Dr. Judson Brewer, a renowned Buddhist neuroscientist and director of research and innovation at Brown University's Mindfulness Center, offers a novel approach to breaking bad habits. Drawing on over a decade of studying and practicing Buddhist mindfulness, Brewer suggests that curiosity is key to regaining cognitive control and changing habitual behaviors. His theory, tested extensively on chronic smokers, demonstrates the potential of mindful awareness in transforming detrimental habits into lasting change.
Brewer's research involved a test group of chronic smokers, many of whom had attempted to quit on average six times before without success. He attributes these failures to the difficulty people face in finding something more rewarding than their ingrained habits. According to Brewer, the first step in changing any habit is to identify the behavior and its underlying causes. By exercising curiosity about why one is drawn to a specific habit, individuals can begin regaining cognitive control.
Brewer encourages individuals to closely evaluate their feelings when engaging in the habit they wish to change. He states, "Go ahead and smoke. Just be really curious about what it's like when you do." Through this practice of mindfulness, participants begin to recognize the often-overlooked consequences of their habits compared to the perceived rewards. One participant described her experience as "Mindful smoking: smells like stinky cheese and tastes like chemicals. Yuck!" This realization marked a significant shift from merely knowing that smoking was harmful to experiencing it viscerally.
"Mindful smoking: smells like stinky cheese and tastes like chemicals. Yuck!" – Brewer
Brewer emphasizes the importance of transitioning from cognitive knowledge to deep-seated wisdom, saying, "She knew cognitively that smoking was bad for her. What she discovered just by being curiously aware when she smoked was that smoking tastes like s