My girlfriend tells me I have monkey brain; my brain just can’t calm down and stop jumping from thought to thought. It is a major hurdle when I’m in the midst of trying to learn to be mindful, live in the present moment, and learn the art of meditation. Having a monkey brain is the biggest single barrier holding me back from attaining a calm mind.
Why do I have a monkey brain? I’ve pondered this question. I’m actually having monkey brain while thinking about it jumping off to tangents of thoughts about biocentric views on conciseness and the connection between the mind and spirit. It is a bit like that movie “UP!” where the talking dog keeps getting distracted by a squirrel while in mid-sentence. My mind is a lot like that. I believe I have monkey brain primarily because of 48 years of conditioning. I’ve never tried to discipline my thinking. I’ve always just let it go wild and for the thoughts to come and go. Until recently, I never really saw a need to calm my mind or to remained focused in the here and now. This new effort is something relatively new for me and as such, it is taking considerable effort to undo 48 years of habits leaning in the direction of a monkey brain.
How to Overcome Monkey Brain Syndrome
- Use mediation techniques while sitting, walking
- While breathing in, focus on one thing and say silently to yourself “accept” (as in to accept the past and everything around you in the now)
- While breathing out, focus on one thing and say silently to yourself “release” (as in to release the past and the current moment as it passes)
- Practice Eastern techniques of mindfulness
- Enjoy “FLOW” experiences when they happen (“FLOW” is a term used for extreme focus on an intensive task like playing sports or chess)
