Porosity vs. Meditation

Summary

“Porosity” is a term developed by anthropologist Tanya Marie Luhrmann and psychology researcher Kara Weisman, to help understand the root of religious and spiritual beliefs. They argue that at the heart is the concept of a porous boundary between mind and world and that people in all human societies have conflicting intuitions about this boundary.

Here at Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke, and Rebecca McInroy find this concept interesting and thought we would spend a little time, not only understanding it, but also complicating it, and asking, “what’s the difference between the concept of porosity and meditation?”

In this third and final episode in our three-part series on porosity, we dig into the mind-body connection.

“Porosity is The Heart of Religion”

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April 10, 2014

How to Navigate Road Rage

Oh, the woes of modern life in a metropolitan city center. What’s going on in our brains when we encounter that familiar feeling of intense frustration while driving in traffic that we comically refer to as ROAD RAGE? The Two Guys on Your Head will break it down in this week’s episode of the show.

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April 4, 2014

Why Meetings Feel Like They Take Forever – and How to Fight That

Efficiency of the shared time spent during a meeting is a primary determinant of its potential for effectiveness. The Two Guys, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke, break down the best practices to ensure that the meetings you call will achieve their intended purpose.

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March 28, 2014

What’s Happening Inside Your Head When You Sleep

We need to sleep for a host of reasons, but what exactly is happening in our brains while we’re unconscious? We’ve only scratched the surface of understanding all that happens during sleep, but we do know that while our bodies are resting, our brains are very busy.

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March 21, 2014

How Metaphors Transform Simple Words Into Complex Concepts

Do you ever have those moments when you just can’t find the right words to express your thought? They happen. Articulation isn’t always easy. Sometimes, words or language alone just don’t accurately express the complexity of the thought. At those times, it can be very helpful to use an analogy or a metaphor to illustrate […]

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March 14, 2014

How Our Brains Process Time

Time flies when you’re having fun, the old saying goes. But how can time – maybe the most fundamental concept of the universe – feel different under different conditions? Our brains perceive time differently in different circumstances. When we pay close attention to something, tedium can set in and it can feel like time slows […]

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March 7, 2014

How Going Out is Good for Your Brain

Human beings are a social species. Our natural programming requires a certain amount of social contact with other people. Shared experiences are simply a fundamental component of our needs as humans. We don’t just have a need for direct interaction and verbal communication either – there’s all sorts of nonverbal communicative actions we take in […]

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February 28, 2014

How to Crush Writer’s Block

Writer’s block! That phrase might induce panic and a recollection of a familiar experience. It’s a very common phenomenon. So what is it? When in the beginning stages of undertaking a new writing project, a writer might find themselves blocked – stuck in front of a blank page or screen with no thoughts coming to […]

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February 21, 2014

Why All Praise is Not Created Equal

“Hey, you’re smart!” That feels good to hear, doesn’t it? Praise always feels good, but not all praise motivates us to try new things, challenge ourselves, or deal with failure. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss how to praise in a productive and meaningful […]

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