Our minds have terrific capacity to work out solutions to practical problems.
This aspect of our mind is necessary. It serves a purpose. It has evolved with this capability for a reason.
But does this mindset allow for feeling good, feeling peaceful and feeling joy?
We don’t even realise the state of mind we’re in
Sometimes I don’t notice the overwhelming, uncomfortable, oppressive, stifling nature of the problem-solving mind until I’m not in it anymore. When I do find my way out, it’s clear to me that where I now am is where I want to be a lot more often!
So, I leave myself reminders. I’m aware of having to do all this from previous times of need.
I’m acutely aware nowadays that if I reside in that headspace any more than bare minimum then my peace of mind is at stake.
I never even used to know that I was in it, never mind ho to get out of it. It’s THAT ingrained in us as a culture to use our mind this way it’s become normalised to permanently be in that state.
When I remember and become aware I’m in the problem solving mind, and accompany that with ‘right here right now, there is no problem that needs to be solved,’ the problem-solving mind dissipates and nature – the real world – then magically comes alive. Without fail. It always happens like this.
The richness of the sensory experience comes into its fullness. Life itself becomes richer.
Life comes alive – a sure sign
Noticing how reality comes alive is a clear indication of where it’s better to be residing, what kind of experience is better. When I say better, I suppose I am bound by the use of language and concepts. I don’t mean to de-value a necessary part of my mind’s functions, but I know that for myself I actually suffer more if I remain in problem-solving any more than is necessary, and this is contrasted to the fact that my sense of wellbeing comes to the fore when I’m not in that state.
And more often than not this process is aided by natural surroundings.
Re-activate the whole body’s capabilities
We do actually have a choice between problem solving and being present. What is apparent to me when I choose the latter is that much more of ‘me’ becomes active. The term ‘embodied intelligence’ makes sense to me as something arising from being present. In fact, I relate to those two things as completely connected. So whenever I am present, I am automatically utilising the intelligence of the body. This doesn’t mean intelligence of the ‘flesh’ per se. It means more our whole system acting as one, physical, mental, macro and micro. This does incorporates the traditional senses but also utilises every aspect of the body’s functionality as one big sensory organ in a gestalt fashion, rather than just the intelligence of the cranial head or ‘mind’ that is active during problem solving.
Cue your wellbeing
When in the present, the mind calms, allowing for peacefulness, relaxation and a sense of stillness.
It’s actually an amazing feeling, to know or to believe that there aren’t any problems that need attending to.
We may say that What words or feelings can we associate with problem solving? Let’s see what they look like:
Worry, anxiety, rumination, stress, unsettled, dissatisfied. Do you realise that this is the predominant state of being for you and our culture?
Hey! Go easy on my mind!
Just to be clear, I’m not advocating that we abolish the problem solving part of the mind altogether. As I mentioned, it’s there for a reason and has evolved with good cause (some spiritual traditions would argue with this but this piece doesn’t have the scope to address that discussion).
So let’s say it is needed. The question really is to what degree do we need it and are we mis-using or over-using it?
Some people may still be perplexed by this line of reasoning. Maybe the problem solving mind is our highest faculty, and if we can work out as much of our issues as possible then we are doing things correctly and most efficiently. Happiness will surely come from the problems we solve.
What does the mind look and behave like?
If you take time to inspect your mind’s activity however, you will find it’s never directed at something of conscious choice. It’s a very random process. The cart is before the horse in the sense that it is the state of being itself – one that resembles some aspect of worry or dissatisfaction – that generates the thoughts or problems. The content of the thoughts or problems are almost irrelevant. They come into existence to prove to the mind there actually is a need to be active in this way.
And, there very rarely is a solution. Yes, if the thought process is directive and conscious there may be some answers to a consciously chosen issue that is real and does need attention. But that isn’t the same as our culturally conditioned state of dissatisfaction spewing forth endless situations that need resolving, with no end in sight, where life itself becomes one big problem to solve.
And all at the cost of the peace of mind. At the cost of the beautiful details in life we don’t see when stuck in problem solving mode.
You can’t think your way into joy
For me, joy is a spontaneous feeling that is never ever contrived or planned. It comes from being available to feel that way, and this is simply not possible when the linear, problem solving mindset is deployed or given free rein to take you over.
Another way of looking at this is that there is a distinction between the real world and the ‘mental’ world. And this could further be seen as the contrast between being and thinking. For me, the former is always where wellness is. The latter is where all the problems are.
It’s worth asking the question ‘is this where I want to be, for most of my time?’
Do we want to forever be solving problems?
Are we even aware that this is what we’re doing?
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