Welcome to Project Monkey Mind! My name is Ben.
Project Monkey Mind is a blog dedicated to helping people manage their minds, brains and bodies with psychological and spiritual tools.
The mission of the project is to empower people with the means to better understand how their nervous system reacts and responds to a 21st-century environment. By cultivating both knowledge (understanding of how we function) and skill (the practical application of meditative concentration, compassion, self-soothing, emotional regulation etc.), I want to help people get off the “I need fixing” treadmill and back into their lives.
As someone who has a background in the psychology and neuroscience (M.Sc. Applied Neuroscience, M.Ed. Counselling (candidate), B.Sc. Behavioural Science), but who also has a deep love and commitment to spirituality, I’m devoted to bringing out the best of both science and spirituality and shining a light on what I perceive as shortcomings in each of them.
Scientific thinking and spiritual practice go hand-in-hand. Without scientific thinking, spirituality may become ungrounded, magical and even dangerous. Without spiritual practice, scientific thinking can sometimes propagate a lifeless, reductionist worldview, and deny a significant part of what it means to experience being in the world.
Ultimately, spirituality and science are just categories that are created and maintained by our cognitions. They are useful to us insofar as they reduce suffering and improve wellbeing – both now, and for future generations. So, in essence, the goal of Project Monkey Mind is not to alleviate your suffering, because it would be unrealistic to promise that. The goal of Project Monkey Mind is to help give you direction and confidence for your own journey.
(Project Monkey Mind is not intended as a replacement to therapy, in fact, many of the methods that are presented here will be much more effective – and sometimes ONLY effective – when working in conjunction with a qualified mental health professional.)
Here are some of the best articles to get started:
Psychology and Wisdom
The Self Improvement Fallacy: 6 Delusions That Keep You Chasing Happiness Forever
Why “Let Go” Is Bad Advice (& what you should do instead)
How to Stop getting Bothered by Strong Opinions
3 Unconscious Stories That Cause Suffering
The Power of Doubt: 5 Questions To Help Eliminate Painful Stories
Mental Health
The Optimism Habit: 6 Ways To Rewire Your Brain to Focus On The Positive
Why am I so insecure? (and what to do about it!)
How to Explain Depression to Someone Who Doesn’t Understand
Why do I hate my life? (5 hidden reasons that MUST be addressed)
I’m Tired of Everything: 6 Proven Ways to Find Meaning, Motivation and Energy Again!
5 Tips to Permanently Improve Your Self-Esteem (VIDEO)
21 Benefits of Deep Breathing (Based on Groundbreaking Research)
Meditation
Peace of Mind is an Acquired Taste
The Psychology of Love: 7 Benefits of Loving-Kindness Meditation
How to Meditate for Concentration (the ULTIMATE guide)
The Hidden Truth about Mindfulness
4 Fundamental Meditations to Rewire Your Brain and Improve Your Life
Quotes
50 Life-Changing Dalai Lama Quotes on Life, Love, Health, Happiness, Kindness and More!
21 Viktor Frankl Quotes on the Meaning of Life, Love, and Suffering
