JWL.Freakwitch.net

Cybermonkey mind

Slashdot pointed me to a very interesting article, Life Interrupted. The basic idea of the article:

We're shooting through technological rapids that have opened doors and changed the dynamic of work, how we communicate and live, and sometimes even think. All these tools have made our lives easier in many ways. But they're also stirring deep unease. Some are concerned that the need for speed is shrinking our attention spans, prompting our search for answers to take the mile-wide-but-inch-deep route and settling us into a rhythm of constant interruption in which deadlines are relentless and tasks are never quite finished.

Scientists call this phenomenon "cognitive overload," and say it encompasses the modern-day angst of stress, multitasking, distraction and data flurries.

Makes sense to me. As our minds become more fragmented, the need for activities such as meditation, which are technologies to quieten the mind, become more important. It seems to me that at least some time daily must be spent calming the mind, creating a sort of tabula rasa that can then be written upon by our daily activities.

It certainly makes me want to spend more time in quiet meditation....

posted by JWL at 1:15 PM |