Lecture 6: Mindfulness & Other Contemplative Therapies Flashcards
Yoga
= taking care of body and mind, reducing attachment to separate self (& -image)
Mindfulness
= non-judgmentally observe and accept
What two things are contemplative psychologies based on?
- Bad news; ordinary state of mind is less controlled, developed and functional then we recognize, results in suffering
- Good news; we can train/develop our minds, results in mental capacities, well-being and maturity
What are 5 central assumptions of contemplative psychologies
- Our usual state of mind is significantly uncontrolled, underdeveloped and dysfunctional (bad news)
- The full extent of this “normal” dysfunction goes unrecognized for two reason; we all share this dysfunction and it is self-masking (= it distorts awareness and conceals itself)
- This mental dysfunction creates much of our psychological suffering
- Contemplative practices can be used to train/develop the mind (good news)
- These claims can be tested for oneself
Acceptance
= willingness to allow feelings and thoughts, accepting inner experience in this very moment and then moving on —> not avoid, control, judge, pull away
What are the assumptions of classic CBT vs contemplative
CBT;
- symptoms are a problem
- change thoughts, feelings and behavior change accordingly
- goal; reduce symptoms
- focus on content of thoughts
Contemplative;
- suffering is part of normal life
- controlling thoughts and feeling increases suffering —> instead of focusing on changing thoughts, it focuses on accepting them
- goal: work toward life goals
- focus on process of thinking
What is the goal of ACT
To increase psychological flexibility to effectively deal with suffering and to lead a meaningful life
What are the 6 components of the model of ACT
- Acceptance vs experiential avoidance = opening up to difficult feelings
- Defusion vs fusion = relating differently to unhelpful thoughts, seeing them as what they are; just words
- Present moment awareness vs lack of contact with the present = bringing your attention to the here and now both inner and outer world
-
Self as context vs self as content = using the part of yourself that can observe your thoughts, feelings and sensations
—> these are mindfulness skills - Values vs lack of contact with values = knowing what is important to you, how you want to spend your time
-
Committed action vs inaction, impulsivity or avoidance = taking action guided by your values, despite difficult thoughts or feelings
—> these are commitment skills
What are 7 kinds of practices to cultivate corresponding qualities
- Ethics; unethical behavior stems from and strengthens destructive qualities of mind; ethical behavior does the opposite
- Emotional transformation; reducing problematic emotions and cultivate positive emotions
- Redirecting motivation along healthier paths
- Training attention; essential for psychological well-being and maturation
- Refining awareness by making perception (internal and external) more sensitive and accurate
- Wisdom; deep, nuanced insight and understanding of oneself and the issues of life + practical skills of responding effectively/benevolently
- Altruism and service as a means to and an expression of psychological well-being and maturity
What are the stages of practice (process of psychotherapy)
Stage 1 - recognizing how little control we have over attentional/cognitive processes
Stage 2 - recognizing habitual patterns
Stage 3 - investigation psychological processes (eg. thoughts, motivation, perception)
Stage 4 - emergence of variety of exceptional abilities
Stage 5 - transpersonal experiences —> produces identification with others and compassionate concern
Stage 6 - stabilization —> peak experiences become plateau and transient capacities become permanent
What are the 4 mechanisms of psychotherapy
- Calming the mind; meditation does this by creating a relaxation response
- Enhanced awareness; internal observation and watchfulness of the moment
- Disidentification = process by which awareness precisely observes and therefore ceases to unconsciously identify with mental content such as thoughts/feelings —> instead of identifying with a thought, he recognize it as merely a thought
- Rebalancing mental element; divide between healthy and unhealthy mental content categories
What are the 7 factors of enlightenment
- mindfulness
- effort
- investigation (= active exploration of experience)
- rapture (= ecstasy that results from clear, concentrated awareness)
—> these are the energizing factors - concentration
- calm
- equanimity
—> these are the calm factors
What are 7 important parts of contemplative treatment
- Ethical behavior, say only what’s true and what is helpful
- Transforming emotions: use wise attention to cultivate beneficial emotions
- Transforming motivation: explore the experience of crowing
- Develop concentration and calm: do one thing at a time
- Cultivate awareness
- Develop wisdom: reflect on our mortality
- Generosity and service: transform pain into compassion
What 4 exceptional abilities that arise because of contemplative practices does growing research offer support for
- Attention and concentration
- Emotional maturity
- Equanimity (= capacity for maintaining calm and mental equilibrium in the face of provocative stimuli)
- Moral maturity
T/F: the usual waking state is considered optimal in contemplative psychologies
false, more effective and functional states are available to us
