The Programmer Who Discovered His Creative Side Through Meditation
An important aspect of a state of coherence is recognizing our talents and creative inclinations. Through the work we do for a living, and through the kind of activities we perform daily, we often express only a portion of our skillset and latent capabilities.
Many people either choose to neglect or are not even aware of the fact that they have other dispositions, such as interests in sports and the arts. Overwhelmed by the demands of the fast-paced modern life, they believe that they should only focus on that, which brings salient and immediate benefits—work/career, school/studies, raising children/supporting the family.
To emphasize a particular area at the cost of all others means to direct one’s energy and resources solely toward that area. The other aspects of our lives are neglected, leading to a state of fragmentation and incoherence. When we do not give voice to our creative impulses, intellectual curiosities, and behavioral drives, we also deprive ourselves of a few beneficial channels for relaxation, grounding, and restoration.
Prem was a 42-year-old IT professional. He suffered from moderate anxiety. As a computer programmer, he believed he had no time for anything but his work. His guiding principle was that life is tough and that people always need to fully invest themselves in their work if they want to succeed.
Prem had a favorite hobby—playing the guitar. However, his system of values dictated that he could not often spend time engaged in music. In his categorization of priorities, the guitar was something nonessential and, slowly but surely, he almost completely neglected this hobby.
However, Prem was also aware of the importance creativity plays in one’s life. He therefore felt an unresolved tension between these two forces in his life—the urge to stay fully committed to his career, and the need for a creative expression. He joined a meditation session, hoping to find a resolution.
At the start of the meditation session, Prem’s electroencephalogram (EEG) showed predominant beta brainwave patterns in both the hemispheres of his brain, an indicator of a high level of stress. He also had high theta and delta brainwave activity, which meant that he had strong creative potential. However, the minimal alpha brainwave activity (which serves as a bridge between high and low frequencies) acted like a bottleneck, preventing his creativity from being expressed.
As soon as Prem started doing meditation regularly, the distribution of brainwave activity changed. The stress-related beta brainwaves diminished, his alpha brainwave activity amplified, and his EEG even started showing gamma waves for the first time. Having reduced his stress significantly, his prefrontal cortex started getting a sufficient supply of blood, and he began to access all his cognitive facilities to their full potential.
Furthermore, Prem’s meditation practice led to a reduction in the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in his body, lowering blood pressure from 118/80 to 108/70, and slowing his resting heart rate from 79 to 64 beats per minute. It is a physiological fact that when the level of stress hormones reduces, all our biological resources can be redirected towards cell repair, strengthening the immune response, and performing other functions of the body.
These physiological changes in his body also led to a change in perspective and outlook toward life. Prem began feeling empowered, resourceful, efficient, energetic, and in full control over his life. He no longer saw life as being tough and demanding. He finally fully recognized and embraced his creative side and went back to playing guitar regularly.
Sources
The case study is adapted from the book ‘Mind to Matter: The Astonishing Science of How Your Brain Creates Material Reality’ by Dawson Church, published by Hay House, in 2018.