A simple way to break a bad habit | Judson Brewer | TED

譯者: 易帆 余 審譯者: lisa li

When I was first learning to meditate,

當我第一次學習冥想的時候，

the instruction was to simply pay attention to my breath,

得到的指示就是， 簡單地注意自己的呼吸，

and when my mind wandered, to bring it back.

而如果心思遊走了， 就把它拉回來。

聽起來很簡單。

Sounded simple enough.

Yet I'd sit on these silent retreats,

但當我在靜坐冥想時，

sweating through T-shirts in the middle of winter.

嚴冬也會讓我汗流浹背。

I'd take naps every chance I got because it was really hard work.

我總會把握每個可能的機會小睡片刻， 因為靜坐冥想也是一番功夫。

Actually, it was exhausting.

其實是筋疲力盡了。

The instruction was simple enough

指示是很簡單，

but I was missing something really important.

但我錯過了很多重要之處。

So why is it so hard to pay attention?

那為什麼專注會這麼困難呢？

Well, studies show

根據研究指出，

that even when we're really trying to pay attention to something --

就算是我們嘗試著專注於一些事情 --

like maybe this talk --

就好像這個演講 --

at some point,

到了某個時間點，

about half of us will drift off into a daydream,

我們當中會有一半的人， 都會恍惚進入神遊狀態，

or have this urge to check our Twitter feed.

或是會有一種念頭， 去查看一下推特的內容。

So what's going on here?

那到底是怎麼回事呢？

It turns out that we're fighting one of the most evolutionarily-conserved

原來我們與之抗爭的， 是一種最近被科學界發現的 --

learning processes currently known in science,

「演化保守」的學習過程，

one that's conserved

它會保守護存着

back to the most basic nervous systems known to man.

回到人類所知的 最基本神經系統裡頭。

This reward-based learning process

這類以獎勵為本的學習過程，

is called positive and negative reinforcement,

稱之為正面的和負面的強化，

and basically goes like this.

基本上是這樣運行的。

We see some food that looks good,

我們看到了看起來好吃的食物，

our brain says, "Calories! ... Survival!"

我們的大腦會說： 「卡路里！...... 生存！」

We eat the food, we taste it --

我們把食物吃下去， 我們嚐了味道 --

it tastes good.

食物的味道很好。

And especially with sugar,

尤其是有加糖的，

our bodies send a signal to our brain that says,

我們的身體就會向大腦發出訊息說，

"Remember what you're eating and where you found it."

「要記住你在吃甚麼和從哪裡找到的。」

We lay down this context-dependent memory

我們種下了這「情境關連」的記憶

and learn to repeat the process next time.

學懂了下一趟再重覆這個過程。

See food,

看到食物，

eat food, feel good,

吃下食物，感覺良好。

repeat.

重覆。

Trigger, behavior, reward.

觸發、行為、獎勵。

Simple, right?

簡單，對不對？

Well, after a while, our creative brains say,

這樣過了一陣子， 我們富有創意的腦袋就會說：

"You know what?

「 你知道嗎？

You can use this for more than just remembering where food is.

你不只可以利用這個過程 來記住食物在哪裡，

You know, next time you feel bad,

而且還可以 在下一次你感覺糟糕時，

why don't you try eating something good so you'll feel better?"

嘗試吃一些好吃的食物， 來讓你感覺好一點？」

We thank our brains for the great idea,

我們感謝自己的腦袋裡 有這麼好的點子，

try this and quickly learn

試著這樣做並且很快就學會，

that if we eat chocolate or ice cream when we're mad or sad,

當我們生氣或是傷心的時候， 如果我們吃下巧克力或雪糕，

we feel better.

我們的感覺就會好一點。

Same process,

同樣的過程，

just a different trigger.

只是不一樣的觸發方式。

Instead of this hunger signal coming from our stomach,

本來是來自我們胃裡的飢餓訊息，

this emotional signal -- feeling sad --

這個情感上的訊息 -- 感到傷心 --

triggers that urge to eat.

觸發了吃的慾望。

Maybe in our teenage years,

大概在我們的青少年時期，

we were a nerd at school,

我們都是阿呆，

and we see those rebel kids outside smoking and we think,

看著那些站在校園外吸煙的叛逆少年， 我們也都會想，

"Hey, I want to be cool."

" 嘿！我也想要耍酷 "

So we start smoking.

於是我們開始抽煙。

The Marlboro Man wasn't a dork, and that was no accident.

所以萬寶路男人不是笨蛋， 這並不意外。

See cool,

看到耍酷，

smoke to be cool,

吸煙耍酷，

feel good. Repeat.

感覺良好，重覆。

Trigger, behavior, reward.

觸發、行為、獎勵。

And each time we do this,

每一次我們這樣做，

we learn to repeat the process

我們學懂了去重覆這個過程

and it becomes a habit.

從而把這個過程養成了習慣。

So later,

所以再過一陣子，

feeling stressed out triggers that urge to smoke a cigarette

感覺有壓力的時候， 就會觸發慾望去吸煙

or to eat something sweet.

或是去吃一些甜的東西。

Now, with these same brain processes,

伴隨這些相同的大腦過程，

we've gone from learning to survive

我們體會了從學習到生存，

to literally killing ourselves with these habits.

到簡直是用這些習慣 在殘害著我們自己。

Obesity and smoking

肥胖和吸煙

are among the leading preventable causes of morbidity and mortality in the world.

是全世界數一數二發病率 和致命率極高的可預防疾病。

So back to my breath.

所以，回到我的呼吸。

What if instead of fighting our brains,

假設我們不要再跟腦袋去抗爭，

or trying to force ourselves to pay attention,

也不要再強逼自己去專注，

we instead tapped into this natural, reward-based learning process ...

取而代之，我們借助這個天然的、 以獎勵為本的學習過程......

but added a twist?

然後稍微改變扭轉一下？

What if instead we just got really curious

假設我們變得很好奇，

about what was happening in our momentary experience?

想了解自己的瞬間體驗 到底是怎樣一回事？

I'll give you an example.

我會給你們一個例子。

In my lab,

在我的實驗室，

we studied whether mindfulness training could help people quit smoking.

我們研究冥想的訓練 是不是可以幫助人們戒掉吸煙。

Now, just like trying to force myself to pay attention to my breath,

其實，就像嘗試著強迫自己 去專注於呼吸一樣，

they could try to force themselves to quit smoking.

他們也可以嘗試著去強迫自己戒煙。

And the majority of them had tried this before and failed --

他們大部份人都曾經這樣嘗試， 但都失敗了 --

on average, six times.

平均來說，嘗試過六次。

Now, with mindfulness training,

現在，要是用冥想的訓練，

we dropped the bit about forcing and instead focused on being curious.

我們把強迫的那部份去掉， 取而代之的是專注於好奇。

In fact, we even told them to smoke.

事實上，我們甚至吩咐他們抽菸。

What? Yeah, we said, "Go ahead and smoke,

甚麼？是呀，我們說，" 去抽菸就對了，

just be really curious about what it's like when you do."

只是在抽菸的時候，真心的去好奇一下 抽菸到底是怎麼回事。"

And what did they notice?

結果他們覺察到了什麼？

Well here's an example from one of our smokers.

讓我們來看看其中的一位抽菸者怎麽說。

She said, "Mindful smoking:

她說，「 專注地抽菸：

smells like stinky cheese

聞起來就像發臭的奶酪，

and tastes like chemicals,

味道則好像化學製品，

YUCK!"

超噁心！」

Now, she knew, cognitively that smoking was bad for her,

其實在認知上，她知道，抽菸會危害她，

that's why she joined our program.

正因如此，她參加我們的計劃。

What she discovered just by being curiously aware when she smoked

她發現，在抽菸的時候，只要好奇地去體會，

was that smoking tastes like shit.

就會察覺到菸的味道像大便。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now, she moved from knowledge to wisdom.

現在，她從知識昇華到智慧。

She moved from knowing in her head that smoking was bad for her

她從腦袋裡開始了解抽菸對她有害

to knowing it in her bones,

並昇華到骨子裡去，

and the spell of smoking was broken.

就破解了抽菸的魔咒。

She started to become disenchanted with her behavior.

她開始對她的行為產生覺悟。

Now, the prefrontal cortex,

其實，前額葉皮質，

that youngest part of our brain from an evolutionary perspective,

從進化的角度來看， 那是我們大腦最年輕的部份，

it understands on an intellectual level that we shouldn't smoke.

它明白，理智上我們不應該抽菸。

And it tries its hardest to help us change our behavior,

然後它嘗試盡最大的努力， 去幫助我們改變自己的行為、

to help us stop smoking,

幫助我們戒菸，

to help us stop eating that second, that third, that fourth cookie.

要幫助我們去戒掉吃第二塊、 第三塊、第四塊曲奇餅。

We call this cognitive control.

我們稱之為「認知控制」。

We're using cognition to control our behavior.

我們用認知去控制自己的行為。

Unfortunately,

很不幸的是，

this is also the first part of our brain

當我們過度勞累時，這也是我們腦袋裡，

that goes offline when we get stressed out,

率先離線的部份。

which isn't that helpful.

所以不太能夠幫得上忙。

Now, we can all relate to this in our own experience.

其實我們大家都可以找到 自己類似的經驗。

We're much more likely to do things like yell at our spouse or kids

當我們壓力過大或是很勞累時，

when we're stressed out or tired,

我們有很大的可能， 會向自己的伴侶或小孩吼叫，

even though we know it's not going to be helpful.

雖然我們知道， 這樣的吼叫並沒有幫助。

We just can't help ourselves.

只是我們控制不了自己。

When the prefrontal cortex goes offline,

在前額葉皮質 處於離線狀態時，

we fall back into our old habits,

我們會墜落回老習慣，

which is why this disenchantment is so important.

這是為什麼覺悟是這麼的重要。

Seeing what we get from our habits

明白我們如何養成習慣

helps us understand them at a deeper level --

可以幫助我們更深層次的去了解它們 --

to know it in our bones

讓我們從骨子裡去明白，

so we don't have to force ourselves to hold back

那我們就不需要再強逼自己去憋住

or restrain ourselves from behavior.

或是去遏止自己的行為。

We're just less interested in doing it in the first place.

我們只是在一開始的時候 沒有太大的興趣去做這件事。

And this is what mindfulness is all about:

這就是冥想：

Seeing really clearly what we get when we get caught up in our behaviors,

當我們被自己的行為絆住的時候， 得真的很清醒得去了解，我們得到的是什麼，

becoming disenchanted on a visceral level

發自內心層次的覺悟，

and from this disenchanted stance, naturally letting go.

在覺悟的狀態下，自然地放它走。

This isn't to say that, poof, magically we quit smoking.

這不是在說，神奇的 " 噗 "的一聲， 我們就戒菸了。

But over time, as we learn to see more and more clearly

而是日積月累，當我們學會 看得愈來愈清楚

the results of our actions,

我們行為所導致的結果，

we let go of old habits and form new ones.

我們就會摒除掉老習慣， 而養成了新的習慣。

The paradox here

吊詭的是，

is that mindfulness is just about being really interested

冥想是，打從內心的感到有興趣，

in getting close and personal

時時刻刻很私密的去體會

with what's actually happening in our bodies and minds

到底我們的身體和心智，發生了什麼事。

from moment to moment.

This willingness to turn toward our experience

將這種意願轉換成我們的體驗

rather than trying to make unpleasant cravings go away as quickly as possible.

而不是嘗試得儘快把 不好的癮念去除。

And this willingness to turn toward our experience

將意願轉換成體驗

is supported by curiosity,

是源由自好奇，

which is naturally rewarding.

那是先天性的一種獎勵機制。

What does curiosity feel like?

好奇的感覺是怎樣的呢？

It feels good.

感覺很好。

And what happens when we get curious?

我們感到好奇的時候會發生什麼事情呢？

We start to notice that cravings are simply made up of body sensations --

我們會開始察覺到，癮念其實單就是 從身體的感官所造成 --

oh, there's tightness, there's tension,

噢，那裡很緊張，那邊有壓力

there's restlessness --

那邊煩躁不安 --

and that these body sensations come and go.

這些身體的感覺來來去去。

These are bite-size pieces of experiences

這些都是我們時時刻刻

that we can manage from moment to moment

都可以處理好的小體驗，

rather than getting clobbered by this huge, scary craving

無需被這巨大可怕的

癮念所噎住並擊倒。

that we choke on.

In other words, when we get curious,

換句話來說，當我們感到好奇，

we step out of our old, fear-based, reactive habit patterns,

我們就走出舊有的、恐懼為本的、 回應式的習慣模式，

and we step into being.

我們從而踏進了當下。

We become this inner scientist

我們成為了熱切地期待著下一個數據點的

where we're eagerly awaiting that next data point.

內心科學家。

Now, this might sound too simplistic to affect behavior.

這聽起來，好像太簡單到 沒那麼容易可以影響行為。

But in one study, we found that mindfulness training

但有一個研究顯示， 我們發現了冥想的訓練，

was twice as good as gold standard therapy at helping people quit smoking.

在幫助人們戒菸的這事情上， 比黃金標準治療法好 2 倍

So it actually works.

所以冥想真的有效。

And when we studied the brains of experienced meditators,

當我們研究資深冥想者的大腦時，

we found that parts of a neural network of self-referential processing

我們發現了神經網絡裡面 「自我指認流程」的部分

called the default mode network

被稱為「預設模式網絡」

were at play.

正在產生影響。

Now, one current hypothesis is that a region of this network,

目前是有一個 關於這個網絡某區域的理論，

called the posterior cingulate cortex,

稱為「後扣帶回皮質」，

is activated not necessarily by craving itself

會因為癮念本身而引發不必要的啟動。

but when we get caught up in it, when we get sucked in,

但當我們被它牽絆住， 當我們被吸進去的時候，

and it takes us for a ride.

它會欺騙我們。

In contrast, when we let go --

相反來說，如果我們就讓它走--

step out of the process

從流程裡走出來

just by being curiously aware of what's happening --

只是單純的好奇 到底發生甚麼事情--

this same brain region quiets down.

同一區域的大腦就會安靜下來。

Now we're testing app and online-based mindfulness training programs

現在我們在測試手機應用程式和 以網路為基礎的冥想訓練課程，

that target these core mechanisms

目標就是這些核心機制，

and, ironically, use the same technology that's driving us to distraction

諷刺的是，竟是使用同一種 讓我們分心的科技

to help us step out of our unhealthy habit patterns

去幫助我們脱離自己不健康的習慣模式，

of smoking, of stress eating and other addictive behaviors.

像是吸煙、因壓力而狂吃 和其他上癮的行為。

Now, remember that bit about context-dependent memory?

現在，還記得剛才曾提過的情境記憶嗎？

We can deliver these tools to peoples' fingertips

我們可以把這些最重要的

in the contexts that matter most.

內容工具傳遞到人們的指尖。

So we can help them

所以我們可以幫助他們

tap into their inherent capacity to be curiously aware

在渴望抽菸、遇壓力亂吃或 任何不好的慾望浮現的霎那，

right when that urge to smoke or stress eat or whatever arises.

挖掘他們的內心潛力 去好奇地意識正確。

So if you don't smoke or stress eat,

所以如果你不抽菸、 也沒有因為壓力而狂吃，

maybe the next time you feel this urge to check your email when you're bored,

可能下一次你在無聊的時候 想去檢查電郵，

or you're trying to distract yourself from work,

或是你想在工作時間透一下氣，

or maybe to compulsively respond to that text message when you're driving,

又或在開車時， 有不得不回覆訊息的義務，

看看你是不是可以，藉助這先天的能力，

see if you can tap into this natural capacity,

just be curiously aware

就單純的去好奇

of what's happening in your body and mind in that moment.

到底那一刻，你的身體和心智 在發生什麼事。

It will just be another chance

這可能提供了一個機會

to perpetuate one of our endless and exhaustive habit loops ...

讓你持續保有這個永無止境 和消耗性的惡性循環......

or step out of it.

或是擺脫掉它。

Instead of see text message, compulsively text back,

看見訊息時，不要再 -- 不得不的回覆

feel a little bit better --

反而應該是有蠻好的感覺 --

notice the urge,

察覺到渴望，

get curious,

感到好奇，

feel the joy of letting go

感受一下放走它的歡愉，

and repeat.

然後重覆。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）