幫助我們改變我們的行為,
to help us stop smoking,
幫助我們戒煙、
to help us stop eating that second, that third,
幫助我們戒掉吃第二塊、 第三塊、
that fourth cookie.
第四塊曲奇餅。
We call this cognitive control.
我們稱(chēng)之為認(rèn)知控制。
We're using cognition to control our behavior.
我們用認(rèn)知來(lái)控制自己的行為。
Unfortunately, this is also the first part of our brain that goes offline when we get stressed out,
不幸的是,當(dāng)我們感到壓力時(shí),這也是我們大腦的第一反應(yīng)。
which isn't that helpful.
所以不太能夠幫得上忙。
Now, we can all relate to this in our own experience.
其實(shí)我們大家都可以找到自己類(lèi)似的經(jīng)驗(yàn)。
We're much more likely to do things like yell at our spouse or kids when we're stressed out or tired,
當(dāng)我們壓力過(guò)大或是很勞累時(shí),我們有很大的可能, 會(huì)向自己的伴侶或小孩吼叫,
even though we know it's not going to be helpful.
盡管我們知道這不會(huì)有什么幫助。
We just can't help ourselves.
只是我們控制不了自己。
When the prefrontal cortex goes offline,
在前額葉皮質(zhì)處于離線狀態(tài)時(shí),
we fall back into our old habits,
我們會(huì)墜落回老習(xí)慣,
which is why this disenchantment is so important.
這是為什么覺(jué)悟是這么的重要。
Seeing what we get from our habits helps us understand them at a deeper level -- to know it in our bones so we don't have to force ourselves to hold back or restrain ourselves from behavior.
明白我們?nèi)绾勿B(yǎng)成習(xí)慣,可以幫助我們從更深的層次去了解它們-- 讓我們從骨子里去明白, 那我們就不需要再?gòu)?qiáng)逼自己去憋住,或是去遏制自己的行為。
We're just less interested in doing it in the first place.
我們只是在一開(kāi)始的時(shí)候沒(méi)興趣去做這件事。
And this is what mindfulness is all about: Seeing really clearly what we get when we get caught up in our behaviors,
這就是冥想的意義: 當(dāng)我們被自己的行為絆住的時(shí)候, 要看清楚我們得到的是什么,
becoming disenchanted>發(fā)自內(nèi)心層次的覺(jué)悟, 在覺(jué)悟的狀態(tài)下,
naturally letting go.
自然地停止這種行為。
This isn't to say that, poof,
這并不是,' 噗 '的一聲,
magically we quit smoking.
我們就戒煙了。
But over time,
而是日積月累,
as we learn to see more and more clearly the results of our actions,
當(dāng)我們學(xué)習(xí)越來(lái)越清楚地看到我們行動(dòng)的結(jié)果時(shí),
we let go of old habits and form new>我們就會(huì)摒除掉老習(xí)慣,而養(yǎng)成新的習(xí)慣。
The paradox here is that mindfulness is just about being really interested in getting close and personal with what's actually happening in our bodies and minds from moment to moment.
這里的矛盾之處在于,冥想是打從內(nèi)心的感到有興趣, 每時(shí)每刻仔細(xì)體會(huì)我們的身體和心智,到底發(fā)生了什么事。
This willingness to turn toward our experience rather than trying to make unpleasant cravings go away as quickly as possible.
將這種意愿轉(zhuǎn)換成我們的體驗(yàn),而不是嘗試盡快地把不好的癮念去除。
And this willingness to turn toward our experience is supported by curiosity,
而將我們的意愿轉(zhuǎn)換成體驗(yàn)是源于好奇,
which is naturally rewarding.
這自然是值得的。
What does curiosity feel like?
好奇的感覺(jué)是怎樣的呢?
It feels good.
感覺(jué)很好。
And what happens when we get curious?
當(dāng)我們好奇的時(shí)候會(huì)發(fā)生什么?
We start to notice that cravings are simply made up of body sensations -- oh, there's tightness, there's tension,
我們會(huì)注意到,欲望只是由身體的感覺(jué)組成的-哦,那里很緊張,那邊有壓力
there's restlessness -- and that these body sensations come and go.
那邊煩躁不安-就會(huì)有這些感覺(jué)。
These are bite-size pieces of experiences that we can manage from moment to moment rather than getting clobbered by this huge,
這些都是我們可以從容不迫的經(jīng)歷,而不是被如此巨大的
scary craving that we choke>癮念所擊倒。
In other words,
換句話說(shuō),
when we get curious,
當(dāng)我們好奇的時(shí)候,
we step out of our old, fear-based,
我們就走出舊有的、恐懼為本的、
reactive habit patterns,
回應(yīng)式的習(xí)慣模式,
and we step into being.
我們從而踏進(jìn)了當(dāng)下。
We become this inner scientist where we're eagerly awaiting that next data point.
我們成為了一個(gè)內(nèi)在的科學(xué)家,在那里我們熱切地等待著下一個(gè)數(shù)據(jù)點(diǎn)。
Now, this might sound too simplistic to affect behavior.
這聽(tīng)起來(lái),好像沒(méi)那容易可以影響行為。
But in>但在一份研究報(bào)告里面,
we found that mindfulness training was twice as good as gold standard therapy at helping people quit smoking.
我們發(fā)現(xiàn)冥想的訓(xùn)練, 在幫助人們戒煙的這事情上, 比黃金標(biāo)準(zhǔn)治療法好 2 倍,
So it actually works.
所以冥想真的有效。
And when we studied the brains of experienced meditators,
當(dāng)我們研究資深冥想者的大腦時(shí),
we found that parts of a neural network of self-referential processing called the default mode network were at play.
我們發(fā)現(xiàn),一個(gè)稱(chēng)為默認(rèn)模式網(wǎng)絡(luò)的自我參照處理的神經(jīng)網(wǎng)絡(luò)的一部分正在發(fā)揮作用。
Now,>目前,有一個(gè)關(guān)于這個(gè) 網(wǎng)絡(luò)所在區(qū)域的假設(shè),
called the posterior cingulate cortex,
被稱(chēng)為后扣帶回皮質(zhì),
is activated not necessarily by craving itself but when we get caught up in it,
會(huì)因?yàn)榘a念本身而引發(fā)不必要的啟動(dòng), 但當(dāng)我們被它牽絆住,
when we get sucked in,
當(dāng)我們被吸進(jìn)去的時(shí)候,
and it takes us for a ride.
它就會(huì)欺騙我們。
In contrast, when we let go -- step out of the process just by being curiously aware of what's happening -- this same brain region quiets down.
相反,如果我們不去有意識(shí)地-- 從里走出來(lái), 只是單純的好奇到底發(fā)生什么事情-- 同一區(qū)域的大腦就會(huì)安靜下來(lái)。
Now we're testing app and>現(xiàn)在我們?cè)跍y(cè)試手機(jī)應(yīng)用程式和以網(wǎng)路為基礎(chǔ)的冥想訓(xùn)練課程, 目標(biāo)就是這些核心機(jī)制, 而諷刺的是,
use the same technology that's driving us to distraction to help us step out of our unhealthy habit patterns of smoking,
竟是使用同一種也會(huì)讓我們分心的科技來(lái)幫助我們脫離自己不健康的習(xí)慣模式, 像是吸煙、
of stress eating and other addictive behaviors.
因壓力而狂吃和其他上癮的行為。
Now, remember that bit about context-dependent memory?
現(xiàn)在,還記得上下文相關(guān)的記憶嗎?
We can deliver these tools to peoples' fingertips in the contexts that matter most.
我們可以把這些最重要的內(nèi)容工具傳遞到人們的指尖。
So we can help them tap into their inherent capacity to be curiously aware right when that urge to smoke or stress eat or whatever arises.
所以我們可以幫助他們?cè)诳释闊?、因壓力亂吃或任何不好的欲望浮現(xiàn)的時(shí)候, 利用他們的內(nèi)心能力有正確的意識(shí),
So if you don't smoke or stress eat,
所以如果你不抽煙,也沒(méi)有因?yàn)閴毫Χ癯裕?/span>
maybe the next time you feel this urge to check your email when you're bored,
也許下一次當(dāng)你覺(jué)得無(wú)聊的時(shí)候你會(huì)想要看你的電子郵件,
or you're trying to distract yourself from work,
或者你想在工作時(shí)間透一下氣,
or maybe to compulsively respond to that text message when you're driving,
或者在開(kāi)車(chē)的時(shí)候有不得不回復(fù)的短信,
see if you can tap into this natural capacity,
看看你能不能利用這種天然的能力,
just be curiously aware of what's happening in your body and mind in that moment.
就單純的好奇 到底那一刻,你的身體和心智在發(fā)生什么事。
It will just be another chance to perpetuate>這可能提供了一個(gè)機(jī)會(huì),讓你持續(xù)保有這個(gè)永無(wú)止境 和消耗性的惡性循環(huán)......
or step out of it.
或是擺脫掉它。
Instead of see text message,
看消息的時(shí)候,
compulsively text back,
不要再因被逼無(wú)奈才回,
feel a little bit better -- notice the urge, get curious,
這樣會(huì)好一些-一開(kāi)始沖動(dòng),于是好奇,
feel the joy of letting go and repeat.
再感受一下不去做的快感,然后重復(fù)。
Thank you.
謝謝。
聯(lián)系客服