The tendency to push and pull on sensations has significantly fallen away for me, although I wouldn't say it's "gone" I might be able to add something here.

I would agree with Shinzen Young that almost all suffering is caused by this tendency. Not pain or emotional states, but certainly the suffering associated with them.

> I don’t think tanha has 1000 contributing factors; I think it has one crisp, isolatable factor.

I think this is a good intuition. I would suggest if you want to get to the root of it you might like to explore it experientially first. Everyone reading this has direct access to this mechanism in subjective experience, without the need for any neuroimaging equipment or meditating for lifetimes in a cave. Additionally, when you see it for what it is, it begins to unwind.

If I were to put it down to one thing, it would be the tendency to reflect on reality and then to believe that that reflection is actually reality. It sounds simple, and it is, but the tendency runs so deep and there are a multitude of beliefs that get in the way of actually seeing things clearly. If you're willing to question every single one of those beliefs right down to the places you never thought to question or that seem scary to question, then it's available to you.

Edit: A great resource for anyone interested in exploring these beliefs is Kevin Schanilec's interpretation of the 10 fetters at simplytheseen.com. Just a word of warning though, explore this only if you're willing to have your perception of reality turned upside down (and not just intellectually).

> I view this research program as integral to both human flourishing and AI alignment.

The newspeakness of the latter sounds menacing.

My personal journey about "a practical theory of suffering" and "Bayesian updating" is involving the study and practice of Coherence Therapy.

I'm looking forward at better understanding this "Vasocomputation", seems it could integrate in interesting ways with the framework of Coherence Therapy.

Thanks for sharing!

I wonder how routinely wearing compression socks interacts with this proposed mechanism.

Always thought it interesting that for certain diagnosis wearing them until end of life is indicated according to current guidelines and we don’t expect maladoption (weakening of the connective tissue). Id kind of prefer/would be interested in a workout based approach, also interesting what knock on effects such workout would have on the larger system

Very interesting but also very speculative. I'm wondering how Trauma Release Exercises could be integrated into the framework, as it seems like it could also fall under the unlatching mechanism umbrella.

The overall idea of the body/muscles as an extension of memory feels experientally true, but I would love to see more empirical data on this.

Is a fascinating theory I’ve been following for several months. It certainly feels truthy, would be great to have a little more hard science backup.

(2023)