(Love the "French face / American Face"! LOL)... I'm really finding this exploration of Buddhist concepts via scientific references helpful.  : )

Kate, I am so glad you are here! xok

Mais oui, the French face! 

I’m into my third decade of meditation practice now and for some reason it’s got harder than ever in the last year or so. (I don’t have a teacher or real-life sangha...no Buddhists in my town.) I seem to have entered a state of mind when I sit that I think of as The Great Chaos. I know theoretically that there are no certainties but to feel it is...well, I can only say, it’s a peculiar state. Anyway, I just want to say how helpful it is to listen to John’s discussion. He speaks with great clarity and with a connection to contemporary explorations (epigenetics) that I find both refreshing and uplifting. *deep bow* *big smile*

Debra, in the nondual traditions of Tibetan meditation practice, the development of one's practice is often described as involving three phases: the waterfall, the river and the lake. In the waterfall phase, it feels like there are even more thoughts happening than before, and one is being swept away by them. In the river phase, the tumultuous stream of thoughts/sensations/images slows down a bit, and finally in the lake phase, the mind quiets down to the point of having an experience like the still water of a serene lake. The goal, in the end, is not necessarily to always be in that stillness, but it is a helpful state for examining the nature of the mind. In any case, I mention all this because your "Great Chaos" reminded me of the earlier phases of practice. And a key aspect of those phases is not to resist the chaos or to be fixated on calming the thoughts, but simply to remain present even in the waterfall or river, so to speak. Probably you already know this...

Thank you very much, John, for this clarification. This water imagery rings true to me. These talks are immensely helpful and are addressing many “why this? Why that?” questions in my mind.

My interest is definitely peaked. After many years of zen study and regular sitting  I recognize the three phases of meditation you bring up and have experienced all three but mostly reside in the river phase. I welcome your invitation to explore some practices to help bring about some healthy changes in my various vexations.  Many thanks!

It's so easy for me to see others but not myself. Avoidance came to mind