No Self, No Problem: How Neuropsychology Is Catching Up to Buddhism

by Chris Niebauer

My students know very well not to tell me to “have a nice day” because there is nothing wrong with a bad day or a bad mood.

J. Krishnamurti asked the audience “Do you want to know what my secret is?” According to several accounts of this story, in a soft voice, he said, “I don't mind what happens.”

Perhaps a more accurate way to say this is that the interpretive mind has given up trying to control emotions, and in this way it is no longer attempting to be master.

Complaining is a popular and well-accepted form of social interaction. I don't mean being skeptical or offering constructive criticism—those can be very helpful. By complaining, I mean objecting to things as they are in a way that isn't helpful, such as, “this cloudy weather is terrible!”

For instance, statements such as “This rain is ruining my day,” or “I can't believe I got a flat tire,” or “Traffic is horrible,” are all examples reflecting a negative mind-set rather than helpful criticism.

the “worst day” competition,

numerous studies have confirmed this—complaining leads to increased levels of anxiety and depression.

All of these unhelpful complaints stem from an overidentification with left brain and the illusory self, for it is only the ego that can object to reality as it is.

On the other side, gratitude is a reflection of the right brain.

In Buddhism, compassion is often described as “the ability to see another person as potentially ourselves” or “to see the interconnectivity of all things.”

There is a section of the right brain called the right temporoparietal junction (RTPJ) that does nothing else except to think about other people's perspective.

As it turns out, the RTPJ isn't fully developed in kids, and they have a difficult time seeing things from others' point of view until this area matures.

This greater neural connectivity allows the right brain to make novel connections between diverse ideas, and because of this it is often labeled as the creative side of the brain.