| Regular practice of meditation can actually help | | | | assume that they are angry. It makes you feel |
| you break out of past conditioning. But, what is | | | | uneasy and want to leave the area because now |
| past conditioning? Classical conditioning was | | | | you just feel very uncomfortable.o You feel |
| founded by physiologist, psychologist, and | | | | threatened when somebody gives you the 'evil |
| physician Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) when he | | | | eye'. That stranger doesn't even know you, but |
| studied the digestive functions of dogs in the | | | | you already know he or she has a strong dislike |
| form of associative learning. When the dogs would | | | | for you. You have seen that look in the past and |
| 'see' the food they would begin to salivate, | | | | it was unnerving.o Your stomach got queasy |
| therefore their digestive juices would be set in | | | | after those appetizers at that particular |
| motion to begin the process of digestion. | | | | restaurant. Now every time you see that |
| Through associative learning, classical conditioning | | | | advertisement your stomach feels queasy. You |
| was set in motion. In the beginning, Pavlov would | | | | tense up and reinforce that experience by telling |
| only bring out the food for the dogs and they | | | | others about that bad experience. |
| would salivate at the sight of food. Later, Pavlov | | | | With consistent practice of meditation you can |
| added the sound of the bell to the bringing out of | | | | learn to access your deeper levels of awareness |
| the food. Eventually the dogs would begin to | | | | causing your 'jumping to conclusions' mechanism |
| salivate at just the sound of the bell without even | | | | to be weakened. |
| seeing the food. | | | | Here's what really happened:o That raising of the |
| And so it is with us humans. We may call it | | | | voice was a surprise birthday gift.o That stranger |
| 'jumping to conclusions' in our everyday language, | | | | was intently looking for his or her keys.o Your |
| however, the reality is that we have been | | | | stomach got queasy from the aspirin you took on |
| conditioned through past experience and assume | | | | an empty stomach. |
| that what is happening is real, when it may not | | | | One of the goals of meditation is to learn to act |
| be. Here are a few examples of past conditioning | | | | in the present moment instead of reacting from |
| that may be bringing up negative things from the | | | | past conditioning. Past conditioning doesn't have to |
| past. | | | | ruin your day, with consistent meditation practice |
| Our lives are filled with past conditioning examples, | | | | you are offered the gift of present moment |
| but here are just a few:o Someone raises their | | | | awareness. |
| voice in a restaurant and you may automatically | | | | |