[How About This Book] Strengthening the Mind Muscle, Meditation Is Like a Barbell

In recent years, strength training has become hugely popular. It has attracted significant attention because, during times when achieving results is difficult, one can visually confirm the outcomes proportional to their efforts. Conversely, the invisible "mind muscles" are gaining attention for more practical reasons. In the harshness of an ultra-competitive society, modern people who are frequently hurt are striving to manage their minds to survive.

But is it possible to train the mind muscles on one’s own? Like physical muscles, external stimuli causing pain are needed to provoke a response, so does that mean one must push themselves? The author of Naemyeon Sotong (Inner Communication), a mind management expert, focuses on the fact that the self consists of multiple entities.

According to the author, the self is broadly divided into the experiencing self, the remembering self, and the background self. The background self is important because it plays the role of recognizing the existence of the experiencing self, which accepts experiences, and the remembering self, which expands on them. The author explains that this awareness is the beginning of self-transformation.

For example, when listening to music, the "experiencing self" perceives the phenomenon of music. Then, the "remembering self" recalls memories associated with that music?for instance, "this is the music I used to listen to with that person." Up to this point, self-awareness is absent, and the mind can flow either negatively or positively. However, if the "background self" intervenes here, it allows one to view the subjective "I" from a more objective perspective. It is similar to looking at oneself from an outsider’s viewpoint.

Once awareness is complete, it is time to take action. The target of action is the negative emotions surrounding the "I" as a fixed, unchanging entity. The author states, "When you deeply realize that the fixed entity called ‘I’ is a kind of illusion, fantasy, bubble, and mirage, fear and anger immediately disappear."

This raises the question of how one can deny the fixed, negative "I." Here, the role of the background self is again crucial. The author advises abandoning the fixed notion that "I cannot change." He compares this to intelligence and explains it based on research findings. According to a study conducted in 1921 by psychologist Terman, who developed the IQ test, 1,470 gifted children with IQs above 140 were selected from elementary and secondary schools across the United States and tracked for decades. However, few of them achieved greater success than a group of 1,400 average children. This suggests that "there is no correlation between IQ and achievement." Based on this, the author argues, "Mind strength is partly determined by genetics, but it is much more influenced by environment and habits."

So how can mind muscles be strengthened? The author says it is not an area requiring special skills or knowledge but that repeated training is the answer. Just as repeated exercises are needed at a training center to strengthen physical muscles, exercise is also necessary to train the mind muscles. As part of this exercise method, the author recommends meditation.

The core of meditation, according to the author, lies in fully perceiving the thoughts, emotions, sensations, and movements currently felt. He explains, "As I become aware of myself and continuously unfold into my internal state, ‘freedom’ arises," adding, "Viewing this process as an intrinsic order is the perspective of Inner Communication. That is practice and Inner Communication meditation." Furthermore, he says, "At the root of everything that happens in our lives is chance. Therefore, accepting all events as they are, without applying any storytelling, leads us to freedom," and emphasizes, "To fundamentally dispel anxiety, it is crucial to abandon the illusion that the future can and must be controlled."

Writing is also introduced as a means to objectively view oneself. The claim is that by changing the input to the remembering self through turning experiences into stories, the person called "I" itself can change. The author states, "There is absolute and immediate power in sincerely declaring to myself ‘This is who I am.’ When you write or speak about your core values, you internalize them and change your behavior patterns accordingly. Furthermore, you develop a positive attitude toward yourself."

In summary, the author argues that regardless of innate traits, mind strength can be sufficiently enhanced through meditation, writing training, and the like, leading to tangible life changes. To support his claims, he thoroughly introduces related scientific evidence. Although the 766-page length may seem daunting at first, the content is easier to read than expected.

Naemyeon Sotong | Written by Kim Juhwan | Influential | 768 pages | 33,000 KRW