Does Your “Memory Bank” Only Release Negative Currency? If we consider our minds as a bank, we have deposited and continue to deposit so many types of thoughts into it, virtuous, non-virtuous and neutral, alike. But have you noticed? With the overflowing joyful moments you have banked since you were little, why does your mind favor forming negative perceptions about your new experiences. Why does the mind favor drama over chill, relax and cool? The answer can be found in great but varying teachings through studying models of the mind as theorized by so many great philosophers, scientists and psychologists. But the short and simple answer would always go around the simple truth hidden behind 1 word, “protection.” The mind wants to keep the body safe, thus when forming a reaction or a response, the initial processing would be to scan a relevant match among dramatic, unsafe or traumatic memories from experiences. As creatures who aims for 24/7 convenience, it is no wonder we have also trained our individual minds to function in convenience over mindfulness and awareness. Thinking fast without reason and logic to keep up with our fast-paced lives caused us to train the mind to produce trances that helps us survive in speed and convenience rather than awareness and appreciation. It is not bad, for our trances or automatic mental programs is one of the key functions that enables us to survive. The only setback with relying on “auto-pilot” is that it is not always producing positive patterns and responses. Since it is the nature of the mind to initially produce from the “protection mode” there is a high chance that every single response is “STRESS” in nature, instead of simply neutral or anything that can be transformed to positive. No wonder mindfulness has been one of widely marketed life management programs in the planet today. It is not the practice of mindfulness alone that saves us from the risks of stress, but simply retraining the limbic system to produce something better. Something more aligned to calm and peace. But one thing that kind of stuck in my head is reading something about mindfulness in the Buddhist texts, of which I cannot remember, so please note that I am not quoting the Buddha. This may have been said by a monk, a nun or a lay publisher. It says that, “mindfulness is not necessarily a virtuous practice, it is simply a skill, for you need mindfulness whether you are a saint or a criminal.” My view on mindfulness changed by then. I learned that it is the intent behind the practice mindfulness that has to be given more emphasis. You can practice being mindful – but mindful of what? More often, being mindful of the looped drama replayed in the mind. This is how I got into understanding the true value of Eutaptics, the essence of mental programming and how our trances take over every situation is an essential step in producing a life aimed at self-mastery. I want to master my “self.” My primary motivation for that is because I have been through a lot and I have come to the point of questioning not only the reality I produce but the validation of the alter-realities that seems to have more bearing in how I formulate decisions and responses.
I learned a lot through Robert Smith. But that does not mean I hail him higher than my faith in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Besides, he is outside that way of thinking anyway, it is surprising how it can be used regardless of your religion in contrary to what most people initial think. It is for me, the best life management system. For me, the true value of Eutaptics technique resides in the fact that it can help your “memory bank� dispense better thoughts that are aligned with your true self.