midfulness/ modern mindfullness Flashcards
Who came up with the modern contemporary mindfulness movement
Jon kabat zinn
Why did he create it
To help focus on the mind for healing and to help with chronic pain and stress related disorders
When did he find it
1979
Made a stress base reduction clinical
He recognised an 8 week course called MBSR
They focus on meditative awareness of living moment by moment
What are the seven attitudinal foundations
- Non judging - being aware of oneself without making judgments about what arises in one’s mind
- Patience - allowing things to unfold in their own time
- Beginners mind - allowing o self to experience things as if it was for the first time
- Trust - trusting one’s intuition and feelings during the process
- Non striving - not striving to achiever a goal apart from one’s self
- Acceptance - coming to terms with things about one’s self as how they are
- Letting go - not allowing our minds to hold on to thoughts and experiences
What are his extra cultivating qualities of the mind and heart
Non harming
Generosity
Gratitude
Forbearance
Kindness
Compassion
Empathic jou
Calmness and composer
What does the practice involve
With all of the seven attuide foundations and eight qualities in mind we much sit quietly or lying down with eyes close in a state of meditative awareness of thoughts and emotions as they fall and rise in the mind - a focused body scan
What is the MBCT
Another program that is adopted in clinical settings that are tied to Buddhist teachings
What is the significance of the mindfulness movement
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Promoting Mental Health: The mindfulness movement has had a profound impact on mental health by providing accessible, evidence-based techniques for managing stress, anxiety, depression, and other emotional struggles. Through mindfulness, individuals learn to recognize their habitual patterns of thought and emotion, allowing them to respond more skillfully to difficult situations.
Cultivating Presence and Awareness: Mindfulness encourages individuals to live more fully in the present moment. This contrasts with the often stress-inducing tendency of modern life to focus on past regrets or future anxieties. Mindfulness practices help people develop greater awareness of their surroundings, emotions, and bodily sensations, fostering a deeper sense of connection to life as it is.
Improving Focus and Attention: Mindfulness practices, especially meditation, have been shown to enhance cognitive abilities such as attention and focus. This is particularly relevant in a society where distraction and multitasking are common. By cultivating mindfulness, individuals can improve their ability to concentrate and reduce the cognitive “noise” that can hinder productivity and mental clarity.
Enhancing Emotional Regulation: One of the key benefits of mindfulness is the development of emotional regulation skills. By learning to observe emotions without immediately reacting to them, individuals can gain greater control over their emotional responses. This leads to improved relationships, a calmer demeanor, and a reduction in impulsive behaviors.
Fostering Compassion and Empathy: Mindfulness practices in Buddhism are not just about self-awareness; they also cultivate compassion (karuna) and loving-kindness (metta) toward oneself and others. As mindfulness practitioners become more aware of their own struggles and suffering, they are more likely to extend compassion to others. Many contemporary mindfulness programs incorporate practices that emphasize compassion as part of the mindfulness process, helping individuals develop greater empathy and kindness
What are the effects of the mindfulness movement
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Psychological Benefits: Numerous studies have shown that mindfulness practices can have a profound impact on mental health. Research has demonstrated that mindfulness meditation can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and improve overall emotional well-being. It has also been found to help individuals cope with chronic pain, PTSD, and other trauma-related conditions.
Cultural Shift: The widespread adoption of mindfulness in the West has led to a shift in how people approach mental and emotional health. Rather than focusing solely on pharmacological solutions, mindfulness has become part of a broader movement toward self-care, holistic health, and a more balanced, mindful approach to life.
Criticism and Challenges: While the mindfulness movement has many benefits, it has also faced criticism, particularly in its secularized form. Some argue that by stripping mindfulness of its Buddhist context, important elements of the practice—such as ethics, interconnectedness, and spiritual wisdom—are lost. Others caution that mindfulness, when used as a tool for self-improvement in a consumer-driven society, can reinforce individualism and neglect broader social and political issues.
Integration with Modern Psychology: Mindfulness has also been integrated into psychological practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), demonstrating its effectiveness in addressing a variety of mental health challenges. However, some practitioners warn against over-simplifying mindfulness or presenting it as a quick fix for deep psychological or existential issues.
Where can u find the mindfulness movement
In his book full catastrophe living
What does the mindfulness movement reject
The philosophy dualism of plator Aristotle and Descartes when they say that the body anf mind being distinct and non identical entities
From this perspective the mind and body are manifestations of single enyiyub
What is the five mindfulness training
They are to cultivate the insight of intervening or right view
What does the five minute mindfulness training make us aware of
- Reverence for life - aware of the suffering cause by the destruction of life
- True happiness - aware of suffering cause by exploitation
- True love - aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct
- Loving speech and deep listening - aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen others
- Nourishment and health - aware of the suffering cause by unmindful consumption
What are the general criticisms of mindfulness
Various scholars have criticised how mindfulness has been defined or represented in recent western psychology publications. These modern understandings depart significantly from the accounts of mindfulness in early Buddhist texts and authoritative commentaries in the Theravada and Indian Mahayana traditions.
The popularisation of mindfulness as a ‘commodity’ has particularly been criticised - being termed
“McMindfulness” by some critics. According to Jeremy Safran, the popularity of mindfulness is the result of a marketing strategy: “McMindfulness is the marketing of a constructed dream; an idealised lifestyle; an identity makeover.”
According to Purser and Loy, mindfulness is not being used as a means to awaken an insight in the
“unwholesome roots of greed, ill will and delusion” but instead reshaped into a “banal, therapeutic, self-help technique” that has the opposite effect of reinforcing those passions.
Mindfulness is marketed as a means to reduce stress but in a Buddhist context it is part of an all-embracing ethical program to foster wise action, social harmony, and compassion. All of which is neglected by the commercialisation of mindfulness. In fact according to Bhikkhu Bodhi mindfulness without these things could lead to Buddhist practices justifying and stabilising the status quo e.g. becoming a reinforcement of “consumer capitalism”. This is because the popularity of this new brand of mindfulness has resulted in the commercialisation of meditation through self-help books, guided meditation classes, and mindfulness retreats.
Moreover, some Buddhist commentators have criticised the ‘mindfulness’ movement as being presented as equivalent to a Buddhist practice. While in reality it has denatured it with undesirable consequences, such as being ungrounded in the traditional reflective morality and therefore, astray from traditional Buddhist ethics. Reformed Buddhist-influenced practices are being standardised in a clearly distinct separation from Buddhism which is a religion based in monastic temples. Instead mindfulness in a new psychology ethic practiced in modern meditation centres.
In some media reports, people have attributed unexpected effects of increasing fear and anxiety panic attacks after practicing mindfulness. It has been suggested that mindfulness could expose bipolar vulnerability or repressed PTSD symptoms. However, according to published academic articles, these negative effects of mindfulness are rare, and appear to happen due to a poor understanding of what actually constitutes mindfulness practices.
What is slavoj zizek criticism
- it encourages to hide away and ignore the big issue
- Slavoj Žižek criticizes the mindfulness movement for promoting a form of individual self-care that distracts people from addressing broader social and political issues. He argues that mindfulness encourages people to focus inwardly, cultivating a sense of calm and detachment, rather than challenging the capitalist systems that contribute to their stress and anxiety. In Žižek’s view, this emphasis on personal well-being allows individuals to ignore the deeper, systemic problems in society, ultimately reinforcing the status quo instead of fostering meaningful change.
