Mind Performance Hacks

Hack #60. Meditate

Learn the basics of insight meditation, a much subtler and surer (but slower) technique for gaining clarity than the Fourfold Breath.

There are many kinds of meditation. The kind described in this hack is called vipassana, or insight meditation. Vipassana is the primary meditation technique of Theravada Buddhism, which you might think of as "orthodox" Buddhism; it is the sect that has remained closest to the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama from 2,500 years ago.

These brief instructions on how to meditate are intended to be useful for insight meditation only; if you wish to try another kind, you will have to consult another source.

The benefits of insight meditation include the following:

• Clearing your mind of distractions

• Experiencing better concentration and awareness

• Developing insight into how your mind works

• Hearing the quieter voices in your mind beneath the constant chatter

• Reducing the ravages of the fight-or-flight reaction on your body

• Gaining rest and respite, a "cool heart"

The ultimate goal of insight meditation is nirvana or nibbana. Most people suppose that this term means something like heaven or eternal bliss; actually, its literal meaning is something like cooling off, and it refers to eliminating or minimizing the suffering you feel.¹

Naturally, if you're boiling over with hatred and rage, you can't think clearly. Other strong emotional states can distract you as well, as can constant internal monologue. Meditation aims to reduce how often you find yourself ...