MJP-014: Debugging the Predictive Mind: How Meditation Rewires Your Brain

Melinda

Greetings, salutations, and welcome to The Mind Jedi Podcast. I’m Melinda…

Denice

…and I’m Denice. Each episode, we explore tools and ideas to help you master your mind and live a better life. Thank you for joining us today, as we dive into something truly fascinating-we're unpacking how meditation works with the brain’s predictive mind.

Melinda

“Denice… ever feel like there’s mental code running in the background? Old fears, assumptions—just looping and glitching your day?

Denice

Oh, yeah. Totally.

Melinda

What if I told you we could actually reprogram that?

Denice

Well, to paraphrase Leo DiCaprio in Django Unchained: Melinda, you had my curiosity... but now you have my attention!!

Melinda

[Laughs] Here’s the deal. The brain doesn’t experience reality directly. It predicts it—constantly filling in gaps using past experiences. Neuroscientists call these priors.

Denice

So basically, our brain is running a simulation—guessing what comes next based on what it already knows?

Melinda

That’s right. Super useful for walking, talking, even driving without thinking. But those priors can also keep us stuck in old patterns.

Denice

Well, yeah. I can see how re-learning how to walk and talk every single day would be painful. Oh my gosh, we would never get anything done, right?

Melinda

[Chuckles] Yes Denice, a complete disaster!

Denice

And these priors could be like, running Windows 95 on a spaceship?

Melinda

[Laughs] Spot on. These ‘priors’ are like outdated software—fears or beliefs we picked up early on that just don’t serve us anymore. And meditation? It can bring awareness to the corrupted code and give us the tools to rewrite them.

Denice

Well, the Force always needs it's balance, know what I mean? I like where this is going, Mel. So Meditation is how we "update" our mental software?

Melinda

It's more than an update, Denice—it’s a diagnostic scan and a reminder that the system was whole all along.

Denice

All right, Mel. We talked a bit about the four stages of meditation before the show. And you described it like a roadmap, starting with the most accessible and moving to the deeper, more profound.

Denice

Stage one is "Focused Attention". What is it exactly?

Melinda

Denice, Before we even get into the stages, let me share an image I love: one writer compared our minds to wild elephants, constantly charging back and forth.

Denice

Yes! Scattered, reactive, trampling everything in our mental jungle.

Melinda

Exactly. And meditation is like training that elephant to stand still—calm, steady, under your guidance.

Denice

Okay, I love that visual. So how do we actually train it?

Melinda

Here’s where Focused Attention comes in. You pick one thing—your breath, a mantra, a single point. Your mind will wander—totally normal. The practice is gently bringing it back.

Denice

Real talk though—I just get annoyed. My mind wanders every five seconds!

Melinda

Yeah, that can feel frustrating. Like you’re failing. But the truth is—you’re doing it exactly right. Every time you return, that’s the win. Every breath you bring it back is like another gentle tug on the reins.

Denice

Jedi gym reps—with compassion.

Melinda

Exactly. And neuroscience shows this kind of focus activates the parasympathetic nervous system—your calming circuit.

Denice

Not the best name for something so soothing, honestly.

Melinda

[Laughs] Agreed. But here’s a pause for listeners: Take one breath right now—just notice it.

Melinda

... breathe in...

Melinda

...and now out...

Melinda

That’s Focused Attention in action.

Melinda

Stage two is Open Monitoring. You open your awareness to whatever arises—thoughts, sensations, emotions—without judgment.

Denice

So, it’s like shifting from a spotlight to a wide-angle lens?

Melinda

I love that analogy, Denice. And it opens up a powerful truth: You are not your thoughts.

Denice

Oooh, picture this Mel. Maybe, It's like our thoughts and emotions are like waves on the surface of the ocean...

Melinda

I like what you're cooking Denice!

Denice

...and we are the ocean, right? Part of the same ocean, but our thoughts are just ripples on the surface, that come and go?

Melinda

That's so beautifully put, Denice! And beneath the surface, there is such infinite complexity of life. That's where we find our true self. I never thought of it that way, but I'm loving it.

Denice

Thank you Mel! So, in traffic, instead of "I am frustrated", it’s more: oh hey, frustration just showed up.

Melinda

Right, just a passing ripple! And you’re the ocean.

Denice

And sometimes the waves can be crazy rough. But beneath?

Melinda

The ocean is still calmly doing its thing.

Denice

Just hearing that makes me breathe easier.

Melinda

Then let’s pause again. Take a moment. What’s one wave on the surface of your ocean, right now? Name it—without judging it.

Melinda

Then feel yourself as the ocean, and let the wave go.

Denice

I really want to just wallow in that ocean, Mel. Yet, we still have meditation stage three—Non-Dual Awareness. Sounds like the Jedi boss level.

Melinda

It kind of is. It may sound pretty radical, Denice, but stick with me here. Our sense of self, that feeling of I or me. It's largely a construct of the mind, you know?

Denice

So, you're saying that the "me" that I experience, isn't as solid as I think it is.

Melinda

Exactly. And non-dual practices, help us see through the illusion of separation between ourselves, and everything around us.

Denice

Hold on, Mel. I need a moment to process this, and so may our listeners, I think.

Melinda

Maybe it will help to think of it this way, Denice. Imagine experiencing a breathtaking sunset, not as something separate from you, but as an experience you're fully immersed in, without any sense of a "me" observing it.

Melinda

You lose yourself in it. For a moment, there’s no you—just the experience.

Denice

That's a beautiful image, and I think I'm starting to grasp what you're saying. It's not about erasing the self entirely but experiencing it differently. Like, when you're so absorbed in a great movie that you forget everything around you, and like, yourself too!

Melinda

Great example, Denice!! It’s about a feeling that you're not just this separate entity, but you're part of this vast interconnected web of life.

Denice

That’s beautiful Mel. It sounds incredibly...liberating. And neuroscience actually backs this up?

Melinda

Yes—neuroscience shows that in these moments, the predictive mind actually quiets down. The sense of separation softens. Studies suggest that non-dual states decrease activity in the brain regions that create the sense of self, leading to feelings of unity and interconnectedness.

Denice

Oh, Mel. You'll have to "Chuck me in the shallow waters, before we get too deep." Explain it to me like I’m five.

Melinda

[Laughs] Fair. Imagine your brain has this little narrator that’s always saying, “That’s me, this is mine, that’s not me.” In non-dual awareness, that narrator goes quiet. For a moment, it’s like the walls come down, and you just feel connected — no me versus you, just one big experience.

Denice

Ahhh, so it’s like taking off the Jedi helmet and realizing the whole galaxy is one big flow.

Melinda

Exactly.

Denice

Deep ocean Jedi stuff. Where are my floaties?

Melinda

You won’t need floaties. Just openness. And remember—it’s not about fixing yourself or achieving something new. It’s about remembering the wholeness that’s always been there.

Denice

Beautifully said, Mel. we still have that Final stage of meditation, right? Cessation.

Denice

Sounds almost mystical. Like, "Dormammu I've come to bargain!"

Melinda

[Laughs and chuckles] It's not quite "Dr. Strange" level-mystical, Denice. Cessation is a temporary suspension of consciousness—like hitting pause on the predictive mind.

Denice

Can't wait to dig into this. Science backs this too?

Melinda

Yes, neuroscience suggests that at this stage, even the prior of being aware is turned off. The brain stops predicting. No sensory input, no inner chatter—just deep, restorative quiet. When the mind restarts, practitioners report clarity and the ability to reprogram their mental habits.

Denice

[Laughs] Again, Mel… remember, like I’m five.

Melinda

[Laughs] Sure. Imagine your brain is like a TV that’s always on — even when you’re sleeping, there’s something playing in the background. In Cessation, the TV actually switches off. Nothing on the screen. And when it comes back on, it’s clearer, like the static is gone.

Denice

Ahhh, so a total reboot. That’s mind-blowing. This is deep ocean stuff, Mel. It must really challenge how we understand consciousness.

Melinda

It does. And while the experience is rare, it shows how deeply meditation can transform the mind.

Denice

Makes me wonder—how much of life are we actually choosing, and how much are we just reacting? Like we’re running on autopilot, based on all these priors.

Melinda

Yeah, totally. And that brings us back to the predictive mind. Each meditation stage is basically "adjusting the volume" on those different priors.

Denice

That’s a great way to put it. Focused Attention turns the volume down on distractions. Open Monitoring relaxes reactivity by giving space to whatever arises.

Melinda

And Non-Dual Awareness? That’s like lowering the volume on the whole “me story”—that mental narration of separation.

Denice

I'm with you so far. And the final stage—Cessation?

Melinda

Rare, but profound. It’s when even awareness pauses. Like pressing control-alt-delete on the mind.

Denice

Total system reboot. Loading Jedi 2.0…

Denice

I still can’t quite picture it… but I'd really like to experience it.

Melinda

That longing you feel? That’s the doorway. Curiosity opens the path more than effort.

Melinda

Let’s pause here, just for a moment of silence.

Melinda

breathe in....

Melinda

...and out...

Denice

Mel, I have to admit, it feels so soothing. Yet, when life gets messy, how does all this help?

Melinda

Great question, Denice! Let’s say you’re stuck in traffic and your frustration is building.

Denice

Oh, I know that feeling! I can feel my blood pressure going up just thinking about it.

Melinda

With Focused Attention, you can shift to your breath, calming yourself. With Open Monitoring, you observe the frustration without judgment—it’s just a passing sensation.

Denice

That creates some mental space, letting you respond skillfully instead of reacting?

Melinda

Exactly. These tools help us navigate stress, conflicts, and life’s chaos with clarity and resilience.

Denice

How about you walk us through some more real-life Jedi meditation drills?

Melinda

Sure, Denice! Work stress: Open Monitoring—notice pressure without reacting.

Melinda

Parenting chaos: Remember—you’re the ocean. Let frustration pass.

Melinda

Sleepless nights: Watch thoughts drift. No need to wrestle them.

Melinda

Heartbreak: Let the ache be there. Breathe around it. Give it room.

Denice

Honestly, this reminds me—I once caught myself mid-argument with my kid, paused, and took one slow breath. It didn’t fix everything, but it shifted me. That changed the whole moment.

Melinda

That takes courage. To stop in the middle of heat like that—it shifts more than words, it shifts the energy between you.

Denice

Yeah, and it felt different afterward. Like the air in the room changed.

Melinda

That’s it. Real practice, real world. Not perfection—presence. Even five minutes can start to reshape things.

Denice

So what’s the vision, Mel? Who am I becoming with this?

Melinda

Someone who doesn’t drown in the storm—but sees clearly through it. A steadier parent. A wiser leader. A more peaceful soul.

Denice

So, Mel… as we move towards closing off today’s episode… we’ve learned that meditation isn’t just about what happens when you’re sitting quietly on a cushion. It’s about how we show up in the world.

Melinda

I love that. So it’s not about chasing some mystical state of enlightenment — it’s about practical tools for navigating the challenges of everyday life.

Denice

It feels like meditation isn’t just for monks or spiritual seekers anymore. It’s for anyone and everyone who wants to live a better life, you know?

Melinda

And you don’t need hours to see benefits, Denice. Even five minutes a day can make a difference. Even if you’ve never meditated before, or you’ve tried and haven’t quite found your groove, this framework can change your whole perspective.

Denice

Couldn’t agree more. It’s about finding a practice that resonates with you, right?

Melinda

And then committing to it, Denice. And remember, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Explore, experiment, and discover what works best for you.

Denice

Right, Mel. So, a quick recap: our brain operates like a prediction machine, building reality from our senses combined with our past experiences and beliefs.

Melinda

And meditation deconstructs those predictions, allowing us to debug outdated patterns and create more intentional ways of experiencing life.

Denice

So, here’s our Jedi challenge to you: set aside five minutes today. Sit, breathe, observe. Begin your training.

Denice

And here’s a bonus trick—before your next meeting or tough convo, take five deep breaths. Anchor yourself. See what happens.

Melinda

Try it. Explore. You’re not doing it wrong—you’re doing it. Just keep showing up. Keep practicing.

Denice

And that wild elephant? You’re teaching it to be still—and to feel loved in the process.

Melinda

And if this episode resonates, leave us a review or share it with a fellow Jedi-in-training—your support keeps us going! Thanks for joining us on The Mind Jedi Podcast. Until next time—May the Force of mindfulness guide you.

Denice

Always. Keep breathing, keep practicing… and keep training those elephants!