Abstinence from audio-visual stimulus and various garbage stimli

[Tannhauser]

Anyone tried this?

My theory is that all great ideas were invented because people didn't have internet and access to constant cheap stimulus.

Consider this: the human brain is not made to be lazy – something you might have realised if you ever had to sit in a waiting room without an electronic gadget to entertain you. Boredom is supposed to make you engage your brain in activities. Nowadays we don't longer have the privilege of feeling boredom; there is never a desperate need to actively generate one's own stimulus. You can simply open a internet browser and let the stimulus flow.

There is a model out there called Hyperbolic discounting which I have seen being used on the concept of mental stimulus. In that context, the model basically says that if your brain would choose between an immediate small stimulus, and a large stimulus farther into the future, it tends to choose the immediate reward. That is almost a bit scary in the context of mental activity: that means that you can fool your brain into thinking it is doing 'well' by constantly feeding it fast, cheap stimulus – like the one you get from surfing the web. Larger projects – like learning to play the piano or whatever – will never be prioritized...

I made a half-assed attempt at it a while back. The only thing I found out is that it is very hard to do. Results were inconclusive, although I remember it felt amazing to listen to music after not listening to any form of music for a week.

 

[Minuend]

Hmm, I don't think internet, PC and so forth are particularly disruptive for me. I'm usually motivated by learning and knowing learning more about a topic will give me a more complete or new understanding. This motivation and drive is usually present unless I'm feeling ill, depressed, stressed or so. So for me it's not difficult to walk away from the PC and start reading a book, listen to music, meditate or whatever I want to do.

(I'm very internally motivated. I'm not at all motivated by rewards like "if I do x I'll get to eat chocolate or go to that concert")

Though, I don't think I generate substantially more thoughts and ideas when I relax on the couch doing nothing. My ideas and thoughts are usually triggered by external observations that gives me associations to other things which in turn makes me question and ponder. Without these glimpses (which can come from a subtle reaction in a movie to a researchish article to forum post or news report), I'm not sure how much new ideas I'd generate on my own. I think my strengths lies more in connecting existing information, rather than generating it so to speak.

Boredom was never a good kick in the butt for me. I was bored a lot as a child, and it only made me frustrated, irritable and sluggish. So anything I engaged in became dull and unpleasant. I had an aversion to Sundays for that reason, always dreading them. For me it's better to engage in something which sparks pleasant feels which in turn can be harbored for other projects.

However, spending some time with pc, tv, phones turned off does give a certain quiet which is quite nice. Spending some time every now and then in isolated places without electricity can be a calming experience.

 

[Absurdity]

Does your avatar count as garbage stimuli?

I can relate. I don't have a TV, don't usually listen to music by choice, and I also didn't have internet at my place for like 2 months, which it was kind of nice. I read and wrote a lot more, and got out of the house quite a bit. It wasn't a full unplugging though, since 99.9% of my job involves using a computer and the internet, so I still binged on plenty of digitized crack between 8 am and 8 pm more or less. The weekends were peaceful.

 

[onesteptwostep]

I remember becoming better at playing the guitar when I've played them after extended periods of extraversion and generally using other cognitive modes. Could teach yourself how to skateboard or rollerblade, and maybe if that helps. I also had an architectural period where I'd go out for random walks to nowhere and everywhere, writing down thoughts I had on the architecture around the neighborhood and the districts. It's pretty disgusting (or maybe you could shove it down into the narrative of 'architectural evolution') how architectural language is used to imply status within districts.

Music on the other hand, I feel like I could invoke the same emotion from any piece just by concentrating correctly. I could do that with most classical pieces, for sure. Perhaps that isn't healthy though. Maybe there's a theory out there on music listening somewhere.

 

[Sixup]

There's truth in this.

I doubt the people at the cutting edge of any field spend much time browsing the web or Facebook.

I wonder if cutting it out entirely would be useful. But...then we still must have some time for leisure. Which would be... reading a book? The question then becomes
...is leisurely book reading better for your brain/lifestyle than leisurely web browsing?

Maybe the problem is that the internet is just too accessible as a distraction.

 

[peoplesuck]

i had no computer and my xbox stopped reading discs for 3 months, definitely more productive. took time to play with my piano and learn a lot about circuitry and drawing

 

[Ex-User (11125)]

for me eagerness to learn and the internet are definitely not mutually exclusive
i find that my curiosity about anything is almost always sated by the internet
tbh i dont understand this thread, because i think you have more control over the stimulus you get from the internet than the plethora of images and noise you register simply by being out on the street
i fail to see how abstaining from music has anything to do with increasing motivation, and why would you consider the music you listen to as garbage stimuli if you have perfect control over the input?

 

[QuickTwist]

I am addicted to the internet. That said, I get all my best ideas from reading books. There is something very novel about sitting down at a couch or chair and just reading a work of literature that really gets the mind flowing in the most natural sense. There is also something to be said for the blue light that comes from screens that may affect the thought process people might have ever so slightly (or not).

The truth is that I have such a way to connect ideas as it is that if I was to read more intellectually stimulating books I would no doubt be a truly brilliant person. As it is I feel I am smart, but nowhere near smart enough to come up with really any original ideas. That is life though.

 

[r4ch3l]

I've been very intensely doing online courses over the last 3+ months and an unexpected side-effect is that I feel REALLY dumb lately. Because the online courses involve a lot of just getting to the next screen and passing the next quiz/assignment I complete them compulsively yet distractedly. This paradoxical need to be simultaneously elsewhere and doing something at the same time seems to be carrying over into my everyday mindset. I hate it.

I love the internet and research binges are one of my most pleasurable activities but right now I would love nothing more than to not look at another screen for like...6 months minimum. If you're serious about doing this and don't need to be online to make a living check out dhamma.org. They run free meditation retreats all over and after you've finished one you see how much this type of media is essentially brain rape.

 

[Sinny91]

I love the internet and research binges are one of my most pleasurable activities but right now I would love nothing more than to not look at another screen for like...6 months minimum. If you're serious about doing this and don't need to be online to make a living check out dhamma.org. They run free meditation retreats all over and after you've finished one you see how much this type of media is essentially brain rape.

Cool advice, I was looking up UK retreats not long ago.

I tend to find that I have stronger mental discipline when I take my self away from the virtual world, and increased clarity of thought.

However I have many interests and a number of research projects; in order to complete these I have to spend large amounts of time online. Sucks for the health.. But is a whole lot faster than literally scouring the globe for sources.

 

[Alias]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy5XR-oxCus

I always stop myself from using the internet, etc. too much. It feels horrible being that useless. I try to use my time for healthier things, like going for a quick run. If I do use the internet, I try to make it worth it by playing video games in moderation, watching videos with actual humorous content, learning another language, and, of course, being on the INTP forum!

It destroys my eyes when I use computers too much, too.

 

[Tannhauser]

I am addicted to the internet. That said, I get all my best ideas from reading books. There is something very novel about sitting down at a couch or chair and just reading a work of literature that really gets the mind flowing in the most natural sense. There is also something to be said for the blue light that comes from screens that may affect the thought process people might have ever so slightly (or not).

The truth is that I have such a way to connect ideas as it is that if I was to read more intellectually stimulating books I would no doubt be a truly brilliant person. As it is I feel I am smart, but nowhere near smart enough to come up with really any original ideas. That is life though.

Exactly. It is an amazing feeling to read a really good book and engage in a prolonged effort to go deep into a subject – as opposed to this wild random clicking around on the internet, gathering superficial knowledge about all kinds of random stuff.

Another thing is the quality and diversity of information one gets from the internet. Every time I go to a university library, I am amazed at how many super-high quality mind-blowing books there are written about each subject. Then one goes to the internet and realises that the information there is often concentrated around a very small selection of sources, and large parts of the information are just copied between all the sites. One thinks of the internet as this great river of knowledge, while in reality, a single, physical library often contains way more knowledge.

 

[Polaris]

If I spend too much time browsing the interblargh or reading the forum I can actually get depressed. I don't get a sense of achievement, and often the only challenge I get is emotional, which makes it worse. As Tannhauser observed, the information that is information dense with credible sources is hard to find if one does not know where or how to look, and it takes an exceptionally critical and/or educated mind to sort out the useful from the rubbish.

I have tried abstaining many times. The more inspiring moments have come from meditation practices or just pondering during the hours of dusk/dark. Playing the violin really amplified other problem solving skills and clarity of mind. Long distance running, rock climbing, cross country skiing and swimming have similar effects. Painting and drawing gives me a sense of achievement as the output is tangible - added bonus when other people appreciate my efforts. Writing interesting research assignments gets my brain working in terms of flow, particularly tasks that require critical analysis and spotting inconsistencies.

The most meaningful ideas and insights have come from long conversations with people I admire.

 

[Pizzabeak]

I made a half-assed attempt at it a while back. The only thing I found out is that it is very hard to do. Results were inconclusive, although I remember it felt amazing to listen to music after not listening to any form of music for a week.

Yeah.

 

[Sixup]

Related: http://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-raise-a-scientist-in-the-xbox-age-1450137781

 

[Intolerable]

I have a playlist I listen to while working. Full of monotone sounds and blurred instrumentals. It sounds nice but isn't so distinct that it distracts my purpose.

 

[Happy]

This thread inspired me and I just cancelled most of my digital subscriptions. Goodbye Netflix, goodbye Spotify, goodbye PlayStation Plus, goodbye XBOX Live.

Thanks.