L6: Mindfulness & Other Contemplative Therapies

Question 1

Define yoga

Answer 1

multimodal practices with similar goals to meditation but also including ethics, lifestyle, body postures, diet, breath control, study, and intellectual analysis changes

Question 2

What are the 6 principles for comparing psychotherapies?

Answer 2

1. Each system can offer a valuable but only partial contribution to understanding and treatment
2. If any psychotherapy claims supremacy it is S U S
3. Effective therapies share a range of methods and mechanisms
4. Different therapies could be complementary, not always conflictual
5. If a therapist only knows one system they may fall into the procrustean trap
6. Good therapists are flexible and know many methods

Question 3

How do contemplative therapies compare w psychoanalysis?

Answer 3

contemplative therapies emphasize that psychoanalysis has ignored human strengths and possibilities, thereby also not recognizing the need to foster exceptional health + that psychoanalys claims supremacy over other practices
but both place a lot of value on introsepctive rpatcies

Question 4

How do contemplative therapies compare w Jungian psychology?

Answer 4

both agree on the mind’s innate drive toward growth and the beneficial effects of transpersonal experiences.

Question 5

How do contemplative therapies compare w humanistic & person centered Rogerian schools?

Answer 5

both agree that:
- psyche has an innate drive toward growth and development with some overlap in concepts such as individuation, self-actualization, and the formative tendency.
- transpersonal experiences (experiences where the sense of identity or self expands beyond the individual or personal) can create psych healing and growth.

Question 6

How do contemplative therapies compare w cognitive & rational emotive therapy?

Answer 6

both agree that
- erroneous thoughts can become erroneous beliefs and assumptions, thus creating cognitive distortions
but:
- cognitive therapists can create specific cognitive profiles for psychopathology, while contemplative identify & modify deep layer of thougth
- thought stopping can be extended even further w contemplative methods than cognitive therapists would believen (which can help recognize & transform deeper thougths)

Question 7

How do contemplative therapies compare w existential therapies?

Answer 7

both
- focus on ultimate concerns which give us anxiety (like death, isolation etc)
- emphasize modern ways of living as superifical
but
- Existentials suggest creating a heroic attitude of courage and authenticity to face existential challenges while contemplative practices cultivate mental qualities and foster maturation to transpersonal stages instead, since in the transpersonal stage one can find meaning in the larger identity one has reached.

Question 8

What are the 5 central assumptions of contemplative therapies?

Answer 8

1. Our usual state of mind is uncontrolled and dysfunctional
2. This is unrecognized because we all share the dysfunction and because it is self-masking, thus distorting awareness of the dysfunction
3. The dysfunction causes much of our suffering
4. Contemplative practices are tools for training and developing the mind
5. These claims can be tested for oneself

Question 9

What are the 3 broad levels of development?

Answer 9

1. Prepersonal: no coherent sense of self or of social conventions
2. Personal: development of a more coherent sense of self and accepting most cultural assumptions related to ourselves → first thought to be the final way of development, but then existentialists described a superficial, semiconscious existence mainly reliant on easy acceptance of cultural beliefs and values (herd mentality)
3. Transpersonal: growth beyond the personal stage, beyond herd mentality

Question 10

Define meditation

Answer 10

introspective self-regulation practices training attention and perception with the goal to have more voluntary control over mental processes

Question 11

What is yoga & mindfulness meditation like?

Answer 11

• yoga (asanas): taking care of body & mind
• yoga (as a discipline): reducing attachment to separate self (& -image)
• mindfulness: non judgmentally observe
• acceptance

Question 12

What are some contemplative traditions?

Answer 12

• yoga & minfulness meditation
• contemplation
• breath meditation
• contemplative psychotherapy

Question 13

What is contemplation?

Answer 13

• thoughtful observation, deep consideration, reflection
  in
• religion: on nature of being (who/what am i)
• nature of mind: how does it operate (vedantic/hindu: you are aware of ur thoughts & you are awareness), buddhsim: craving & aversion are our main motivations)
  -> these things can lead to suffering (like craving -> addiction, under awareness of thoughts -> delusion)

Question 14

What are the 3 ways to integrate different psychotherapies (since dodo effect)?

Answer 14

1. Searching for underlying common factors
2. Technical eclecticism (combination which has broadly been found to be effective and supported by research - e.g. mindfulness-based stress reduction)
3. Theoretical integration

Question 15

What are transpersonal psychology & integral psychology?

Answer 15

attempts at integrating western psychology & contemplative technique

Question 16

What are the 5 downsides to Contemplative therapies’ success?

Answer 16

1. Mindfulness is so popular that some people think it is all contemplative practices
2. Contemplative practices are often ripped from their context nowadays, thus only one aspect is given which may reduce their benefits
3. Unique benefits of contemplative therapies usually remain unresearched because it is easier to measure biological changes
4. The broader motive of compassion and altruism is often overlooked in today’s goal-focused contemplative practice
5. Some therapists do not take extensive personal experience into account before wanting to become contemplative therapists

Question 17

What is the theory on consciousness in contemplative therapies?

Answer 17

believe that consciousness is suboptimal (were in a consensus trance) so wants to use meditation to discover unrecognized thoughts, distortions in consciousness… to awaken aka to achieve nirvana/enlightenment -> a higher state

Question 18

What is a monophasic culture vs polyphasic culture

Answer 18

→ a monophasic culture derives the view of reality from a single waking state of consciousness

→ a polyphasic culture relies on multiple states, such as dreams, meditations, yogas, to form their view on reality

Question 19

What is the theory on identity in contemplative practices?

Answer 19

• dont see self as consistent & permanent ego, see it as continuously changing stream of thoughts, images, emotions… there is no real us. once this false identification is recognized & we can grow
• believe in existence of deep identity that can be accessed by various methods
• 3 aspects of our deep identity: 1. Recognition of the self as pure consciousness which is aware of but does not identify with thoughts, images, emotions
  2. Recognizing that everyone else possesses such a consciousness
  3. Artificial boundaries between people are transgressed and the universal interconnectedness with everyone is recognized

Question 20

What is the theory on motivation in contemplative practicces?

Answer 20

• metamotives: part of our nature and have to be practiced (like self actualization, selfless service etc). if ignored: suffer from shallow distorted self view, you starve yourself of a vital part of ur welbeing, will end in a hedonic treadmill since u assume that lesser motives are only means to happiness (prestige, money, sex etc)
  ⇒ if kindness, care, and compassion is not exercised then people will remain immature, inauthentic, and have the feeling that they are lacking something while being dissatisfied with circumstances (metapathologies)

Question 21

What are the 5 higher capacities?

Answer 21

• Profound reduction of painful emotions and increase of positive emotions
• Cognitive achievement of a network logic seeing connections between groups of ideas
• Redirecting motivation thus shrinking compulsions
• Profound concentration to still constant thought flow
• Wisdom through long reflections on existential issues

Question 22

What are the 2 types of meditation?

Answer 22

• Concentration meditations: holding attention on a single stimulus (e.g. image, breath) to develop concentration and calm
• Awareness meditations: exploring the flux of moment-to-moment experience which can produce insight and self understanding

Question 23

What are the 3 poisons of the mind creating psychopathology?

Answer 23

1. Delusion (unrecognized mental dullness, mindlessness which produces pathogenic beliefs, behaviors, motives)
2. Craving (an addiction to anything, such as our self-image, ideals, money, people; it is compulsive, more than just wanting, and it creates painful emotions)
   → iron chains: money, sex, power, prestige
   → golden chains: ideals
3. Aversion (compulsive need to avoid undesirable stimuli, creates destructive reactions such as anger and defensiveness)

Question 24

How do you deal with craving?

Answer 24

1. either devoting our lives to satisfying and satiating cravings thereby committing to long-term suffering
2. recognizing, reducing, and relinquishing cravings

Question 25

What are the 3 ideals of health?

Answer 25

→ relinquishing unhealthy mental qualities
→ developing healthy mental qualities
→ maturing transpersonal levels of being

Question 26

What are 2 specific techniques used in contemplative therapies?

Answer 26

Visualization: visualizing a black dot with a black circle around it on a white background and trying to hold the clear image for 2 minutes

Breath meditation: focusing on breathing, counting breathing from 1 to 10 and then back, recognizing if the mind wanders and focusing attention back on breathing

Question 27

What is meant by metaphorical explanations?

Answer 27

explain how contemplative therapies work. usually speak of awakening or freeing from illusions. imply the presence of growth processes that contribute to self-actualizing.

Question 28

What are the mechanisms of psychotherapy suggested by contemplative traditions?

Answer 28

• Calming the mind: puts us into our essential nature of unbounded consciousness
• Enhanced awareness: can include internal observation or watching the moment
• Disidentification: awareness observing in detail w/o identifying w thoughts, feelings, fantasies; the meditator has the option to act on thoughts but is not controlled by them
• Rebalancing mental element: increasing healthy and decreasing unhealthy elements
  others: relaxation, desensitization to stimuli, counterconditioning, self acceptance….

Question 29

What are the 7 factors of enlightment in buddhist psych?

Answer 29

1. mindfulness
2. effort (energizing)
3. investigation (energizing)
4. rapture (ecstasy from clear and concentrated awareness - energizing)
5. concentration (calming)
6. calm (calming)
7. equanimity (calming)

Question 30

What are the 6 stages of contemplative practice?

Answer 30

Practice starts with 3 stages of recognition or insight and follows with 3 advanced stages of developing exceptional capacities and reaching transpersonal experiences.

1. First stage: recognizing how little control we have over our own mental processes which can be humbling and indicate how little control we have over our own lives, in addition to also reflecting less happiness
2. Second stage: recognizing habitual patterns
3. Third stage: deeper cognitive insights through examination of subtle psychological processes
4. Fourth stage: emergence of a variety of exceptional abilities (wish they would freaking specify, this happens in all advanced stages, book!!)
5. Fifth stage: emergence of transpersonal experiences
6. Sixth stage: stabilization, skills become permanent (e.g. peace and calm from meditation extending to outside meditation)
   ⇒ advanced stages are rare and require long-term and intense practice

Question 31

What is the process of psychotherapy like for contemplative therapies?

Answer 31

slow & cumulative benefits since u need practice
short sessions of 20min 2x week good start

Question 32

What are the 7 qualities of mind that contemplatives value & cultivate?

Answer 32

1. Ethics: crucial for dev the mind as unethical practices strengthen destructive qualities of the mind through conditioning
   → ethical behavior cultivates healthy behavior, such as kindness and compassion
   → ethics is enlightened self-interest
   → old habits should be reversed until this practice becomes habitual
2. Emotional transformation: reducing painful emotions (fear, hatred, jealousy) and cultivating positive emotions (love, joy, compassion) to encompass everything unconditionally
3. Redirecting motivation: motivation should be focused on what really matters, not on compulsions thus emphasizing metamotives
4. Training attention: attention must be sustained to realize our potentials and to achieve calm
   → Western psychology has denied this possibility
5. Refining awareness: both external and internal awareness should become more sensitive and accurate, as usually it is fogged by emotions, scattered desires, attentional instability
6. Wisdom: deep insight into the self and central existential issues of life, in addition to responding adequately and benevolently to these
   → wisdom requires deep understanding, it cannot be learned like knowledge
   → wisdom can be sought out from wise people but periods of quiet and solitude are also necessary
7. Altruism and service: giving through altruistic service helps enhance positive qualities and inhibit harmful ones as what we intend for others is often experienced by us as well

Question 33

What difficulties can emerge during contemplative practice? How can you treat them?

Answer 33

• emotional lability
• psychosomatic symptoms
• unfamiliar perceptual changes
• existential challenges
  strategies of dealing w these:
  reframing, reattribution, normalization, sometimes meds if comorbid disorder

Question 34

What are applications of mindfulness?

Answer 34

• multicomponent mindfulnessbased thearpies for anxiety disorders
• MBCT for depression
• overall meditation combination therapies work
• can also improve somatic issues
• enhances general wellbeing
• reduces effects of aging
• cultivation of love, compassion, joy
• lucid dreaming
• empathic joy

Question 35

What are the benefits of contemplative practices for psychotherapists & other health professionals?

Answer 35

impvores essential qualities like empathy & attention & improves understanding of clients who practice it so should be part of training

Question 36

what is contemplative psychotherapy?

Answer 36

western therapy + buddhistic: exploring & calming the mind

Question 37

What are 3rd wave/ contemplative therapy characteristics?

Answer 37

How a person relates to the process of internal experiences (i.e., thoughts, feelings) rather than to their content.
ex: mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT), acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)

Question 38

what is the scientific support of contemplative therapies?

Answer 38

MBCT MDD: strong support
DBT BPD: strong support
ACT strongest evidence for MDD, anxiety, SUD, chronic pain; similarily effective as CBT
but does not work for everyone (so like CBT)

Question 39

what kind of research is still needed on contemplative therapies?

Answer 39

• add-on or replacement? (to CBT)
• which approaches are particularly effective? which arent? for which disorders/complaints?
• adverse effects

Question 40

What does acceptance mean in contemplative therapies?

Answer 40

it is not: accepting your circumstances or future, but…
* Accepting internal experience in this very moment. And then moving on.
* Willingness to allow feelings & thoughts
* … vs. avoid, control, judge, pull away
* A practice, not an end goal

Question 41

What are the therapy assumptions of classic CBT vs contemplative therapies?

Answer 41

classic CBT: symptoms are a problem, change thoughts: feelings & behaviour change accordingly
contemplative: suffering is part of normal life, controlling thoughts & feelings increases suffering

Question 42

What are the differences between 2nd wave BT & 3rd wave BT (more contemplative)?

Answer 42

2nd wave:
- changing negative thoughts/feelings
- relaxation
- content of thoughts
- goal: reducing symptoms
- symptoms = illness
3rd wave:
- mindfulness of thoughts/feelings
- acceptance of thoughts/feelings
- calm obseration
- meta cognitive
- process of thinking
- goal = work toward life goals
- symptoms are functional (pain to purpose)

Question 43

What is the goal of ACT?

Answer 43

increases psychological flexibility to:
- effectively deal with suffering
- lead a meaningful life

Question 44

What is the model of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy?

Answer 44

hexagon with psychological flexibility at center, with skills at each point
mindfulness skills:
- present moment awarenss: vs lack of contact with the present; bring your attention tot he there and now, both inner & outer world
- acceptance: vs experiental avoidance; opening up to difficult feelings
- defusion: vs fusion; relating differently to unhelpful thoughts, seeing them as words
- self as context: vs self as content (being attached to the story of yourself); using the part of yourself that can observe your thoughts, feelings, and sensations
+ psychological flexibility
commitment skills
- values: vs lack of contact w values; knowing what is important to you, how you want to spend your time
- commited action: vs inaction/impulsivity/avodiance; taking action guided by your values, despite difficult thoughts or feeilngs

Question 45

What is the defusion skill?

Answer 45

aka disidentification
defusion:
- thoughts are a response TO reality
- you are AWARE OF your thoughts
- thoughts are helpful or unhelpful
vs cognitive fusion
- behaviour & attention are dominated by your thoughts
- believing your thoughts are reality
- believing you ARE your thoughts
- thoughts are to be obeyed, a threat, important

Question 46

What are some exercises used throughout ACT?

Answer 46

dropping an anchor

Question 47

What is “dropping an anchor”?

Answer 47

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy exercise to be present, connect & gain control over behaviour

Question 48

What is ACT therapy format?

Answer 48

• Individual or group, different lengths
• Personalized
• Metaphors, experiential exercises, mindfulness meditations
• Practicing skills, ACT = behavioral therapy
• Therapist: humor & shared humanity (being inflexible = normal!)