Guided Didactic Meditation On The Six Metacognitive Factors

A review of the metacognitive factors that guides our attention to these factors as they play out naturally in the mind. There will be noting (identification) to help us in our investigations of our minds, and an invitation to feel into the emotional results of effectively using our metacognitive abilities.

Transcript

Okay,

So what we're going to we're going to review the metacognitive aspects from the Roman school,

But what we're going to do is we're going to go through these kind of both intellectually,

But we're going to actually in experiential ways,

We're going to experience them right now in the meditation or in an actual meditation form.

So all right,

So like take do the whole let's see if we can kind of do the whole class in a meditative state.

So sit up straight one more time.

Push the crown of the head up towards the ceiling.

And then take a deep breath.

Now exhale completely.

Okay,

Good.

So the first metacognitive factor on this list is interest and curiosity.

This is like a desire to explore particularly mental states.

So go ahead and let mental states arise.

Mental content,

Mental phenomena.

And now like actually smile.

And then bring this quality of interest,

Curiosity and receptivity towards your own process.

And now notice how this is actually very emotionally regulating.

To have interest in what's going on is yeah calming,

Soothing,

Reinforcing.

And now notice how the rest of contemplative practice and in this case metacognitive development rest on this ability to bring interest to the mind.

Good.

Now let's move on to identification.

So let some sort of mental state arise.

Mental state arise.

And then just name it.

Just know what's happening right now.

So this is basically we're going to do like a minute of noting here.

And here we're going to focus on visual thoughts,

Auditory thoughts,

Kind of frames of experiencing like schemas,

And also body tensions and emotions.

And then the emotions are thought to kind of the way I think about them is that they cover both body and mind.

You just see what's going on and name it.

Okay good.

Now we'll move on.

Okay differentiation.

So then this means just recognizing,

Aha this is a mental state.

This is not necessarily reality or this doesn't reflect an external reality necessarily.

So now we'll do a kind of observer type exercise.

So go ahead and actually go ahead and trigger yourself.

Like bring up something kind of irritating,

Difficult to deal with.

And then now imagine that you have yourself,

Your normal self,

Just sitting in a chair and that this observer self steps out of yourself and stands up and then kind of looks at you and then sees this,

The whole process of being triggered,

That this observer self of yours sees this from this kind of dispassionate place.

So this is both differentiation and descentration.

So just observe all this.

Go back to your trainer.

So trigger yourself again.

So this is identification,

Descentration and differentiation.

Keep investigating this.

So trigger yourself now in a different way.

And then notice,

Aha this is just mental experience.

This might not reflect reality.

Okay.

And now let that go.

And now we're going to work on relating variables.

It's okay relating variables is just seeing simple cause and effect relationships.

This one thing happens and then this next thing follows.

It could be like a mental state that brings about a behavior or behavior that then brings about a mental state.

It's kind of very simple connection.

So let's go ahead and investigate that in ourselves.

So bring up some sort of mental state and naturally note notice how there's some sort of knock-on effect.

There's some sort of causal unfolding that happens.

Go ahead and investigate that now.

So so so in relating variables just seeing the knock-on effects,

Seeing how this one state brings about another.

Go ahead and investigate that for another minute.

Okay good.

Now let's move on.

So the next piece that we're going to work on,

This is the metacognitive aspect that I'm currently most excited about.

The integration or narrative.

I'm going to call this both integration and narrative.

So this is where you kind of string all your thoughts and your feelings together in a way that it all makes sense for you.

And here we're creating a let's say functional personal narrative.

And then specifically I think that the next level of this is creating a narrative that brings about actual transformation,

Positive transformation.

And the form of narrative that we use in these meditations of you know repatterning and mentalizing the modes is consistent with,

I hope,

The prosymptom position and symptom coherence of coherent therapy which was developed by Lauren Hawley,

Robin Tisick,

And Bruce Ecker.

So I'm going to just define these terms briefly and this is review for all of you.

So symptom coherence,

The position that psychological symptoms are natural and manifest because they are either necessary or just unintended consequences of deep emotional learnings.

And then prosymptom position,

Allowing for emotional logic to present itself without resistance,

Acknowledging it its truth and wisdom in contradistinction to the anti-symptom position of resistance towards the symptom.

So okay we're going to do that now.

So this is and also to be clear this is a more complex cognitive task.

So now come into one of your symptoms,

Bring up one of your symptoms,

And now see the symptom unfold.

And now see how your symptom is necessary.

Your symptom must take place.

Your symptom helps you avoid an even greater suffering.

And now let's just see the truth of that for one minute.

And here we're having both equanimity and compassion towards the symptom and ourselves.

And now notice how this is a very complex cognitive task.

And now notice how this symptom manifests due to a belief,

Due to a schema.

And this schema informs you about yourself,

Others,

And the world,

And how self,

Other,

And the world relate.

Go ahead and see the truth of that for you right now.

So again here we're seeing how the belief makes the symptom or the mode necessary.

Really open up to that and make room for that.

All And now we're going to do some other metacognitive exercises here.

So step back and see how the way that this unfolds is just causal.

It's just totally natural.

This is both seen relating variables and also another form of integration.

It's like,

Oh yeah,

This is just a natural unfolding and it happens quote-unquote in me.

Now this is also helping with the de-centration function.

So see that clearly now.

Okay and now go back to your schema or your belief about yourself,

Other and world.

And now look back into childhood adolescence adulthood and see how you learned this.

This is just conditioning.

So now kind of float back and observe either one event where this conditioning was reinforced or multiple events.

Go ahead and investigate that now seeing that just natural causal and an impersonal way that this was learned.

And now bring up,

So see yourself in this old situation where you learned this,

You know,

Negative lesson and then have your best healthy adult self come into the scene.

And then this best healthy adult self says to you the things that you need to hear.

Now here we're moving more into mastery.

Your healthy adult self knows it's not your fault.

Your healthy adult self has this quality of complete understanding and compassion,

Heart opening towards your younger self.

Go ahead and develop that scene.

Keep going.

And now have your best adult self show your child self how this affected you throughout your life.

This is both relating variables and narrative creation.

And now also see how the way that this affected you is not personal to you.

It would have affected anyone else the same way.

This is part of the de-centration function.

Keep going with that.

Okay.

Now come in to see how once again the belief necessitates the mode or the symptom.

And now let's look,

Investigate the mode one more time.

So here we'll do a little bit of the identification function and the relating variables.

So really notice what this feels like when you're in your mode.

There are certain mental states and certain bodily states that arise.

Go ahead and investigate those now.

So now notice how when you're in your mode there's this quality of shutdown.

You're shut down and you've lost perspective.

That's your ability to de-centrate,

Differentiate,

Construct narrative and even do mastery.

They're all undermined that they're not available to you.

Just notice that with this quality of interest and curiosity.

And now also at this point notice how all of this unfolds.

See how you can name what's going on.

See how you can understand it all much,

Much better.

And now see how this brings about confidence,

A sense of agency,

And how you feel more courageous because you know you're going to be able to work through these mental states.

Notice that.

Have your best adult self see that those qualities in you and support you in that.

Okay good.

And now here a minute we'll end the meditation.

But just reflect what was this like?

What did you learn?

What were the insights?

Okay good.

Now letting that go.

Then coming back to the room.

Reviews

Very helpful. I’ve been wanting something like this for quite awhile, to help untangle upsets! 🙏