The Ego Will Be Asked to Open to Something Larger
"The ego wishes comfort, security, satiety; the soul demands meaning, struggle, becoming. The contention of these two voices sometimes tears us apart. Ordinary ego consciousness is crucified by these polarities. Again, the paradox emerges that in our suffering, in our symptoms, are profound clues as to the meaning of the struggle, yet the path of healing is very difficult for the apprehensive ego to accept, for the ego will be asked to be open to something larger than itself."
~ James Hollis, from Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up
Dreaming Constrained by Sensory Input
"Dreaming is perception free from external sensory constraint, while perception is dreaming constrained by sensory input — hallucinations that happen to be true."
~ Stephen LaBerge
Not About Positive Emotions
"The process of finding the truth may not be a process by which we feel increasingly better and better. It may be a process by which we look at things honestly, sincerely, truthfully, and that may or may not be an easy thing to do."
~ Adyashanti
Attentional Fitness Training for Musicians
Athletes and musicians -- and anyone else who has committed effort over time toward the development of a specific skill -- tend to have some advantages when it comes to these strategies. But what if there were exercises and drills to add to the mix that could systematically support the development of concentration, clarity, and equanimity in the context of rehearsal and performance?
Temporal Discounting
"There's a human tendency to under- or over-estimate the value of a reward based on its temporal proximity [how soon we'll get a payoff for the effort]."