Reflections from Wisdom 2.0 - Day 2

Day 2 of Wisdom 2.0 was extraordinary and featured an impressive lineup of speakers such as Arianna Huffington and Alanis Morissette. One of the early sessions was a talk from 'Search Inside Yourself' Googlers: Chade Meng-Tan, Bill Duane and Karen May. As they began their introductions, three young women walked onstage displaying a banner for SF Eviction. In true make-a-stand style, one of the women pulled out a bullhorn and muddled "SF is not for sale!" to an audience unsure whether this was an act of performance art or an actual protest. It became clear it was the latter when stagehands started ushering them aside. One woman held tightly to her banner and began a tug-of-war, though her smile betrayed the glee of being able to create a scene was more than her pride of passion for her cause. The action subsided and brilliantly, the Googlers encouraged the audience to take a beat, practice mindfulness and check in to explore our own reactions to conflict. What happens biochemically; is our heart beating faster? When confronted with people who have a strong opinion, do we meet it with judgement or with compassion? To me, it was an excellent example of mindfulness in action. Well, I suppose it was actually mindfulness post-action but still that's something.

Alanis Morissette spoke eloquently about the difference in quality of expressing herself on a stage to an audience versus a more intimate one-on-one interaction. There was a parallel to the way many people post or tweet their point of view, feelings, etc. to a digital audience and how that differs from traditional, interpersonal connections. She was joined by author and psychiatrist, Dan Siegel. They explored the spectrum of digital tools as an addiction (people check their devices incessantly to get a 'hit' of dopamine) versus digital tools as an obsession (people check their devices incessantly to keep anxiety at bay). The main takeaway is that digital tools are neutral entities that serve a purpose (just like food, exercise, material possessions, etc.) and it's in how and why we use those tools that creates dysfunction. For instance, a text message can be used to stave off intimacy, or to foster it.

The chock-full day of mindfulness concluded with a meditation lecture and Q&A with spiritual sage, Eckhart Tolle. Most of what he shared was like a bubbling stream of semi-connected, ultra-intellectual thoughts dispersed between animated facial gestures and caricature-like expressions. What stuck with me was his urge for people to live in the present. All we have is now. And now. And now, again. We distort our experience of the present because we see it through the clouds of old story lines and unhelpful mind chatter. When we can be aware of the present, appreciate the present, shift the balance of focus from mind to body then we can actually experience the presence of the present. He also conjectures that amateurs may encounter challenges if they try to establish the practice of mindfulness initially among drama-creating friends, button-pushing family members or frustrating co-workers, instead he suggests we should start with beings that have less likelihood to stir up stories and chatter. Like trees. Eventually perhaps move to dogs -- which Eckhart says humans love not because they are cute and fuzzy but because they are pure consciousness. So. Tree. Dogs. Then, maybe, humans.