
Alcohol & Evolution with Dr. Edward Slingerland
Mindful Drinking
Utilizing Alcohol as a Cultural Technology for Spontaneity
The speaker's dissertation and book focus on the paradox of trying not to try when it comes to being spontaneous in social interactions. The cognitive paradox arises when trying to relax activates the brain's control center. Early Chinese philosophers developed techniques like using the body or breathing techniques to overcome this paradox. One of them used drunkenness as a metaphor for achieving a state of spontaneous ease. The speaker considered alcohol as a cultural technology to tackle the challenge of being consciously spontaneous while maintaining desired outcomes.
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