Figures xi
Boxes xiv
Practices, Exercises, Tools, and Experiments xv
About the Author xvii
Preface: The Genesis of this Book xix
A Suggestion on How to Read this Book xxxi
About the Companion Website xxxiii
Part 1 Foundations and Core Principles of the MBSAT Program 1
1 The Underlying Biomechanics of Our Brain 3
1.1 Flourishing in a World of VUCA: Is it Possible? 4
1.2 Free Energy Minimization: The Motivation Behind What the Brain Does 4
1.3 The Bayesian Hierarchical Hypothesis of the Brain: How the Brain Minimizes Free Energy 11
1.4 The Relation Between the Brain and Bayes Theorem 13
1.5 The Models in the Brain and Active Inference 16
1.6 How the Bayesian Brain Implements Active Inference 21
1.7 Summary: Our Brain's Essential Biomechanics 28
2 Free Energy, Active Inference and the Predictive BETA Mind in MBSAT 33
2.1 MBSAT's History and Evolution 34
2.2 Contextualizing MBSAT Under the Free Energy Principle (FEP) 42
2.3 Active Inference (AI) in MBSAT 49
2.4 The Predictive BETA Mind (PBM) 54
3 The MBSAT Program and its Distinctive Features 61
3.1 The Predictive Brain in MBSAT 62
3.2 Minding Our BETA: The Recognition Models in MBSAT - Valence and Feeling Tone 63
3.3 Minding our Portfolio of Beliefs (POB): The Generative Models in MBSAT 67
3.4 Minding the Portfolio of Beliefs: People, Self, Adversity and Money 73
3.5 Minding the Strategic Adaption of Life (SAL): Skillful Decision-Making 76
3.6 Belief Updating and Attention 80
3.7 Minding: A Key Quality of MBSAT 82
3.8 Mindfulness in MBSAT 85
3.9 The Free Energy Minimizing Self (FEMS) 92
4 Introduction to the MBSAT Program: Essential Foundations to Make Your MBSAT Training Effective 101
4.1 The Journey You Are Embarking On 102
4.2 Key Concepts to Understand How Our Brains Work 103
4.3 BETA in MBSAT: Body sensations, Emotions, Thoughts, and Action impulses 108
4.4 Minding: The Core Function of MBSAT 109
4.5 Practices and Practicing in MBSAT 114
4.6 Beliefs: The Drivers Behind Our BETA, Predictions and Behaviors 116
4.7 Decisions: Orienting and Shaping Our Lives 117
4.8 The Free Energy Minimizing Self - FEMS : Your Personal Plan to Implement Free Energy Minimizing Strategies 121
4.9 Core Learnings to Remember 122
Part 2 The Training Program 131
Introduction: Purpose and Meaning of Part 2 133
5 Session 1: Minding BETA I - Body Sensations The Body as Source of Interoceptive Signals and Experiences 143
5.1 Getting Started: Task of Session 1, Investment and Benefits 144
5.2 Introduction and Concepts 145
5.3 Aspects of Bodily Sensations 146
5.4 Exercises 148
5.5 Practices 150
5.6 Learnings from Session 1 158
5.7 Action Plan (AP) for the Week of Session 1 160
5.8 Personal Notes and Insights 161
6 Session 2: Minding BETA II - Emotions Emotions as Source of Interoceptive Signals and Experiences 165
6.1 Getting Started: Task of Session 2, Investment and Benefits 166
6.2 Quiz on Session 1: Minding BETA I and Chapter 4 Essential Foundations 167
6.3 Introduction and Concepts 170
6.4 Practices 174
6.5 Exercises 177
6.6 Learnings from Session 2 182
6.7 Action Plan (AP) for the Week of Session 2 183
6.8 Personal Notes and Insights 184
7 Session 3: Minding BETA III - Thoughts Thoughts as Exteroceptive Signals Influenced by Interoceptive States 189
7.1 Getting Started: Task of Session 3, Investment and Benefits 190
7.2 Quiz on Session 2: Minding BETA II - Emotions 191
7.3 Introduction and Concepts 194
7.4 Practices 197
7.5 Exercises 201
7.6 Learnings from Session 3 203
7.7 Action Plan (AP) for the Week of Session 3 204
7.8 Personal Notes and Insights 205
8 Session 4: Minding BETA IV - Action Impulses Actions as Source of Proprioceptive Signals and Experiences 209
8.1 Getting Started: Task of Session 4, Investment and Benefits 210
8.2 Quiz on Session 3: Minding BETA III - Thoughts 211
8.3 Introduction and Concepts 214
8.4 Practices 219
8.5 Tools and Models 227
8.6 Learnings from Session 4 229
8.7 Action Plan (AP) for the Week of Session 4 230
8.8 Personal Notes and Insights 231
9 Session 5: Minding the Portfolio of Beliefs I
Minding Adversity - Irimi 237
9.1 Getting Started: Task of Session 5, Investment and Benefits 238
9.2 Quiz on Session 4: Minding BETA IV - Action Impulses 239
9.3 Introduction and Concepts 242
9.4 Tools and Models 246
9.5 Practices 253
9.6 Learnings from Session 5 260
9.7 Action Plan (AP) for the Week of Session 5 261
9.8 Personal Notes and Insights 262
10 Session 6: Minding the Portfolio of Beliefs II
Minding Beliefs About Money 267
10.1 Getting Started: Task of Session 6, Investment and Benefits 268
10.2 Quiz on Session 5: Minding the Portfolio of Beliefs I - Minding Adversity 269
10.3 Introduction and Concepts 272
10.4 Exercises 276
10.5 Practices 281
10.6 Reflections 286
10.7 Learnings from Session 6 288
10.8 Action Plan (AP) for the Week of Session 6 .293
10.9 Personal Notes and Insights 294
11 Session 7: Minding the Portfolio of Beliefs III
Minding our Social Experience - SoE / Friendliness 297
11.1 Getting Started: Task of Session 7, Investment and Benefits 298
11.2 Quiz on Session 6: Minding POMO - From Powerful Money to Mindful Money 299
11.3 Introduction and Concepts 302
11.4 Behavioral Social Experiments 305
11.5 Aspects of Minding the Social Experience with Others 313
11.6 Practices 314
11.7 Exercises 319
11.8 Tools and Models 324
11.9 Reflections 327
11.10 Learnings from Session 7 331
11.11 Action Plan (AP) for the Week of Session 7 333
11.12 Personal Notes and Insights 334
12 Session 8: Minding the Strategic Adaptation in Life (SAL) Decisions as the Basis of Well-being 337
12.1 Getting Started: Task of Session 8, Investment and Benefits 338
12.2 Quiz on Session 7: Minding our Social Experience (SoE) 339
12.3 Introduction and Concepts/Consolidation 344
12.4 Practices 352
12.5 Learnings from Session 8 366
12.6 Action Plan (AP) for the Time after the Program 367
12.7 Personal Notes and Insights 369
Epilogue: Accompanying Thoughts for Your Continuous Practice 373
Solution of the Puzzle: Minding the Triad of Perception, Beliefs and Predictions 380
References 381
Further Reading 393
Acknowledgments 416
Index 418
Figures Part 1
Chapter 1
Figure 1.1 The Nature of Free Energy in MBSAT 6
Figure 1.2 Bayesian Questioning Mindset in MBSAT (I) 12
Figure 1.3 Bayesian Questioning Mindset: The Math (II) 12
Figure 1.4 Active Inference for Decisions (AID) in DailyLife 17
Figure 1.5 The Active Inference Process 19
Figure 1.6 Proprio-, Intero- and Exteroceptive Prediction 23
Figure 1.7 Predictive Loop 25
Chapter 2
Figure 2.1 The MBSAT Free Energy Active Inference Model of Human Experience 41
Figure 2.2 The Landscape of the Free Energy Minimizing Principle 45
Figure 2.3 The Core of MBSAT 48
Figure 2.4 Home Automaion 49
Figure 2.5 The Predictive BETA Mind 55
Figure 2.6 BETA Elements in Beck's Cognitive Model 57
Chapter 3
Figure 3.1 Free Energy Minimization and Minding BETA 66
Figure 3.2 The Active Inference process: Updating Beliefs of the Generative Models 70
Figure 3.3 Minding our Portfolio of Beliefs: The Updating Matrix 72
Figure 3.4 Minding the precision of Strategic Awareness for Skillful Decision-Making 78
Figure 3.5 Minding - A MBSAT Core Principle 84
Figure 3.6 Opacity for Updating BETA 91
Chapter 4
Figure 4.1 The Nature of Free Energy in MBSAT 105
Figure 4.2 The Continuous Minding Sequence 111
Figure 4.3 Meditation for Minding BETA and Beliefs 113
Figure 4.4 The Training Model of MBSAT: Mindfulness-based Strategic Awareness Training 118
Figure 4.5 Causal Links in Our life 119
Figure 4.6 The Curve of Predictive Errors and its Consequences on Living 125
Figure 4.7 Structural Design of the MBSAT Program 127
Part 2 Introduction
Intro Part 2 Figure 1 Growing Realization 133
Intro Part 2 Figure 2 What can I do? 134
Intro Part 2 Figure 3 I have to change myself 134
Intro Part 2 Figure 4 Practicing Increases Your Brain's Network 137
Intro Part 2 Figure 5 A Transformed World 138
Intro Part 2 Figure 6 Peter Lewis Building of the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, by Architect Frank Gehry 140
Chapter 5 - Session 1
Figure 5.1 Minding Body Sensations: Tonality, Location, Intensity and Speed of Change 147
Figure 5.2 Interoception (I) - Following Autonomous Body Sensations/Signals: The Breath 151
Figure 5.3 Interoception (II) - Following Autonomous Body Sensations/Signals: The Pulse 153
Figure 5.4 What determines well-being? 157
Chapter 6 - Session 2
Figure 6.1 Reactive MBSAT Buddy 171
Figure 6.2 Clear-minded MBSAT Buddy 171
Figure 6.3 Moments of Contentment with Nun Vien The' 178
Figure 6.4 Free-Energy Minimizing Buddy 179
Chapter 7 - Session 3
Figure 7.1 Minding the Silver Screen of Your Thoughts 198
Figure 7.2 Walking Mindfully with Nun Vien The' 200
Chapter 8 - Session 4
Figure 8.1 Continuous-time Active Inference Process: Walking to the Store 215
Figure 8.2 Free Energy Minimization and Minding BETA 218
Figure 8.3 CEO of BETA: The Sandglass MBSAT Buddy 225
Figure 8.4 BETA Saturation in Our Digital Times 226
Figure 8.5 The Challenge of Keeping BETA in Balance 226
Figure 8.6 The Free-Energy Minimizing Action Quadrants 228
Chapter 9 - Session 5
Figure 9.1 Minding Our Recognition Models 246
Figure 9.2 MBSAT Stress, Anxiety and Worry (SAW) Model 248
Figure 9.3 Bayesian Questioning Mindset in MBSAT 250
Figure 9.4 Minding Real Options 252
Figure 9.5 Free Energy Minimization and Irimi: Minding Adversity 256
Chapter 10 - Session 6
Figure 10.1 Money Accumulation: A System Dynamics View 274
Figure 10.2 Work and Money: Opportunity Costs and Trade-offs 277
Figure 10.3 Minding POMO - Powerful Money/The Hedonic Treadmill 289
Chapter 11 - Session 7
Figure 11.1 Parable of the Long Spoons (Room 1) 303
Figure 11.2 Parable of the Long Spoons (Room 2) 304
Figure 11.3 Free Energy Minimization and Friendliness - Minding the Social Experience (SoE) 312
Figure 11.4 Decisional Outcomes: Tosca and Scarpia in Puccini's Opera 321
Figure 11.5 Mindful Free Energy Minimizing Communication 325
Chapter 12 - Session 8
Figure 12.1 The Four States We Need to Reduce 345
Figure 12.2 The Four States We Need to Activate 345
Figure 12.3 The Four Skills We Need to Train 346
Figure 12.4: Summary: The Four Dimensions of MBSAT Training 346
Figure 12.5 Skillful Decision Acuity 351
Figure 12.6 SOPA for Individuals - Skillful BETAs and Beliefs, Opportunities and Positive Actions; Facilitating the Free-Energy Minimizing Self (FEMS) 353
Figure 12.7 SOPA Worksheet 1: Observing and Identifying Beliefs 357
Figure 12.8 Section a) of SOPA Worksheet 2 358
Figure 12.9 SOPA Worksheet 2: Updating Beliefs 359
Figure 12.10 Section b) of SOPA Worksheet 2 360
Figure 12.11 The Free-Energy Minimizing Action Quadrants 363
Figure 12.12 SOPA Worksheet 3: Opportunities and Positive Actions 364
Epilogue: Accompanying Thoughts for Your Continuous Practice
Epilogue Figure 1 The Living Zone of Free-Energy Minimization 377
Epilogue Figure 2 Paddling Through VUCA with MBSAT 378
Epilogue Figure 3 From the Institutionalized World of VUCA to the Personalized World of WECO 379
Solution to Figure 9.1 Minding the Triad of Perception, Beliefs and Predictions 380
Boxes Part 1
Chapter 3
Box 3.1 Beliefs from the Perspective of General Psychology 94
Box 3.2 Beliefs from the Perspective of Political and Behavioral Economics 95
Box 3.3 A Neuro-computational View of Beliefs 97
Box 3.4 Mindfulness for Decisions and Actions 99
Chapter 4
Box 4.1 Active Mindfulness in MBSAT 123
Box 4.2 Structural Design of the MBSAT Training Program 126
Box 4.3 Strategic Awareness in Support of Skillful Decisions 128
Part 2
Introduction Part 2
Box 1 Intro Part 2
Abductive Mindset and MBSAT Signature Terms for Learning and Transformation 139
Chapter 8 Session 4
Box 8.1 Analysis of the Responses to your FEMS Feedback Requests 235
Chapter 9 Session 5
Box 9.1 Two Essential Lifelines: Inner Equilibrium and Attunement to the Outer World 264
Chapter 12 Session 8
Box 12.1 Using Data Collected from Friends and Acquaintances 361
Practices, Exercises,Tools, and Experiments
Part 2 Chapter 5 - Session 1
5.4.2 The Full-Senses Exercise 148
5.5.1 Practice 1 - Following autonomous body sensations: The breath 150
5.5.2 Practice 2 - Following autonomous body sensations: The pulse 152
5.5.3 Practice 3 - Observing bodily sensations in stillness: Lying or sitting 153
5.5.4 Practice 4 - Massage for bodily awareness and well-being 156
5.5.5 Practice 5 - Training for decision-making: Identifying and observing body sensations while deciding 157
Chapter 6 - Session 2
6.4.2 Practice 1 - The full emotions observation meditation (FEOM) 174
6.4.3 Practice 2 - Training for decision-making: Identifying and observing emotions while deciding 176
6.5.2 Exercise 1 - Three Good Things 177
6.5.3 Exercise 2 - Building the Free Energy Minimizer Self (FEMS) 178
Chapter 7 - Session 3
7.4.1 Practice 1 - Minding the silver screen of your thoughts 197
7.4.2 Practice 2 - Mindfully walking while minding your thoughts/actors on your silver screen 199
7.5.3 Exercise 1 - The Thought Swap Exercise (TSE) 201
Chapter 8 - Session 4
8.4.1 Practice 1 - Minding Action Impulses 219
8.4.2 Practice 2 - Mindful Salsa 220
8.4.3 Practice 3 - Continuous-time practice: CEO of BETA 222
8.5.1 Tools and Models: The Free Energy Minimizing Action Quadrants 227
Chapter 9 - Session 5
9.4.1 Tool 1 - Minding the triad of perception, beliefs and predictions 246
9.4.2 Tool 2 - The MBSAT Stress, Anxiety and Worry (SAW) Model 247
9.4.3 Tool 3 - Bayesian Questioning and Reframing (BQR) 249
9.4.4 Tool 4 - Minding Real Options in MBSAT 251
9.5.1 Practice 1 - Minding Adversity - Irimi 253
9.5.2 Practice 2 - Reframing and recalibrating for belief updating 255
9.5.3 Practice 3 - Continuous-time practice: CEO of BETA for Minding Adversity and Worry (MAW) 258
Chapter 10 - Session 6
10.4.1 Exercise 1 - The work vs recreation exercise 276
10.4.2 Exercise 2 - Having vs experiencing 278
10.5.1 Practice 1 - From POMO to MIMO meditation: Detecting our financial and economic beliefs and biases 281
10.5.2 Practice 2 - Training for skillful decisions: Updating the priors to create MROs 282
10.5.3 Practice 3 - Continuous-time practice: CEO of BETA from POMO to MIMO 284
Chapter 11 - Session 7
11.4.1 Behavioral Social Experiment-BSE 1: Noticing others 305
11.4.2 Behavioral Social Experiment-BSE 2: Celebrating others 306
11.4.3 Behavioral Social Experiment-BSE 3: Respecting others 308
11.6.1 Practice 1 - Minding SoE for updating social beliefs I: Finding the origin of our social priors (beliefs and biases) 314
11.6.2 Practice 2 - Minding SoE for updating social beliefs II: Training for skillful decision: Building adaptive social posteriors 316
11.6.3 Practice 3 - Continuous-time practice: CEO of BETA on minding fellow human beings 317
11.7.1 Exercise 1 - Minimizing Free Energy in relation to others: Decision-making in social interactions/Cooperation and trust 319
11.7.2 Exercise 2 - The Ultimatum Game/Cooperation and decision-making 322
11.8.1 Tools and models: The Free-Energy Minimizing Tool for Communication 324
Chapter 12 - Session 8
12.4.1 Exercise/Practice 1 - SOPA: Skillful BETAs, Opportunities, and Positive Actions 352
Step 1: Identifying Skillful Betas and Beliefs 355
Step 2: Updating Beliefs and Generative Models 356
Step 3: Opportunities and Positive Actions 362
12.4.2 Practice 2 - Continuous-time practice: CEO of BETA Strategic Awareness 365
