“Men would rather receive an electric shock than think,” Science Journal This summer, a widely publicized report provided a stark reminder about the state of the modern mind. While today’s news is often sensationalized, in this case, the stories were sadly accurate. The report, published in the July issue of the journal Science, outlined a series of 11 studies in which volunteers were asked to sit alone with their thoughts for between 6 and 15 minutes, and the results were fascinating. The early experiments showed that people age 18 to 77, from various demographics, found it uncomfortable and hard to concentrate when sitting in a bare room alone with their thoughts. According to one of the researchers who conducted the study, Timothy Wilson, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, the answer, to some extent, has to do with the nature of the human brain. “The mind is designed to engage with the world. Even when we are by ourselves, our focus usually is on the outside world,” he told Wired. “Without training in thought-control techniques, which still are difficult, most people would prefer to engage in external activities. sonima/live-free/how-to-focus/
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 22:20:28 +0000
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