Mindfulness For the Wandering Mind

CHAPTER FOURClosing the Apps of the Mind

Overview

The mind is the control center for human functioning. It controls our mood, emotions, speech, responses, and overall behavior. Like a smart device, it has a lot of apps running in the background that are draining our energy and if we don't learn to close out the negative apps, we will be left depleted, both physically and emotionally. This chapter explores the nature of the mind and how to close out the unneeded apps.

When we talk about mindfulness, it is useful to address these basic questions: What is the mind, what is the nature of the mind, and how do we begin to understand what the mind is?

The Hard Drive

I like to compare the mind to a hard drive, which can store millions and millions of files. Similarly, the human brain can process and retain more data than we could ever imagine, and science still cannot fully explain how this organ operates. Each time we see, smell, taste, or touch something, the experience is recorded in our mind, regardless of our level of awareness. Even the many sights and sounds that we grow accustomed to and ignore are still mentally photographed and stored. There isn't anything the mind doesn't register.

For example, when I lived on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the noise of cars, people talking, sirens, and even construction were so constant that I no longer noticed them. However, these ...