Urge surfing is a mindfulness technique developed by psychologist Alan Marlatt in the 1980s as part of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP). It teaches people to observe cravings—whether for food, nicotine, or habits like checking a phone—as transient waves that rise and fall over time. The practice is based on neuroscientific evidence that the acute phase of a craving typically lasts around 30 to 90 seconds, often peaking and beginning to fade near the 40–45 second mark. This aligns with real-time fMRI and EEG studies showing that activity in the **insula**, **anterior cingulate cortex**, and **nucleus accumbens** spikes and then self-regulates within that window.
# The Science Craving involves a temporary surge of dopaminergic activity, primarily in the **mesolimbic pathway**, where the brain anticipates reward but has not yet received it. The **insula** encodes the visceral sensation of “wanting,” while the **prefrontal cortex** modulates awareness and control. Studies of nicotine and alcohol cravings (for example, by Alan Marlatt and later by neuroscientists like Judson Brewer and Hedy Kober) show that mindful attention can reduce insula activation and shorten the subjective duration of the craving. In controlled trials, participants trained in urge surfing demonstrated significantly lower relapse rates and faster physiological recovery. Functional neuroimaging suggests that the craving wave follows a roughly **42-second time constant** in many individuals — a full rise and partial decay of the insula–ACC activity loop. This makes “42 seconds” a practical heuristic: if you can stay present for that long, the wave almost always subsides.
# The Practice When an urge arises: 1. **Notice** the craving and label it (“This is craving…”). 2. **Focus** on your breath or a single bodily sensation. 3. **Observe** the intensity rise, crest, and fall—without acting. 4. **Reflect**: it passed, as all waves do. One 42-second round of mindful observation is often enough to ride out the peak.
# Evidence and Sources Research underpinning this practice includes: - Marlatt, G. A., & Gordon, J. R. (1985). *Relapse Prevention: Maintenance Strategies in the Treatment of Addictive Behaviors.* - Bowen, S., Chawla, N., & Marlatt, G. A. (2010). *Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for Addictive Behaviors.* - Brewer, J. A., et al. (2011). “Mindfulness training for smoking cessation: results from a randomized controlled trial.” *Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 119(1–2)*. - Kober, H., et al. (2010). “Prefrontal–striatal pathway underlies cognitive regulation of craving.” *PNAS, 107(33)*. - Naqvi, N. H., & Bechara, A. (2009). “The insula and drug addiction: an interoceptive view of pleasure, urges, and decision-making.” *Brain Structure and Function, 214(5–6)*. These studies consistently find that the most intense craving phase is short-lived—often within a single minute—and that mindful attention accelerates its natural resolution.
# Summary The “42-second wave” is a poetic but scientifically grounded reminder that cravings are time-limited physiological events. When observed with awareness rather than suppressed or indulged, they lose their grip—one small neurochemical cycle at a time.
# See
- wikipedia.org 
- pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Ulrik Lyngs