Mindfulness Ellen Langer

[Chuck Naill]

I have been reading this person's work for a few years. This is more of an FYI thread.

“Mindfulness can encourage creativity when the focus is on the process and not the product.”
― Ellen J. Langer, Mindfulness

https://ellenlanger.com/

[dneal]

For those that might be curious, "Mindfulness" is a western take on Buddhist and Zen philosophy. It has been developed recently as a form of cognitive therapy, bringing it from the Alan Watts / Eckhardt Tolle "self-help" or "spiritual teaching" to a more clinical set of techniques.

It identifies the actions of the brain (triggering of the amygdala's fight-or-flight response, and the adrenal hit that follows, for example), and uses "mindfull" techniques to develop approaches that initially work as coping mechanisms and eventually appear to "rewire" responses to conflict, anxiety, etc...

Where Langer is research oriented, Chris Germer (a Harvard clinical psychologist) has a good book that is more "how to" oriented. The DOD and VA have invested a lot of time and money into it for treatment of PTSD, and developed an app (free to download) for coaching the techniques - a lot of "mindful meditation". You can find this sort of thing everywhere. My Apple Watch even has a "mindfulness" app built in.

It's good for everyone, particularly in today's environment of political polarization, sensational and hyperbolic media and the resulting heightened anxiety.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

I feel that there is a wide gulf between sati and what Western science calls mindfulness that centres around context. Finding the words to explain this is difficult, partly because complex ideas usually require their original language for proper understanding. In this case, in my opinion, religio-spiritual practitioners are, through the vehicle of sati, coming to bathe in the ocean of the Universe. Whereas in the Western approach to mindfulness the practitioners are learning to swim without the benefit of experiencing water.


However, having said that, there is good evidence for significant mental and physical benefits whichever approach one takes, and from that perspective both are to be encouraged in whatever setting is appropriate to the individual.


As an aside, the main thread that runs through the works of Dōgen (Shōbōgenzō, etc) points to the lack of difference between the practice and the goal (enlightenment).

As a further aside, it has always seemed to me that the Western reductionist model of knowledge seeking leads to an environment in which we want to be told what something means instead of discovering it for ourselves. And while this may work just fine for a great many subjects, it is woefully inadequate to the task of self-development and reflection.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

This quote probably is clearer than my babbling (emphasis mine);

'While mindfulness techniques have had a noticeable impact on health and improving behavior generally, there are distinct differences between Eastern and Western visions of mindfulness that might help explain why, despite the increased popularity of mindfulness, health problems related to stress and anxiety are on the rise instead of decreasing. Is there something about how mindfulness is presented in Western culture that is keeping us from experiencing the full benefits of the practice? There are a few fundamental differences in Eastern and Western mindfulness that are worth looking at to see how our cultures handle anxiety and stress.

Eastern mindfulness (sati) dates back to the 5th century BC when the earliest version of Buddhism started taking shape in Southeast Asia. As part of a religious practice, sati is one tenet in a series of eight that layout the principles for how to live your life in a way that leads towards enlightenment. These eight principles,The Noble Eightfold Path, are often presented as a wheel, with the spokes all connecting together.

You can already see how, presented in this way, mindfulness is more than just a stress reduction technique. It’s a guiding principle integrated into a broader philosophy about how to live your life, and as such, it impacts culture and behavior more broadly than when it’s presented as a treatment. Buddhism also places a heavy emphasis on how individual actions impact the greater community and The Noble Eightfold Path is much more about how to act in a way that serves the whole of humanity, not just personal betterment.

This Buddhist framing of mindfulness became popular in Western Culture in the 70s, when Asian culture and philosophy was becoming much more widely accepted after World War II. Part of this process came about during a broad secularization of religious concepts as well. Some of the teachings about community and service to others got removed in favor of emphasizing individual self-improvement instead.

The important thing to remember about mindfulness when we practice is that “present awareness” isn’t enough to improve our lives. It’s an important facet to a better way of living, but without a fundamental readjustment to how we think about the world around us and our role within it, we cannot change the aspects of society that are causing this stress. If the only thing we’re doing when we practice mindfulness is acknowledging the present moment for several minutes so that we can reduce our own anxiety, then all that is providing for our problems is a band-aid. And while it is a useful tool, mindfulness alone isn’t enough to make a better life for ourselves or those around us.

While mindfulness is a major component of the benefits of wellness practices, it’s also important to recognize that there are limits to how it’s discussed and that not all mindfulness is created equal.'

[Chuck Naill]

Langers mindfulness is something different, or it has always been for me.

People talk about doing things or forgetting things, like being preoccupied.

Since this is an FP forum, think of mindless vs intentional use.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Since this is an FP forum, think of mindless vs intentional use.

From which angle are you approaching this? The pen disappears in the hand? The choice to use an FP over other modes? Something else? Just curious.

[Chuck Naill]

The benefit for me is to be mindful I everything associated with and activity. As an example, feeling the pen in your hands, the touch of the nib to the paper, the enjoyment of communicating, etc.

If I lay my phone or car keys down in an unmindful way, I forget where I placed them. It also tells me I’m just not living to get the most out of life.

[dneal]

@EoC - Good set of posts. I think the crux of the Western problem is that people view it as a "fix", and don't realize it's a lifelong practice.

I noticed your quote used the term "facet", and I use that a lot myself in a metaphor of a diamond. Diamond has particular reflective and refractive properties, and you see the variance when you look internally at one through a loupe or a scope. Depending on the facet you peer into, it looks differently even though it's the same stone.

Waxing even more philosophical, this is my metaphor based on Spinoza's view of "God or Nature", and theological/philosophical arguments arise from people peering into different facets and arguing that their view is the true one. Lots of other thinkers have made similar assertions, and it's just one more assertion of the three blind men and elephant parable.

Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, Stoicism, Sufism, and all the other philosophies that hinge on contemplation of reality/the universe (and our place in it) seem to me to be multiple facets one can peer into, and they're complimentary. Heraclitus said "you can never step into the same river twice". An ancient Greek speaking a maxim that could have come from any of the other philosophies (which probably have similar ones, just none that spring to mind at the moment).

[TSherbs]

The benefit for me is to be mindful I everything associated with and activity. As an example, feeling the pen in your hands, the touch of the nib to the paper, the enjoyment of communicating, etc.

If I lay my phone or car keys down in an unmindful way, I forget where I placed them. It also tells me I’m just not living to get the most out of life.

Any way you are working it right now is perfect for where you are. Good luck with your efforts.

[Chuck Naill]

The benefit for me is to be mindful I everything associated with and activity. As an example, feeling the pen in your hands, the touch of the nib to the paper, the enjoyment of communicating, etc.

If I lay my phone or car keys down in an unmindful way, I forget where I placed them. It also tells me I’m just not living to get the most out of life.

Any way you are working it right now is perfect for where you are. Good luck with your efforts.

Thank you, Ted. 👍