Yuval Noah Harari

First of all, I take time off. Like the most important thing I do I think as a writer, as a scientist, I meditate. I spend about two hours every day in silent meditation, observing as much as possible non-verbally what is happening within myself, focusing, you know, body sensations, the breath. Thoughts keep coming up, but I try not to give them attention. I don't try to drive them away.

First of all, I take time off. Like the most important thing I do I think as a writer, as a scientist, I meditate. I spend about two hours every day in silent meditation, observing as much as possible non-verbally what is happening within myself, focusing, you know, body sensations, the breath. Thoughts keep coming up, but I try not to give them attention. I don't try to drive them away.

First of all, I take time off. Like the most important thing I do I think as a writer, as a scientist, I meditate. I spend about two hours every day in silent meditation, observing as much as possible non-verbally what is happening within myself, focusing, you know, body sensations, the breath. Thoughts keep coming up, but I try not to give them attention. I don't try to drive them away.

Just let them be there in the background, like some background noise. Don't engage with the thoughts. Because the mind is constantly producing stories with words. These stories come between us and the world. They don't allow us to see ourselves or the world. Like for me, the most shocking thing when I started meditating like 23 years ago,

Just let them be there in the background, like some background noise. Don't engage with the thoughts. Because the mind is constantly producing stories with words. These stories come between us and the world. They don't allow us to see ourselves or the world. Like for me, the most shocking thing when I started meditating like 23 years ago,

Just let them be there in the background, like some background noise. Don't engage with the thoughts. Because the mind is constantly producing stories with words. These stories come between us and the world. They don't allow us to see ourselves or the world. Like for me, the most shocking thing when I started meditating like 23 years ago,

I was given this simple exercise to just observe my breath coming in and out of the nostrils, not controlling it, just observing it. And I couldn't do it for more than 10 seconds. I, for 10 seconds, would try to notice, oh, now the breath is coming in. It's coming in. It's coming in. Oh, it stopped coming in, and now it's going out, going out.

I was given this simple exercise to just observe my breath coming in and out of the nostrils, not controlling it, just observing it. And I couldn't do it for more than 10 seconds. I, for 10 seconds, would try to notice, oh, now the breath is coming in. It's coming in. It's coming in. Oh, it stopped coming in, and now it's going out, going out.

I was given this simple exercise to just observe my breath coming in and out of the nostrils, not controlling it, just observing it. And I couldn't do it for more than 10 seconds. I, for 10 seconds, would try to notice, oh, now the breath is coming in. It's coming in. It's coming in. Oh, it stopped coming in, and now it's going out, going out.

10 seconds and some memory would come, some thought would come, some story about something that happened last week or 10 years ago or in the future, and the story would hijack my attention, it would take me maybe five minutes to remember, oh, I'm supposed to be observing my breath. If I can't observe my own breath,

10 seconds and some memory would come, some thought would come, some story about something that happened last week or 10 years ago or in the future, and the story would hijack my attention, it would take me maybe five minutes to remember, oh, I'm supposed to be observing my breath. If I can't observe my own breath,

10 seconds and some memory would come, some thought would come, some story about something that happened last week or 10 years ago or in the future, and the story would hijack my attention, it would take me maybe five minutes to remember, oh, I'm supposed to be observing my breath. If I can't observe my own breath,

because of these stories created by the mind, how can I hope to understand much more complex things like the political situation in Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Russian invasion of Ukraine? If all these stories keep coming, I mean, it's not the truth, it's just the story your own mind created. So first thing, train the mind to be silent and just observe.

because of these stories created by the mind, how can I hope to understand much more complex things like the political situation in Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Russian invasion of Ukraine? If all these stories keep coming, I mean, it's not the truth, it's just the story your own mind created. So first thing, train the mind to be silent and just observe.

because of these stories created by the mind, how can I hope to understand much more complex things like the political situation in Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Russian invasion of Ukraine? If all these stories keep coming, I mean, it's not the truth, it's just the story your own mind created. So first thing, train the mind to be silent and just observe.

So two hours every day, and I go every year for a long retreat between one month and two months, 60 days of just silent meditations.

So two hours every day, and I go every year for a long retreat between one month and two months, 60 days of just silent meditations.

So two hours every day, and I go every year for a long retreat between one month and two months, 60 days of just silent meditations.

Yeah. To train the mind, forget about your own stories. Just observe what is really happening. And then also, throughout the day, have an information diet. Today, many people are very aware of what they feed their body, what enters their mouth. Be very aware of what you feed your mind, what enters your mind. Have an information diet.

Yeah. To train the mind, forget about your own stories. Just observe what is really happening. And then also, throughout the day, have an information diet. Today, many people are very aware of what they feed their body, what enters their mouth. Be very aware of what you feed your mind, what enters your mind. Have an information diet.