24 Nov The marshmallow test
The marshmallow test is the name given to a series of experiments led by the psychologist Walter Mischel. The purpose of the experiments was to study delayed gratification.
Children were offered a choice between one marshmallow which they could have immediately or two marshmallows if they waited for a short period during which the tester left the room and then returned.
The longer the children were able to wait the better their life outcomes were. Children who waited longer did better in school, had better health and were more likely to go on to have successful careers and marriages then those who couldn’t control themselves.
In the Katha Upanishad the King of Death states “as a human being, you have been born with the capacity to make choices. No other creature has this capacity, and no human being can avoid this responsibility. Every moment, whether you see it or not, you have the choice of two alternatives in what you do, say and think.”
In Sanskrit these alternatives are called preya and shreya. Preya is the desire for instant gratification, to obtain pleasure now and to do what ever we find easy and pleasurable without considering the long term implications too much. Shreya is the desire to do what is best for us in the long run and what will ultimately benefit us.
When we decide to diet, exercise, meditate and to be kind to others we are motivated by shreya, however preya often tempts us off the path we know is best for us.
Meditation builds the focus and discipline we need to delay gratification and it gives us the strength to resolve any internal issues we have.
We can then hang on a bit longer and get two marshmallows instead of one.
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