By Joe Perez
The fruits of modernity such as highly effective experimentally-driven psychological research into habit formation must not be forgotten in the quest for a World Spirituality. A philosophy for the 21st century must have as a baseline the essential, empirically-based truths of modern science, including the human sciences.
In his new book, The Power of Habit, New York Times investigative reporterCharles Duhigg has drawn together the most cutting edge research on why habits exist and how they can be changed. In his interview with Big Think we asked him how he is able to apply the science to his own life.
As Duhigg demonstrates, there is a clear evolutionary logic behind our habits, as they save us time and mental energy. That’s a good thing. And yet, this also makes us more vulnerable to bad habits as well.
Read the whole thing.
Duhigg was eventually able to figure out his reward system and substitute something more healthful for the unhealthful treat, a daily chocolate chip cookie.
As I see it, that’s how World Spirituality’s “war on unconsciousness” is fought, battle by battle, one cubic centimeter of mindfulness at a time, cookie by cookie.
Photo Credit: geerlingguy
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