The Practice for The Pull
This entry is part of a series on “The Pull”: Preface. The Pull. Intro. Overcome The Pull. 1. The Road. 2. The Fronts. 3. The Tools. 4. The Practice. Conclusion. Beyond The Pull.
Thus far in this series—a guide to overcoming The Pull for good—we’ve covered the following:
A high-level roadmap with three guideposts (Recognize, Remove, Return)
Tactical protocols for the three battlefronts (screens, correspondence, entertainment)
Useful physical tools to disambiguate the smartphone and computer
You can know the roadmap, apply the protocols, and own the physical tools—yet still succumb to The Pull. There is one practice, and one practice only, that will “pop” you out of The Pull’s grasp, breaking its spell and allowing the previous recommendations to take effect: digital fasting.
Before discussing the cure of digital fasting, we’ll first examine fasting more generally. In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, fasting is one of the key spiritual practices. It is meant to purify both the body and the soul, quieting the mind, and fostering greater peace. Lastly, fasting strengthens the will against daily temptations from worldly distractions.
Here are some passages on fasting from Orthodox Christian Saints and Elders:
“Bodily purity is primarily attained through fasting, and through bodily purity comes spiritual purity.” - St. Nikolai Velimirovich
“One should make use of food daily to the extent that the body, fortified, may be the friend and assistant of the soul in the practice of virtue. Otherwise, the soul may weaken because it is exhausted.” - St. Seraphim of Sarov
“Fasting is an exceptional virtue; it represses bodily impulses and gives strength to the soul to fight against the poisoning of the heart through the senses, and provides it with a remedy against any past poisoning. Fasting causes the mind to be cleansed constantly. It withers up every evil thought and brings healthy, godly thoughts – holy thoughts that enlighten the mind and kindle it with more zeal and spiritual fervour.” - Elder Ephraim of Philotheou Mount Athos
In the tradition, weekly fasts are recommended on Wednesdays and Fridays. I currently fast on Fridays. Once you get a few fasting reps in, it becomes easier. Saying no throughout the day to what is essential for our survival builds the strength to say no to everything else, including The Pull.
However, given the nature of The Pull—the trickiest of addictions—a targeted “fasting of the eyes” is needed. A digital fast means going without screens and all internet-connected activities. No messengers, email, or social media. And definitely no spectacle. More concretely, the recommendation is:
Do a digital fast for 1–2 weeks in your home.
Going on a digital fast at some fancy hippie retreat, with açaí smoothies delivered after a Lomi Lomi massage while you dreamily gaze at the ocean, does not count. You’ll just revert after the retreat. Instead, you want to associate your everyday, lived-in environment with the fast, eventually conditioning your home to be a place where you are sovereign.
In conjunction with this “home retreat,” follow it with weekly digital day fasts. We do Sundays, which are fast becoming the most peaceful days of the week, their effects rippling throughout the rest of it. Let your family and friends know what you are doing beforehand and how to reach you in the event of an emergency. Other than that, you are with the silence now.
The digital fast is the best practice that drains the energy from The Pull, bringing you back to real life and reversing the devilish trend of “the decline of being into having, and having into merely appearing.”
When the previous advice in this series is crowned with the digital fast, you win. You become free.
If you have any recommendations, questions, insights, feedback, or criticism on this entry or more generally, message me below (I read and respond on Saturdays) …