This document discusses meditation and the natural process of the mind. When meditating, one focuses the mind until reaching a state of ideal focus, which slowly fades as thoughts start rushing in and the mind jumps between thoughts. This breaks the meditation, so the person refocuses their mind and reaches the focus point again. This process of focusing the mind and having thoughts interrupt is natural and meditation serves to train the mind to break the thought patterns and strengthen focus.

1. MEDITATION
& THOUGHT PUMP
Davide ‘Folletto’ Casali
Photo by Keoni Cabral

2. When we meditate
we start focusing

3. FOCUS
Until we reach
that ideal state of mind

4. FOCUS
…that slowly…

5. FOCUS
…slowly…

6. FOCUS
…slowly…

7. …fades away

8. Our thoughts start rushing in.

9. And our mind jumps from one to the other.

10. hey!
Until at one point: “Hey! I was meditating!”

11. So we go back
to our meditation

12. FOCUS
And reach again
our focus point

13. FOCUS
FOCUS
FOCUS
FOCUS
Meditation
Thought
Pump
hey!

14. This process
is absolutely natural.

15. YOU CAN THINK OF MEDITATION AS
A TRAINING TO EXERCISE TWO THINGS:
Breaking the
Thought Pump
The meditation
focus itself

16. “I often joke that I’m going to
build a meditating computer”
INSPIRED BY A TALK OF
Marieke van Vugt
Artificial Intelligence Professor
Ballet Dancer
Buddhist
www.mindandlife.org/van-vugt-om-ex-machina/

17. SEEN AT
Mind and Life Europe Symposium
for Contemplative Studies 2013

18. Thanks.
@folletto