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

by Chris Niebauer

These studies strongly suggest that we live our lives under the direction of the interpreter, and for most of us the mind is a master we are not even aware of. We may become angry, offended, sexually aroused, happy, or fearful, and we do not question the authenticity of these thoughts and experiences. While it is clear that these experiences are happening to us, we somehow retain the idea that we are still in charge of it all.

even though the left-brain interpreter is always on and cannot be turned off, once it is recognized—or that is to say, once we become aware of its constant interpretations—a new awareness of ourselves and the world begins. Instead of being so identified with the “me” in our heads, we find ourselves noticing things like “that's my left-brain interpreter telling stories.” When the stories it creates don't evoke as strong a mental or emotional reaction, our suffering lessens as a result.

is it possible that it also looks inward and does the same thing? In other words, does the left brain see thought happening in the brain and continuously create a “thing” out of the process of thinking, which it then labels “me”? Is the sense of self related to seeing patterns in randomness? Is it possible that the self we invest so much in is nothing more than a story to help explain our behaviors, the myriad events that go on in our lives, and our experiences in the world?

Our association of our true self with the constant voice in our head is an instance of mistaking the map (the voice) for the territory (who we really are). This error is one of the biggest reasons the illusion of self is so difficult to see.

Simply becoming aware of the interpreter and the endless categories it creates through judgment frees you from being tied to the inevitability of these judgments. That is to say, when you become conscious of the interpreter, you are free to choose to no longer take its interpretations so seriously.

Holding this possibility in our minds, we can see that once the belief in the individual self is anchored, we then further divide and categorize this individual self and turn this imaginary self into a project for self-improvement. This results in the twin beliefs that “this is how I am,” and “this is how I want to be,” but this internal split is just more of the left brain doing its job to separate all things into opposing categories.

We can all agree that this image isn't the “real” Brad Pitt, but rather an illusionary representation of him. When we think again of the major question of this book, is it possible that the left brain looks within and sees an illusionary representation called the self? The big difference, of course, is that unlike this drawing of Brad Pitt, almost everyone believes that the self is real.

Noting just how many “yous” appear in a day works to dismantle the illusion of a singular “you” behind it all. A sense of freedom can emerge from the realization that you are under no obligation to be consistent. You need not try to glue the continuous change in the world into one single thing.

The right brain is the “doing it” center of the brain. One way to get more in touch with the right brain is to cut the left brain out of activities by doing them for no reason—not for money, not to improve oneself, but simply for the sake of doing them. The left-brain ego thinks in terms of cause and effect, and in order for an action to be worth taking, it must have a positive outcome, but this can complicate the actual doing of the tasks.

The theory was very simple: if you process the meaning, you will remember it, but if you process only the surface features by just reading it to yourself or looking at the words, it will be forgotten.

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form Emptiness is not separate from form Form is not separate from emptiness Whatever is form is emptiness Whatever is emptiness is form

Emptiness is not separate from form Form is not separate from emptiness Whatever is form is emptiness Whatever is emptiness is form

During a now famous lecture, the Eastern philosopher and spiritual teacher 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.”

the interpretive mind has given up trying to control emotions, and in this way it is no longer attempting to be master.

Research has determined there is greater activity in the right brain when subjects experienced the sensations of gratitude,

In the same way that a glass of water is exponentially more satisfying after a five-mile hike in the desert, the experience of feeling the interconnectedness of everything is more fulfilling after the illusion of separation. This is the fun of the game. This is the fun of waking up.