This blog reports new ideas and work on mind, brain, behavior, psychology, and politics - as well as random curious stuff. (Try the Dynamic Views at top of right column.)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Lotus therapy
Yet another article on benefits of mindfulness meditation in this morning's NYTimes science section.
I found "The Mindful Brain" by Daniel Siegel wildly fascinating. I've always been a skeptic towards mindfulness. I now feel a little bit silly that I needed to have a plausible neurological explanation to believe the statistical evidence of the benefits of mindfulness practice.
The problem is...there are a lot of unqualified people out there who teach mindfulness meditation, especially therapists who don't actually practice what they preach or do so on occasion. If you look back at the extensive history of Buddhism you see that masters not only taught mindfulness meditation, but the crucial philosophy of non-self as well. And not only did they teach, but were adept at providing the necessary guidance after each session. There's an absence of this in today's world. Unqualified people extricate this teaching from the context in which it was developed without providing the necessary support to make it a fully beneficial practice...and we wonder why mindfulness doesn't work for some people the way it's suppose to.
I found "The Mindful Brain" by Daniel Siegel wildly fascinating. I've always been a skeptic towards mindfulness. I now feel a little bit silly that I needed to have a plausible neurological explanation to believe the statistical evidence of the benefits of mindfulness practice.
ReplyDeleteI haven't made it a habit yet though.
The problem is...there are a lot of unqualified people out there who teach mindfulness meditation, especially therapists who don't actually practice what they preach or do so on occasion. If you look back at the extensive history of Buddhism you see that masters not only taught mindfulness meditation, but the crucial philosophy of non-self as well. And not only did they teach, but were adept at providing the necessary guidance after each session. There's an absence of this in today's world. Unqualified people extricate this teaching from the context in which it was developed without providing the necessary support to make it a fully beneficial practice...and we wonder why mindfulness doesn't work for some people the way it's suppose to.
ReplyDelete