Mindfulness and Masonic Ritual
By Daniel Rivera, PM
“We hear the word ‘mindful’ more and more these days, but what does it actually mean? Being mindful simply means having good control over your attention: you can place your attention wherever you want and it stays there; when you want to shift it to something else, you can.
“When your attention is steady, so is your mind: not rattled or hijacked by whatever pops into awareness, but stably present, grounded and unshakeable. Attention is like a spotlight, and what it illuminates streams into your mind and shapes your brain. Consequently, developing greater control over your attention is perhaps the single most powerful way to reshape your brain and thus your mind.”1
Principles of mindfulness have been utilized by generations of Masonic ritualists, whether or not they have been understood in those terms. Focusing our attention and intention towards memorization of our proficiencies as initiates, and of our ritual as officers, strengthens the hippocampus: our brains become far more capable at visualization, recollection and focus. A speculative Mason is far more than one who can capably parrot a string of words, but someone who will reflect upon the meaning of what he has committed to memory, and thereby develop his mind and character.
“When you hold something in mind, such as a presentation at work or the sensations of breathing, the cortical regions that support working memory are relatively stable. To keep them this way, a kind of gate protects working memory from all the other information coursing through the brain. When the gate is closed, you stay focused on one thing. When new stimulus comes knocking — perhaps a startling thought, or the sound of a bird — the gate pops open, allowing new information in to update working memory. Then the gates close behind it, keeping out other information.
“As long as the contents of working memory are moderately stimulating, a steady stream of dopamine is produced, which keeps the gate closed. If the stimulation decreases significantly, the pulsing of dopamine-releasing neurons slows down, allowing the gate to open and new information to surge in. On the other hand, a spike in the rate of dopamine release — due to new opportunities or threats — will open the gate as well.”2
Many experienced ritualists can attest to the level of absorption that can come into play when delivering ritual or a proficiency, and how this concentration may become imbalanced when distracted by internal stimuli such as another thought, or some external stimuli such as an unsolicited prompt! But as one’s mindful practice and exercise of memory continues, distractions are less capable of unbalancing our concentration, and we are able to retain, marshal, and visualize large quantities of information, imagery and symbols while delivering Masonic ritual.
What can someone who is beginning the process of learning ritual do to develop this capability? How can those witnessing the delivery of ritual derive benefit from it?
“Set intentions: Use the power of your prefrontal cortex to set intentions to be more mindful. Establish a deliberate intention at the beginning of any activity that requires focus. Or just call up a silent feeling of determination.”3
We can make a silent determination, individually or collectively, in an attitude of prayer. When our own human deficiencies may seem to lead toward failure, we should ever be mindful that great and important undertakings are rewarded by meditation and prayer. Clarity of mind will follow.
1 Rick Hanson, Buddha’s Brain: the practical neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom. (Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, 2009), 202.
2 Ibid., 204.
3 Ibid., 208.
Download the issue at www.TheResearchLodge.com.
