A synapse is the space between the axon and the dendrite, if you remember your school lessons … that chasm that a nerve impulse must cross to send its signal from neuron to neuron. Yes, we have brought you a scientist today to help you become aware of just how quickly you make judgments. Why do you make judgments? Because you have trained your neural pathways to do so. A door slams in the midst of your meditation, and in a flash you feel a flash of irritation instead of the peaceful meditative state you were enjoying. The door slammed, and a signal followed a pathway already extant in the brain that said to the signals, “Door slams, follow this route.”
What if you were to re-wire your brain? To catch those impulses mid-jump? See a person who looks different from you? Stop! Before you judge—which is the current circuitry—you instead report to your brain exactly what the brain beholds: “I see a man with a long red beard tied in the front into a ponytail.” And in that moment of interrupting the synapse, you have created space to respond not with judgment, but with “Isn’t that interesting!” – our favorite phrase.
The door slams, and in that moment of awareness, you now say, “A door slammed. Isn’t that interesting.” And the previous circuitry that gave meaning to that slamming door has been interrupted. You not only remain at peace, but you are well on your way to creating new neural pathways that lead to more and more of the same: nonjudgment and peace.
Is it not beautiful to be awake?
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