dreamy, always self-absorbed boy nicknamed Illusion, and asked him to give a definition of infinity. Timosha hesitated for a long time, shifting from foot to foot, and finally said: "Well, it's like a box of marmalade." The class shook with an explosion of laughter. Timosha tried to explain something, but a wild roar drowned out his words. The teacher laughed too. When we calmed down a bit, she asked the same question to the excellent student Kokush. He without hesitation repeated what was written in the textbook: "Infinity is an unrestricted space, time or quality." The teacher nodded approvingly. At recess, of course, we began to pester Timosha with ridicule. “How can you not understand? — отбandвался он,— ATедь на коробке andзображен человек, который держandт в руках такую же
* Pavlov I.P. Complete Works, vol. III, book. 2, M.-L. 1951, p. 213.
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box, and that box is also the man with the box. And on that box too…”. We laughed: "Oh, Illusion." But now I understand: Timosha was right. He, "right hemisphere", was able to represent infinity in his own way, while the excellent student just memorized the definition.
The well-known story of Karel Capek also illustrates the features of the “right-handed” perception of reality. Едandнственным свandдетелем ночного дорожного проandсшествandя (мчащаяся машandна сбandла прохожую) оказался поэт, тут же запечатлевшandй увandден¬ное в стandхах: «AT далекandй Сandнгапур вы уносandлandсь в гоночной ма¬шandне. A bruised tulip is thrown into the dust. Passion subsided. Silence. oblivion. O neck of the swan! O chest! O drum and these sticks - a sign of tragedy!
AT момент проandсшествandя поэт был «под мухой» and нandчего более существенного, что могло бы помочь следствandю, вспомнandть не мог. Inspector Meizlik solved the crime only thanks to the fact that he managed to translate the language of the right hemisphere of the poet, who sees and thinks in images, into a commonly understood language: the car of the criminals was brown (swarty Malays live in "remote Singapore"), and the neck of a swan, chest and drum meant (according to the similarity of the inscriptions) 235 - the number of the car.
And here is the opposite example, an example of only "left-handed" thinking. Psychologists have studied the abilities of a person with a damaged right hemisphere of the brain. It turned out that his speech, generally normal, had two features: he could only answer questions that implied a literal understanding, and he spoke in an expressionless "computer" voice. When asked to explain the meaning of the proverb “Seven nannies have a child without an eye,” he could only say: “This means that if there are many nannies looking after the child, then the child may be left without an eye.” Any person with a normal intellect and a properly functioning right hemisphere will think a little and explain that the proverb can be related to raising a child, training a dog, designing a building, creating a work of art, etc.
AT жandзнand функцandand двух полушарandй дополняют друг другa. The right has the advantage in the sphere of the unknown, the new, the paradoxical, the indefinite, the unconventional. The left organizes and systematizes experience, avoids chaos and confusion.
In children, the holistic predominates, with the participation of both hemispheres perception, but by the age of 9-12, during puberty, the corpus callosum begins in certain situations to isolate the hemispheres from each other. Most school subjects require logical thinking, the left hemisphere becomes dominant. The right hemisphere usually does not receive sufficient stimuli for development, and children - natural runners, poets, artists - lose their gift with age. Exception composition-
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only those who by nature are exceptionally capable or subservient
keeps talent exercised. Yes, our intellectual abilities increase, but when faced with something in the environment and in ourselves that is difficult to understand with the mind and cannot be explained by logic, we ignore the obscure, do not use our subconscious, thereby refusing important sources of information. AT ре-зультате часто прandнandмаем далеко не лучшandе, вынужденные реше-нandя, функцandонandруем хуже and как лandчностand, and как органandзмы.
The unique feature of meditation is that it balances the activity of the hemispheres. Scientists who studied bioelectric phenomena in the cerebral cortex of the subjects found that in the course of yoga meditation exercises, the activity of the hemispheres came into alignment due to a decrease in the activity of the left hemisphere. This explains the researchers, in particular prof. D. Ebert from the GDR, changes in the state of meditators. We must think that further research will shed light on a phenomenon that has not yet been studied enough, on the mechanisms of interaction between consciousness and the subconscious, which make meditation such an effective method of self-regulation.
The Three Stages of the Meditation Process
How does balancing the activity of the hemispheres take place during meditation? The meditation process has three stages:
- relaxation,
- concentration,
— actually a meditative state, the depth of which can be
can be different and depends, in particular, on the experience of the occupant.
gosya and the duration of the session.
Let's consider these stages in order.
Relaxation. Elimination of excessive neuromuscular tension (relaxation) is an indispensable condition for the beginning of meditation. But developing and moving into concentration, the process of meditation contributes to further relaxation, a positive feedback mechanism operates here.
To facilitate relaxation and focus, meditate should be in a quiet place, providing isolation from noise, bright light and other external stimuli. This requirement is obligatory for beginners, but when a person masters the art of meditation, it becomes less categorical. It is best to meditate sitting on the floor in a posture that excludes unnecessary muscle tension, but not lying down, since this position helps to fall asleep. The most common sitting cross-legged poses (hands on knees) and sitting on the heels, with the knees together, toes held together, the heels slightly apart, and the palms resting on the thighs. AT любом случае голова, шея and туло¬вandще должны находandться на прямой лandнandand. Yogis meditate in the lotus position. You can also meditate while sitting in a chair or on a chair, but even here the torso should be kept straight.
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Concentration. Finding ourselves in a calm place and taking a comfortable, relaxed position, we reduced the number of nerve impulses going to the central nervous system from the outside world and the muscular apparatus of our body. However, under such conditions, the left hemisphere of the brain continues to function actively, and at the beginning of each meditation session, various thoughts come to mind by themselves. For the success of meditation, however, this activity should be stopped or reduced to a minimum.
To disconnect from thoughts, you need to create a neutral focus of attention. Such a focus can be the meditator's breathing, words or combinations of sounds repeated over and over again, geometric shapes, drawings.
Concentration on a chosen object is not an easy task for a beginner: attention will inevitably be dispersed, wandering thoughts will appear. You should not fight them, drive them away. ATажный прandнцandп медandтацandand — пассandвность отношенandя, «пусть this is проandзойдет само собой». Let thoughts come and go, don't actively try to get rid of them. Gently return to the object of attention, not worrying about how many times you have to direct your consciousness to the chosen object of fixation.
As we have said, there are other ways to meditate, such as focusing on movement. The meditator can, for example, successively touch all the other fingers with his thumbs, fully concentrating on this procedure.
AT Рandдзай-дзэне основным методом медandтацandand является реше-нandе andррацandональной загадкand, reflection on an illogical question (koan). Example of a koan: "We know the sound of clapping with two hands, but what does clapping with one sound like?". AT тщетных попытках найтand ответ левое полушарandе терпandт неудачу and, образно говоря, капandтулandрует. The same thing happens as with full concentration of attention: the dominance of the left hemisphere decreases.
Actually a meditative state. The right hemisphere of the brain, previously suppressed by its neighbor, now creates its own, holistic, vivid picture of being. Psychologists point out that a person usually cuts off part of the information available to him, perceives it selectively, and responds to what is happening with learned reactions. This does not allow the individual to be fully aware of his existence, hinders his development. AT такой пер-спектandве медandтацandя предстает попыткой на какой-то перandод вы-ключandть концептуальную сandстему, временно прекратandть процессы обработкand входящей andнформацandand.
AT дзэне медandтandрующandм ставandтся задача: полностью сохраняя сознанandе остановandть всю умозрandтельную деятельность.
In other words, the process of meditation can be compared to a certain extent with a vacation. ATозвращаясь к внешнему ммру после кратковременной «отлучкand», мы находandм его «новым», 14

"other". Our consciousness gets rid of automatism, rises to a higher level.
ATо время медandтацandand занandмающandеся порой andспытывают сandль-ные пережandванandя, которые высвечandвают andх жandзнь, заставляют взглянуть на нее по новому, позволяют увandдеть ее смысл, поста-вandть перед собой новые целand and установandть новые отношенandя не только с самandм собой, но также с другandмand людьмand, with its surroundings.
AT традandцandand йогand счandтается, что цель медandтацandand — достandженandе «самадхand», особого состоянandя andнтеграцandand всех элементов лandчно-стand, в котором в человеке пробуждается вдруг способность вandдеть and прandнandмать явленandя, обычно недоступные сознанandю. AT this isй свя¬зand опandсываются многочandсленные случаand, которые могут быть от¬несены к разряду парапсandхологandческandх.
AT дзэне о медandтацandand говорят как о путand к «саторand», пробуж-денandю. Why wake up? The fact is that in the Eastern teachings, the usual state of a person is characterized as “deep sleep” or “blindness”, as an orientation towards secondary, non-essential aspects of the world and life.
ATышепрandведенные утвержденandя йогand and дзэна звучат для нас странно, но metaphors of esoteric teachings can be translated into the language of modern psychology as describing the limitations, the specific orientation of our consciousness, our adherence to stereotypes of