Mindfulness Anybody?

Mindful or what?

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

 

Too bad Mindfulness can't be patented! It has been so fertile through the ages in its many incarnations. Simply, it means being attentive and open to your inner thoughts and feelings. It's both adventurous and ordinary.

 

Plato asked long ago "Why should we not calmly and patiently review our own thoughts...and see what these appearances really are?"

 

 Buddhist meditation formed a spiritual practice of detachment from all worldly concerns (Maya) to attain compassion for the whole of life: Enlightment.

 

Surprisingly, some philosophers of the Enlightment were critical: Hume said introspection changes the awareness itself; Kant saying it only hints are all that goes on inside.
 

Early 20th century, introspection became a widely used method in science, the "self-report", to discover your conscious thoughts and feelings.

Soon, the behaviorists in early psychology objected to introspection as unreliable and subjective, and therefore had little scientific reliability.

 

In meditation methods in psychotherapy, some focused on a specific object, others were unfocused  In the 60's and 70's, some saw is as just relaxation, others as a powerful liberation of the mind.

 

"Mindfulness" was coined by Kabat-Zinn as a meditation technique to reduce stress and free the mind to be positive and healthy.

 

Mindfulness is associated strongly today with the ancient disciplines of Yoga and Tai Chi, so that it is quite trendy in health clubs and community centers.

There are many more terms for mindfulness in literature, Here is a sample: sacred stillness, inner calm, space of quiet, contemplate in prayer, inmost stillness, centering, time of reflection and peace, quiet and spiritual safety, inner shrine, stillness, and much more.

 

Self-compassion is a late incarnation of mindfulness and is said to support spiritual virtue in the method called "The Now Moment".

 

Mindfulness has helped the mind-body techniques go viral. Body-awareness is part of nutritional and exercise counseling, somatic focusing, energy techniques, movement, guided imagery, and more.

 

Rumination now has a positive focus, seen a necessary review of loss and goals, and mark of resilience in depression, whereas before it was a pessimistic trap of depression.

 

Finally, we have day-dreaming. The research of Kaufman, Singer and others argue that being attentive to thoughts and openness in daydreaming leads to optimal learning, creativity and well-being. Others found that such time allows compassion for your self and positive life planning.

 

What do you get out of all this?  They all point to the value of your very own thoughts and feelings, so I would go with the approach you have most taste for. 

 

You may have to meditate on this!

 

About Dr. Raynard

Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.