Attention and Meditation

The initial instruction for meditation was to pay attention to the breath and bring the mind back when it wandered.

The speaker found meditation exhausting because even though the instruction was simple, they were missing something important and were fighting an evolutionarily-conserved learning process.

The reward-based learning process works by associating a trigger (such as seeing food), with a behavior (eating the food), and a reward (feeling good), leading to the repetition of the process.

The evolutionarily-conserved learning process mentioned is the reward-based learning process of positive and negative reinforcement.

Studies show that even when people are trying to pay attention, about half of them will drift off into a daydream or have the urge to check social media.

The speaker found meditation exhausting and challenging.

The reward-based learning process is called positive and negative reinforcement.

Studies show that the brain's reward-based learning process makes it challenging to focus and pay attention.

When our brains encounter food that looks good, the reward-based learning process triggers a signal to remember what we're eating and where we found it.

The most evolutionarily-conserved learning process known in science is the reward-based learning process of positive and negative reinforcement.