Mindful of It

Norm MacDonald famously said, “I remember a psychiatrist once telling me that I gamble in order to escape the reality of life, and I told him that’s why everyone does everything.” I’m not one to comment on this as I’ve used my news obsession to escape the reality of my own life for a few decades (a strategy that worked swimmingly until the content of the news actually got worse than the inner demons I was trying to avoid). But questions about the quest to avoid the reality of one’s inner life do make one wonder about the risks and rewards associated with being alone with one’s thoughts — even if your goal is to simply observe them and then let them go. In The Atlantic (Gift Article), Olga Khazan shares some insights on a twist you probably didn’t see coming, even if you’ve been thinking long and hard on the topic. The Dark Side of Mindfulness. “A prominent psychologist and meditation teacher set out to research the benefits of the practice. What she found alarmed her.” This is an interesting article, and focusing on the potential dark side of meditation will help take your mind off all the other things I’m about to report on, where the dark side is far more certain. I’d wager Norm MacDonald would have approved.

+ The surprising science of how focusing your attention may fight inflammation. (Just reading that headline made my inflammation ten times worse…)