Unlocking the Mentat Mind: How Mindfulness Can Enhance Your Cognitive Abilities and Thinking

“Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.” - Dune

These timeless words from Dune reflect the importance of mind and thinking.

In the Dune universe, “Thinking Machines” are not allowed. Instead, Mentats are individuals trained to perform like computers, while still harnessing human intuition.

Mentat Mindfulness

In our world, with the advent of the AI era, we are increasingly turning our thinking over to machines.

I’m not saying AI is bad—ChatGPT is one of my BFFs, actually. But inevitably, we will rely on AI more and more in our daily lives. Turning our thinking fully to them could make us more and more empty.

Mindfulness helps us to reclaim our thinking abilities. When we turn our attention inward, we engage with our thoughts and feelings.

Try not to avoid bad feelings or cling to good thoughts. Notice them without any judgment. There’s only you remaining; all thoughts and outward subjects are just parts of your consciousness.

Without judgment, you won’t be led by your emotions, allowing you to be more objective, with a clearer mind. You can calculate like a human computer—a Mentat (maybe not yet, but you get the idea).

The Mentat Trance

“A Mentat could not function without realizing he worked in infinite systems. Fixed knowledge could not surround the infinite. Everywhere could not be brought into finite perspective. Instead, he must become the infinite momentarily.” - Dune: Messiah

The Mentat trance is a state of heightened awareness and concentration, where the mind processes a huge amount of data at extraordinary speed, drawing connections and insights with total clarity.

According to the Mentat-trained Duncan Idaho Ghola on the Mentat trance, “There’s no time, only pure calculation.”

It’s a state we aspire to achieve through mindfulness. Like the flow state, when we are in the zone, there’s no time; everything flows, every move and thought is clear.

We may not be able to process tons of data in a glance like a talented Mentat, but we all can, and have, experienced the flow state.

The good news is, you can increase the probability of entering that state with daily practice.

Integrating Mentat Mindfulness into Daily Life

• Breathing: Breathing is the basic foundation of mindfulness. Slow down, inhale through your nostrils, hold for a second or two, then exhale slowly through your mouth. Feel the breath, feel the moment, and bring yourself to the present.
• Observe Your Mind: Try to see your inner and outer worlds as a whole, a product of your consciousness. Don’t be led by anger; it’s just a subject in your consciousness, like a Barbie doll.
• Daily Flow State Practice: Like the Mentat trance, you can practice it daily to increase the likelihood of entering the flow state.
  • Set a 90-minute timer. Go pee, get water, and find a comfortable seat before starting the task.
  • Tell yourself you are going to work in the deepest way.
  • Close your eyes, focus on your breath like in the breathing exercise for 2-3 minutes.
  • Start working, doing your best to focus.
  • It won’t be successful every time, but eventually, you will notice the flow state experience more and more often.

By embracing these practices, you can cultivate a mindful mind, blending the best of human intuition and computational precision, much like the Mentats of Dune.