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Nader's report has triggered a minor research industry, focusing on the exact details of the reactivation process and the cellular mechanisms involved - for instance, my own lab has shown that in some crucial ways the biochemical pathways involved differ from those during initial learning, engaging different brain regions and different types of protein. However, it has also raised in some people's minds the serious question of whether it might indeed prove possible to erase unwanted memories in humans. Perhaps in a wish to make headlines, attract grant funds or the interest of biotech companies, they have suggested that such erasure might prove useful in treating one of those newly labelled conditions so beloved of modern psychiatrist: post-traumatic stress disorder.
It seems these days that in the immediate aftermath of any horrific murder or other disaster, grief counsellors are blue-lighted in to treat survivors, relatives and shocked bystanders. Soldiers returning from battle, police and emergency workers, even those recovering from a messy divorce, are being diagnosed with PTSD, whose symptoms are described as recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event, including images, thoughts, perceptions or dreams, acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were recurring. So might it not prove possible to erase the unwanted memory?

There have always been some anomalies that have sat uncomfortably with this assumption - for instance, memories don't stay in the hippocampus; it seems that after some days or weeks they are transferred to the cerebral cortex. But the community of memory researchers has mostly tried to ignore such inconvenient data.
Until recently, that is. Four years ago, Karim Nader and his colleagues in New York showed that if an animal was taught a particular task, and then days later was reminded of it by being put in the same context, the memory became labile once more - that means it could be disrupted by protein synthesis inhibitors. It was as if the reminder not only reactivated the old memory, but resulted in an entirely new memory being formed on top of it. Of course, we can intuitively recognise this; when we recall a past event, we are not recalling the event per se, but our memory of it from the last time we recalled it. This is why our autobiographical memories are being reshaped as we go through life.

But translating short- into longer-term memory involves more permanent structural changes in the connections (synapses) between the nerve cells. This process involves a cascade of biochemical mechanisms, triggered by the initial increases in neurotransmission resulting eventually in the creation of new proteins. These move to the synapse, modifying its structure. My own lab has spent several decades unravelling the details of this cascade in young chickens. There are good reasons to believe that similar molecular processes operate in humans.
Because a sequence of biochemical steps is required to reshape the synapses in the hours after an important event or experience, it is possible to use drugs or inhibitors to disrupt the process. Indeed it is through the use of such specific drugs that many of the steps have been explained.
Say you find out your partner is having an affair. Would it be possible to excise the moment of discovery from your brain? Disrupting neurotransmission in the minutes after the experience, or blocking protein synthesis in the hours that follow does prevent long-term memory being formed, and the result is amnesia of that event. However, blocking protein synthesis outside this critical period leaves memory unimpaired. So the conventional wisdom, at least since the 1960s, has been that once a memory is "fixed" biochemically, it is permanent and cannot be erased.

Kaufman's interest in the quirks of the human mind has run through some of his previous films (especially Being John Malkovich), and this is the latest in film-makers' current interest in memory and its brain mechanisms. Think of Memento, a Christopher Nolan film in which the central character is unable to form short-term memories as a result of brain damage.
Whether the film-makers knew it or not, their scenario plays into some very current science indeed, and a major debate among neuroscientists. Some even seriously claim they could erase the unpleasant memories of a soldier in battle or a passenger in a train crash.
Memories fascinate scientists, perhaps because they are created in such a complicated fashion. Our senses are continually bombarded with information, some novel, some a repeat of previous experience. Much is ignored, some is remembered for a few minutes only (short-term memory), and a proportion of that is retained more permanently (long-term memory). Within the brain, short-term memories are "held" in the form of transient increases in neurotransmission between nerve cells, notably in a region known as the hippocampus.

Are scientists on the brink of learning how to erase memories.
The great dread of our age is the insidious onset of Alzheimer's disease, the inexorable loss of the very memories that constitute our individuality, our personhood. Big pharmaceutical companies are investing massively in drugs which might retard or even prevent the decline and preserve the failing memory. Yet, suppose our memories are painful, bringing back painful experiences. Might it be possible to erase them, wipe them out as cleanly as pressing the delete button on a computer?
This is the central scientific premise to the new film from the writer of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, Charlie Kaufman - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The central characters in Kaufman's film aren't exactly blameless vestals, but are recoiling from their unhappy love affair, and so each in turn visits a lab (Lacuna Inc) where neurotechnicians endeavour to wipe out recollection of their troubled relationship. The wordy title is a line from a poem by Alexander Pope; the previous lines run: "How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot".
The film plays neatly with the enigmatic nature of memory, and the impossibility of separating the continuous stream of our recollections into "files" that can be tidily dissected and removed.

An Intentional Life

Post written by Leo Babauta.

Many of us go through our days awake, but following patterns we’ve developed over the years. We are going through the motions, doing things at home, online, at work without much forethought.
Contrast this with the idea of an Intentional Life: everything you do is done with consciousness, fulfilling one of your core values (compassion, for example). Everything is done with a conscious intent.
It’s true that many things we do have some kind of intent — I’m washing the dishes because I don’t want a messy house or bugs in my kitchen; I’m driving to work because I need to make a living; I’m driving my kids to school because they need to learn. But after repeating these actions every day, the intent kind of fades into the background so that we are barely aware of them. We’ve figured out the intent long ago, and don’t need to think about them anymore.
What if that changed?
What if you were very aware of your intention for your actions? How would that transform the action, and your life?
What if you washed the dishes, but first said you are doing this as a service to your family, to make them happy, and as a form of meditation for yourself, to practice mindfulness? Doing the dishes would suddenly take on much more importance, and would cease to be boring.
The only difference is intention.
What if driving to work was done after mentally declaring an intention to help others at work, to make people happy, to find satisfaction through work? The drive might be much happier, and you might be less likely to get irate when someone inevitably cuts you off in traffic.
This is the Intentional Life.
I practice it in bits and pieces — not all the time, but increasingly. When I do it, my life is different. More purposeful, more consciously lived, more content with any action.
A simple practice of intentionality: before you do the next action online or at work, pause a moment, close your eyes, and mentally say your intention. Why are you doing this? Is it out of compassion for others, or yourself? Is it to make someone happier? To improve the world? Out of gratitude for the work and kindness of others?
And then, as you do the action, be mindful of your intention.
This is a small step, but in those few moments, you will be living an Intentional Life.

Be Inspired

Post written by Leo Babauta.

You are overcome with laziness and procrastination, feeling unmotivated, stuck, can’t get started.
You are not alone. This is a commonality in the human condition, and the solution is elusive, never standing still and not wanting to be easily caught.
You are not alone, but in this union with your brothers and sisters, there is hope. I’m among you, and I have found a few meager solutions. And if I can solve this problem, so can you. If others have beaten it, you can.
These are ways I’ve found inspiration.
one: This morning as I sat down to write I had some ideas for posts but wasn’t excited about any of them. So I asked on Twitter, “What are you having problems with that I can help with?” Several people responded with things like laziness, motivation, procrastination, getting started. Having something to help with inspired me to write.
lesson: Inspiration can come from finding a way to help others.
two: My eight-year-old son was looking bored, and I asked about a (short) novel he’s been reading. He showed me the book and I challenged him to read four chapters today. His face lit up and he got to reading.
lesson: Creating a challenge can be an inspiration.
three: I have problems with procrastination, just like anyone else. I usually solve it when 1) I crystalize in my mind what I most want to be doing right now and what is most important; 2) I clear away all other distractions; and 3) I get started. As I began writing this post, I closed all other browser tabs (bookmarked ones I want to read later) and opened only the “new post” page in WordPress. Then I clicked on the “fullscreen” button so that everything but the writing box disappeared. Then I entered “Presentation Mode” in Google Chrome, so that everything else on my computer screen faded away. Now it’s just me and these words.
lesson: Clear away everything else and just create.
four: In the morning I sometimes feel lazy when I’ve told myself I want to exercise, stretch, or meditate. I don’t feel motivated. So instead of motivating myself to do something that might take 10, 20 or 30 minutes, I just focus on the smallest action: starting. To meditate or stretch, I just need to put my butt on the pillow (on the floor). To exercise, I just need to lace up my shoes and get out the door. Once I start, the rest is easy, and I’m always glad I did.
lesson: Get your butt on the pillow. Don’t wait for motivation, just start. Motivation will come.
five: As I began to write this morning I heard what sounded like opera music streaming through the walls from my neighbor’s house. What a lovely sound to write to! I immediately began playing some opera of my own, and the uplifting beauty infused my act of creation.
lesson: Surround yourself by inspiration. Music, art, great books, fascinating people.
six: When I feel lazy and don’t want to do anything, I remind myself of the gift I’ve been given. I live an amazing life, and to be given the joy of this world and the people around me, is a complete and utter miracle. Then I ask myself, “Is this how I want to use this miracle?” What a complete waste of something so perfect, so profound, to spend the little time I have in this life on pointlessness and laziness. I don’t mind doing nothing, if it is a nothing that makes me happy. But I also want to create, to help people, to be compassionate towards others, to do something fulfilling and joyous. And so I do.
lesson: Be grateful for the miracle of your life, and ask yourself how you want to spend it. Then get to creating, to making lives better.
seven: I read blogs by fascinating people doing inspired things. Often they will write about something they’re working on, and it sparks an idea in me, makes me want to do something really cool too. Yesterday this happened and I’ve spent hours now dreaming up something big. It might never happen, but that’s not the important thing. Because I surround myself (virtually) with inspired people, I’m more likely to be hit by inspiration.
lesson: Don’t wait for inspiration to strike — you have to meet it halfway. If you want to be hit by lightning, go out in a thunderstorm with a metal rod. Scream at the thundering gods, daring them to strike you.

20 Simple Strategies for Getting Healthy

Post written by Leo Babauta.

While most people want to lose weight, get fitter, get healthier … it can be tough forming the habits.
It took me many starts and frustrations before I learned how to live a healthier lifestyle. In 2005, I was 70 lbs. heavier, a smoker, addicted to junk food, sedentary, couldn’t exercise for more than a few days without quitting.
Today, I am much healthier, leaner, fitter. I eat healthily most of the time (with regular indulgences) and I’m able to stick to a meal plan if I want, and avoid junk food most of the time.
How did I change? I learned a few simple strategies. These aren’t for everyone, so pick and choose the ones that might fit in your life, and give them a try!
1. Toss out the junk food. Having junk food in your house or workplace makes it too hard to stick to a healthy diet. If at all possible, toss everything out that’s sugary, fatty, greasy, salty. The best strategy is not having it around. Clean out your pantry and fridge!
2. Find some healthy recipes and buy the ingredients. There are thousands online. Find one or two to start with, easy ones that don’t take an hour to prepare, and go buy the ingredients today.
3. Cook in bulk. I find it easiest to stick to a healthy meal plan if I prepare things in advance. So cook big batches of veggie chili or soup, or tofu veggie stir fry, and put the bulk of it in containers in the fridge or freezer. I like to divide things into meal-sized containers so I just heat things up when it’s mealtime.
4. Stock up on healthy snacks. When you’re hungry for a snack, what will you eat? Have healthy things to munch on at home, at work, and for the road. Fresh fruits, chopped veggies, raw nuts, dried fruits are some of my favorites.
5. Socialize in healthier ways. Instead of going out to bars or unhealthy restaurants, can you get together for tea, or a game of basketball, or a walk in the park? Or find a healthy restaurant to eat at?
6. Find a workout partner. Get your spouse or good friend or coworker to go on walks or runs with you, or meet you at the gym or a workout class. Having someone do it with you makes it fun and easier, and you’re more likely to show up if you have an appointment to meet someone.
7. Use social media for motivation. You can use Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or your favorite online forums for motivation and accountability. Publicly announce 2-week or month-long health challenges, and have people keep you accountable. Try Fitocracy — it’s a social fitness game that can make getting fit fun.
8. Play outside. It’s important to go outside every day and get some fresh air and sunshine. Move around, take the kids out and play, find a friend and take a walk or throw or kick a ball around.
9. Find healthy options for eating out. Instead of eating at fast food or chain restaurants where everything is deep fried, can you find more local restaurants where there are some healthy options? Make a list, and go to those places when you go out.
10. Make water & tea your default drink. Many people drink soda or sugar coffee drinks all day. This is not necessary for a healthy or enjoyable life. Water can become your favorite drink, and (unsweetened) tea can be very healthy. I love a mindful green tea ritual once a day.
11. Schedule active breaks. If you’re on the computer all day, schedule short breaks every 30-60 minutes where you stretch, walk around, maybe do some squats or pushups, drink some water. Exercise doesn’t have to be just once a day.
12. Get your spouse on board. It’s hard to make changes if your significant other is resistant. So early on in the process (read: right now), share your thinking, share your reading materials, and ask them to help you get healthy. Don’t ever force them to change, but see if they can be on your team.
13. Start small — don’t overdo it. Big changes tend to be hard to sustain. Make one small change on this list, and then try another, then another. Each step along the way, you’ll get used it and it will become your new normal. No step needs to be very difficult.
14. Have fun exercising. Create challenges for yourself, and your friends. Find sports you like to play. Use running as a form of meditation. Exercising doesn’t need to be boring or hard — it can be one of the best parts of your day.
15. Drink red wine. One or two glasses of red wine can be very healthy, and can add some pleasure to your new healthy lifestyle. I’m a believer in making a healthy lifestyle one that you enjoy, so add healthy foods you love, activities you enjoy, a mindful tea ritual, and an end-of-the-day wine ritual.
16. Explore berries, kale, raw almonds and walnuts, avocado, flaxseeds, quinoa, tofu, tempeh. These are foods that many people don’t eat on a regular basis, and some people have never tried some of these. One by one, explore these foods, as I find them to be very healthy. Some of them take some time to acquire the taste, and others (like tofu and tempeh) just need the right seasonings — they don’t have to be bland!
17. Add healthy ingredients to your meals. If you don’t want to change your entire diet, start adding some healthy stuff to your usual meals. For example, if you normally eat spaghetti, try ground turkey or meatless grounds instead of beef. Add some finely-diced kale and carrots, and some flaxseeds. You can do this to many recipes.
18. Try new ethnic foods. Don’t look at changing your diet as a sacrifice. Think of it as a joyous adventure. Want to try going meatless a few days a week? Try some healthy dishes from India, Japan, Thailand, the Mediterranean. It can be a lot of fun, even for the whole family.
19. Stop smoking. OK, this isn’t the easiest strategy, but it is one of the most important. I quit smoking on Nov. 18, 2005, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. It takes about a month of focused effort. Here are my tips.
20. Diet before exercise. One of the easiest ways to start getting healthier is to start improving your diet — it’s fairly easy to add some fruits and veggies, for example, and maybe cut back on some of the sweets. Starting exercise takes a bit more focus, and doesn’t always get results as quickly. On the flip side, if you start exercising, don’t let that be an excuse to eat whatever you want — it’s easy to negate the benefits of your morning run with a donut and sugary and fatty coffee drink.

Eva’s List: Traveling Light for Women

Post written by Leo Babauta and Eva Babauta.

When I wrote my 16 Essential Tips for Traveling with a Family a couple weeks ago, I had a ton of people ask the same thing: “I’d like to see Eva’s packing list!”
There’s an idea, it seems, that it’s much easier for a man to pack lightly than a woman. And while there’s some truth to that, I think it’s a matter of changing long-held ideas of what you need when you travel.
Luckily, we have my wife Eva to tell us what she packed, and what the experience was like for her. This is her first post on Zen Habits, and I’m happy to have her join me here.
Some context: Eva and I took five of our kids on a 3-week trip across southern Europe, in Rome, Florence, Bologna, Cinque Terre, the French Riviera (Antibes), and Barcelona. We brought only a small backpack each (no luggage, no roller carry-ons), and found the experience to be great.
Eva hasn’t always packed this lightly. She used to need a heavier carry-on duffle bag that I would usually end up lugging around for her (we have never traveled with big suitcases since we started traveling in 2008). But on those trips, she would begin to realize that there were a lot of things she brought that she really didn’t use or need, and slowly she has radically changed the way she packs, to my everlasting delight.
Small note: Eva & I share a toothbrush & toothpaste, both of which were in my backpack.
And now, let me turn it over to Eva:
Eva’s Packing List

By Eva Babauta
I definitely did not travel as lightly as Leo did. But, I think that I did a pretty good job of traveling light.
Here’s my packing list, carried in one backpack.
In my 15-inch packing folder were:
a pair of shorts
underwear
4 thin comfortable tank tops
a pair of pants with adjustable drawstring hem
a bathing suit
a sports bra
In a small pouch I had travel size toiletries:
facial wash
moisturizer
contact solution and lenses
deodorant
I also packed:
a pair of shades
a book
my iPod shuffle and earbuds
camera with battery charger
When we left San Francisco I wore:
jeans
a tank
a light jacket/hoodie
my New Balance Minimus shoes — very comfortable and good for walking running and light hiking
While in Europe I realized that I really didn’t need the jacket I wore or the extra pair of pants that I packed so I left them behind in one of the apartments.
I was very happy that we were each all able to travel with just one small bag and it saved me the trouble of having to keep track of extra luggage and the added stress of standing around at baggage claim. We made it through customs easily and avoided the long lines because of this.
I realized that it’s OK to wear the same things over and over again. No one cares what you are wearing. They’re too busy having a good time to even notice.
Having a big family means lots and lots of dirty laundry. I am so thankful that our kids agreed to minimal packing. They each packed three t-shirts and one extra pair of shorts/jeans. It made washing and folding so easy.
Packing lightly means that everyone (including the little ones) can be responsible for their own things. Our little ones (6 and 8 years old) did a very good job of repacking when it was time to leave one city to go to the next. They were able to carry their tiny backpacks the whole trip without being tired. We each packed for ourselves and I didn’t have to pack anything extra in my bag or carry theirs.
Things I used to pack which I now realize I don’t need:
Hair straightener and product — I simply tie my hair in a bun which is perfect when it’s so hot.
Lotions shampoo conditioner toothpaste — just buy some when you get to your destination. They don’t have to be the brand you’re used to.
Extra pairs of shoes — find a pair that is comfortable and can be used for everything.
Fancy clothes/shoes — no need to pack these. You can buy a nice dress and pair of shoes if you decide that you’d like to go somewhere fancy otherwise there is no need.
Baby wipes or hand sanitizer — grab an extra napkin when you eat out and shove it in your pocket for later.

Tea Rituals for Focus, Health & Slowness

Post written by Leo Babauta.

As I write these words, I sit with a bowl of matcha, the Japanese powdered green tea used in traditional ceremonies, and enjoy the quiet morning hours.
Tea is a form of meditation for me, a way of being present and practicing paying attention. It is a way of slowness, of savoring life.
And it is a way of focus for me. I find that if I’m having trouble concentrating on one thing, pausing to brew some tea is a great way to regain that focus. I’ve gotten some of my best writing done with the aid of a cup or bowl of tea.
I’m no tea expert, so this guide won’t be a guide to how to brew the perfect tea or how to choose great teas. In comparison to actual tea experts, I will have many novice errors. I am fine with that, as my purpose here is simply to share some rituals I use for focus, for slowness, and for health.
All three of these rituals help with focus, slowness and health. I’m giving them separate names only to help show how I use them, but really they can be used interchangeably.
The Focus Ritual

When I need to get my most important work done, I will often take a few minutes to brew some tea. This is a small ritual that signals that it is time to stop with all the distractions (and yes, I have many of those), and clear away everything but what I want to focus on.
I heat up some water in a kettle. I’ve used a metal kettle and an electric one. The electric one gets the job done just as well, though obviously is less traditional. Filtered water is best, but the water in my house tastes so pure I often won’t bother.
I scoop some matcha with a bamboo ladle into a tea bowl. I use two scoops of matcha, as much as the bamboo ladle can carry. I use a rustic looking bowl because I enjoy the rough texture in my hands as I drink.
I fill the bowl halfway with water, and use a bamboo whisk, inexpertly. I rapidly whisk the tea and water until there’s a light green foam at the top.
I rinse the ladle and the whisk, and put them away. I savor the smell of the tea, the lovely color and brothy look of it.
I clear away everything on my computer and desk but what I need to write, and my bowl of tea. So the browser gets closed, all apps but my writing app, all other devices shut down.
I take a sip of the green tea, and enjoy its thickness, its slight bitterness (people often offset this with delicious Japanese sweets or crackers), it sweetish aftertaste and fine grit left on my tongue.
I sit, I breathe, I write. Then sip, and repeat.
The Slowness Ritual

Modern life has a tendency of becoming rushed, of moving from one appointment to the next, one email to the next, until our days are a blur. I find tea to be perfect for helping me to slow down, to return to the natural rhythm of life.
So in the afternoon, when things become rushed, I pause. I put some loose, whole-leaf tea (a sencha or an oolong) into a small teapot as the water heats up. I take a moment to enjoy the sight of the consistency of the leaves, hand-picked by farmers from small farms in Japan or Taiwan, and breathe on the leaves to evoke their fragrance.
I pour just a teacupfull of water into the pot, and pay attention to my breath as the tea steeps for about 30 seconds (I like the tea lighter, not bitter). This breathwatching is a short meditation, like the rest of the ritual.
I pour the slightly steeped tea into a small cup, about half the size of my fist. I savor the color, texture, smell, and try to see what aromas I can detect (I’m not very good at this).
Then I sip. The first sip is a revelation, as the rushed world fades away and the delicate tea hits my tongue, washing it in its warmth and with flavors that began their journey in the earth, thousands of miles away in a country that has been doing this for a millenium or two.
The tea is not overpowering, but subtle. It is mostly water, with only a slight essence of the leaves infused into the liquid, so timid that I have to really pay attention to notice it at all.
The moment is entirely floating in this whisper of a broth, slowed by the hesitation of my attention as it stops its monkeying around and starts to enjoy the stillness.
The Health Ritual

My life is ruled by four liquids: water, coffee, wine and tea. All have their health benefits, but arguably tea rises slightly above the rest.
I drink water throughout the day and night, and it is the lifestuff that runs through me. Coffee is a shared experience with my wife Eva, and has always signaled the start of a good day (every day). Wine is our unwinding ritual, and means that the day has been good.
Tea is a signal for slowness and focus that I use in the middle of the day. It’s also a way for me to satisfy little hunger cravings that used to trigger unhealthy snacking. I use tea to make my mouth happy, so it doesn’t look for sweets, salty snacks, or grease.
So between lunch and dinner, I often have tea. It might be a bowl of matcha, or a pot of loose-leaf tea brewed repeatedly as I work or relax. It’s a healthy snack that makes my day better.