2024年5月9日发(作者：雨林木风系统免费下载)

2004年考研英语一 text2原文

There is a good deal of evidence to suggest that the drive for

learning is an inherent part of human nature and that turning the

mind itself into a subject of study should result in self-discovery

and personal growth. Meditation, for example, which involves

listening carefully to the working of one's own mind, supports the

development of broad mental skills. Westerners are increasingly

recognizing what is known in the East: inner calm is important for

optimal physical and mental functioning in all sorts of ways.

Meditation is not the exclusive domain of Eastern religions,

however. It can be practiced by anyone, religious or not, who is

interested in exploring and experiencing the mind. Being

compassionate to others, forgiving others, and acting in a morally

upright way may all help to shape a good mind.

There is a great deal of evidence to suggest, on the other hand, that

inner turmoil is bad for mental and physical health. Research

carried out in Western countries indicates that emotion-focused

coping and rumination are associated with psychological distress,

while problem-focused coping is more likely to be associated with

a healthy outcome. Emotion-focused coping involves thinking at

length about the emotions connected with stress. Rumination

involves dwelling on negative emotional experiences and negative

emotions per se.

The findings of research into mind-body interactions suggest that

when an individual's mind is skillful, calm, and stable, the brain-

including the circuits that subserve conscious aspects of thinking,

feeling, and physical health-is altered in positive ways. For

example, experienced meditators' brains show increased activation,

especially in the left prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the

brain concerned with happiness and positive emotions.

The idea that the mind can alter brain out of basic organization and

function is important. It suggests an alternative to the genetic

determinism that is so often blaming for social ills. There is now

good evidence to indicate that the view of ourselves and our

abilities as fixed entities circumscribed by our position in a social

hierarchy, or by the inheritability of our genes, is far too limited.

We have failed to recognize the plasticity of our minds and, as we

live in an age where the primary determinants of our health, wealth,

and fulfillment are likely to be our mental, rather than our physical

attributes, this is a great failing.