Yet, the title of Jon Kabat-Zinn's classic book suggests that it's not at all about physical location, but one's attitude, or state of being, not external but internal locus of control, not having to smooth out & control the external physical environment, but cultivating hardiness. It appears that happiness is an inside job.
Saturday, 30 November 2013
"Wherever You Go, There You Are"
For many, the above statement may disappoint. After all, don't we pay a lot to "get away from it all," to spend a week or two in a "tropical paradise," and as a result, perhaps "feel like a different person"?
Yet, the title of Jon Kabat-Zinn's classic book suggests that it's not at all about physical location, but one's attitude, or state of being, not external but internal locus of control, not having to smooth out & control the external physical environment, but cultivating hardiness. It appears that happiness is an inside job.
Yet, the title of Jon Kabat-Zinn's classic book suggests that it's not at all about physical location, but one's attitude, or state of being, not external but internal locus of control, not having to smooth out & control the external physical environment, but cultivating hardiness. It appears that happiness is an inside job.
Friday, 29 November 2013
Personal Deepening, Universal Meaning
During the process of human maturation, we each progressively approach the core or essence of who or what we are - as in peeling away an onion, layer by layer. We sequentially "put away childish things" as we become increasingly aware of the disconnect between how we are now, and a sense of what might be possible - an ideal that creates longing, which in turn energizes more peeling.
Our ideal is to live a meaningful, undivided life, in full harmony with the universe - with all that is. Each onion layer is a barrier, an outgrown friction between how we now are and an unfathomable ultimate. Life certainly takes away layers periodically, often unexpectedly.
Spiritual practices are designed to do this intentionally and a bit more predictably. For various reasons, "religion" & "spirituality" elicit strong negative emotional reactions, particularly among intelligent, educated people. One major barrier to "religion" has been the apparent necessity to leave one's intellect at the door before entering a "place of worship" - frustrating the deep wholesome desire for an UNdivided life. Another, somewhat-related barrier to "spirituality" is that descriptions of spiritual experiences are incomprehensible without first personally experiencing them. Because these traditional ways of navigating liminality are being rejected, a large portion of our educated population is perpetually adrift in reductionist materialism, pessimism, cynicism, depression & anxiety.
What we urgently need is a systematic intentional effective approach to ensuring human maturation that is suitable for intelligent, educated people from any ethnic, cultural or religious background. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), as taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD is one such evidence-based, secular approach. Having facilitated twenty of these 8-week MBSR courses, primarily for health-care professionals from all ethnic, cultural & religious backgrounds, I can attest to the fact that participants greatly value & appreciate this way of deepening, of living more meaningful, more congruent, more deeply satisfying lives. It's incredibly encouraging to witness the fact that diverse people can & do see eye-to-eye at a deep, meaningful level.
See: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/11/446-gratitude-service-responsibility.html
Our ideal is to live a meaningful, undivided life, in full harmony with the universe - with all that is. Each onion layer is a barrier, an outgrown friction between how we now are and an unfathomable ultimate. Life certainly takes away layers periodically, often unexpectedly.
Spiritual practices are designed to do this intentionally and a bit more predictably. For various reasons, "religion" & "spirituality" elicit strong negative emotional reactions, particularly among intelligent, educated people. One major barrier to "religion" has been the apparent necessity to leave one's intellect at the door before entering a "place of worship" - frustrating the deep wholesome desire for an UNdivided life. Another, somewhat-related barrier to "spirituality" is that descriptions of spiritual experiences are incomprehensible without first personally experiencing them. Because these traditional ways of navigating liminality are being rejected, a large portion of our educated population is perpetually adrift in reductionist materialism, pessimism, cynicism, depression & anxiety.
What we urgently need is a systematic intentional effective approach to ensuring human maturation that is suitable for intelligent, educated people from any ethnic, cultural or religious background. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), as taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD is one such evidence-based, secular approach. Having facilitated twenty of these 8-week MBSR courses, primarily for health-care professionals from all ethnic, cultural & religious backgrounds, I can attest to the fact that participants greatly value & appreciate this way of deepening, of living more meaningful, more congruent, more deeply satisfying lives. It's incredibly encouraging to witness the fact that diverse people can & do see eye-to-eye at a deep, meaningful level.
See: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/11/446-gratitude-service-responsibility.html
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| Steve McCurry http://stevemccurry.com/ |
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Values, Purpose, Meaning & Quality of Life
It's very useful to examine & understand the strengths & limitations of different ways of knowing. Science has an important well-defined role, but we should NOT exclude other ways of knowing - see: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2012/01/28-underdeveloped-way-of-knowing.html
Unexamined, false assumptions about ways of knowing can sadly confine, indeed paralyze - see: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2013/05/critical-thinker-discerning-taste-and.html The following is from the legendary philosopher Huston Smith's (HS) interview by Jeffrey Mishlove PhD (JM) - on YouTube:
"We've turned a method of getting at truth, namely the scientific method, into a metaphysics - taking to be real only what turns up by that probe, through that probe, and assuming that that probe is the privileged & reliable way of getting at truth. Well it's immensely powerful, but we don't see that it's power derives precisely in trade-off for its limitation.
JM: In other words, you seem to be saying that the
modern Western mindset is a kind of imperialism
dominated by materialistic metaphysics.
Well I think that's a fair statement because just think of what it leaves out.
Again, all credit to what (science) has done in the regions where it is effective and in fact a near perfect way of getting at truth in the material world.
But values for example - science rides on values, but it cannot itself deal with values. It can deal with descriptive values, like market research - it can tell us what people do value, but it can't tell us what they aught to value.
A second thing is purpose. Is there any purpose in existence? In life? In reality? Jacques Monod, the Nobel prize winner says: "The systematic denial of purpose is the cornerstone of the scientific method" - and we can see why it has to be. Because if you go back to explain things 'because a god intended it so' - namely a purpose - why of course it short-circuits the scientific investigation for secondary causes which produces it. So we rule out purpose.
And then meaning. The scientific endeavor is meaningful all the way through, but a certain kind of meaning it can't get at, namely the meaning of the whole - what is the meaning of life?
JM: Sort of a Gestalt
Right. Existential meanings they're sometimes called. The meanings by which we live - science can't deal with these. The scientist Steven Weisberg puts it: "The more comprehensible reality becomes, the more meaningless it becomes" - because it comes down to equations & numbers, and those are not themselves existential meaning.
JM: So the fact is that our dominant worldview is a
scientific one - without value, without purpose, without
meaning, without a sense of quality.
Yes - quality I haven't mentioned. ... the scientific enterprise & worldview too itself rides on many of these things we've already mentioned like values - values of truth, but the point is those values are not themselves turned up and revealed by science - they're assumed for science. And science itself cannot come to grips with - let's just name them again - values, purposes, meanings & qualities - it deals with quantities rather than quality. But look what we've left out if we leave out those four things!
JM: The nourishment of life itself I would think ... and I
would imagine that without that kind of nourishment
being sustained by our mainstream cultural institutions,
by our mainstream cultural mindset then what we
experience is alienation, discontent, social problems ...
I think this is a direct result of moving our beliefs into the confinement of a scientific view of reality. ... There's nothing wrong with science itself, in fact that's an understatement - it has given us incredible goods. The problem is not science but scientism - namely to assume that what science turns up, & can turn up, is the sum of all there is."
Unexamined, false assumptions about ways of knowing can sadly confine, indeed paralyze - see: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2013/05/critical-thinker-discerning-taste-and.html The following is from the legendary philosopher Huston Smith's (HS) interview by Jeffrey Mishlove PhD (JM) - on YouTube:
"We've turned a method of getting at truth, namely the scientific method, into a metaphysics - taking to be real only what turns up by that probe, through that probe, and assuming that that probe is the privileged & reliable way of getting at truth. Well it's immensely powerful, but we don't see that it's power derives precisely in trade-off for its limitation.
JM: In other words, you seem to be saying that the
modern Western mindset is a kind of imperialism
dominated by materialistic metaphysics.
Well I think that's a fair statement because just think of what it leaves out.
Again, all credit to what (science) has done in the regions where it is effective and in fact a near perfect way of getting at truth in the material world.
But values for example - science rides on values, but it cannot itself deal with values. It can deal with descriptive values, like market research - it can tell us what people do value, but it can't tell us what they aught to value.
A second thing is purpose. Is there any purpose in existence? In life? In reality? Jacques Monod, the Nobel prize winner says: "The systematic denial of purpose is the cornerstone of the scientific method" - and we can see why it has to be. Because if you go back to explain things 'because a god intended it so' - namely a purpose - why of course it short-circuits the scientific investigation for secondary causes which produces it. So we rule out purpose.
And then meaning. The scientific endeavor is meaningful all the way through, but a certain kind of meaning it can't get at, namely the meaning of the whole - what is the meaning of life?
JM: Sort of a Gestalt
Right. Existential meanings they're sometimes called. The meanings by which we live - science can't deal with these. The scientist Steven Weisberg puts it: "The more comprehensible reality becomes, the more meaningless it becomes" - because it comes down to equations & numbers, and those are not themselves existential meaning.
JM: So the fact is that our dominant worldview is a
scientific one - without value, without purpose, without
meaning, without a sense of quality.
Yes - quality I haven't mentioned. ... the scientific enterprise & worldview too itself rides on many of these things we've already mentioned like values - values of truth, but the point is those values are not themselves turned up and revealed by science - they're assumed for science. And science itself cannot come to grips with - let's just name them again - values, purposes, meanings & qualities - it deals with quantities rather than quality. But look what we've left out if we leave out those four things!
JM: The nourishment of life itself I would think ... and I
would imagine that without that kind of nourishment
being sustained by our mainstream cultural institutions,
by our mainstream cultural mindset then what we
experience is alienation, discontent, social problems ...
I think this is a direct result of moving our beliefs into the confinement of a scientific view of reality. ... There's nothing wrong with science itself, in fact that's an understatement - it has given us incredible goods. The problem is not science but scientism - namely to assume that what science turns up, & can turn up, is the sum of all there is."
Sunday, 24 November 2013
Going Well Beyond Limiting Self-concepts
It's so encouraging to read about the powerful energy good mentors can awaken in young people: http://medicine.dal.ca/facultystaff/our-learners/profiles/cinera_states.html
Cinera's story reminds me of an old (unethical by today's standards) experiment in which a group of young students was divided evenly with respect to intelligence, academic performance etc. Then one group was formally informed that they were "gifted", while the other (intellectually-matched) group was informed that they were "slow learners". They then carefully proceeded to teach both groups the same curriculum, in the same manner. At the end of the academic year, the "gifted" group markedly outperformed the "slow" group. Henry Ford's famous saying rings true - "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right!"
Probably most, if not all of us, have at some point been lead to believe that we're "no good" at something, or that we're just plain "no good." We internalize such psychological wounds more than we may ever realize. Pessimism is today's global de facto dogma. So it's vitally important to question our self-concept, to question our worldview because both of these, for the vast majority of us, are limited & distorted by psychological scars. We need wise mentors more than ever.
“There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” Nelson Mandela
"Resilience refers to the ability to thrive despite adversity and has been defined as a multidimensional phenomenon, spanning internal locus of control, sense of meaning, social problem-solving skills, and self-esteem. The concept of hardiness integrates many of these characteristics and describes individuals who are committed to finding meaningful purpose in life, believe that one can influence one’s surroundings and the outcome of events, and trust that one can learn and grow from both positive and negative life experiences. High levels of this personality trait have been shown to enhance posttraumatic adjustment, possibly by means of a faster physiological recovery from stress."
Daniels JK et al. Neural correlates and predictive power of trait resilience in an acutely traumatized sample: a pilot investigation. J Clin Psychiatry 2012; 73(3): 327-32.
"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Marianne Williamson
See "Our Self-concepts & Worldviews Must Mature": http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/11/443-our-self-concepts-worldviews-must.html
Cinera's story reminds me of an old (unethical by today's standards) experiment in which a group of young students was divided evenly with respect to intelligence, academic performance etc. Then one group was formally informed that they were "gifted", while the other (intellectually-matched) group was informed that they were "slow learners". They then carefully proceeded to teach both groups the same curriculum, in the same manner. At the end of the academic year, the "gifted" group markedly outperformed the "slow" group. Henry Ford's famous saying rings true - "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right!"
Probably most, if not all of us, have at some point been lead to believe that we're "no good" at something, or that we're just plain "no good." We internalize such psychological wounds more than we may ever realize. Pessimism is today's global de facto dogma. So it's vitally important to question our self-concept, to question our worldview because both of these, for the vast majority of us, are limited & distorted by psychological scars. We need wise mentors more than ever.
“There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” Nelson Mandela
"Resilience refers to the ability to thrive despite adversity and has been defined as a multidimensional phenomenon, spanning internal locus of control, sense of meaning, social problem-solving skills, and self-esteem. The concept of hardiness integrates many of these characteristics and describes individuals who are committed to finding meaningful purpose in life, believe that one can influence one’s surroundings and the outcome of events, and trust that one can learn and grow from both positive and negative life experiences. High levels of this personality trait have been shown to enhance posttraumatic adjustment, possibly by means of a faster physiological recovery from stress."
Daniels JK et al. Neural correlates and predictive power of trait resilience in an acutely traumatized sample: a pilot investigation. J Clin Psychiatry 2012; 73(3): 327-32.
"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Marianne Williamson
See "Our Self-concepts & Worldviews Must Mature": http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/11/443-our-self-concepts-worldviews-must.html
 |
| MiltonC www.dpreview.com |
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Mindful Practice Workshop - University of Rochester Medical Center
MINDFUL PRACTICE:
Enhancing Quality of Care, Quality of Caring, & Resilience
May 7-10, 2014
Hosted by: The Center for Experiential Learning, University of Rochester Medical Center
A 4-day, retreat-like workshop designed to improve the quality of care that clinicians provide while improving their own resilience and well-being. The workshop offers an experiential learning environment where participants focus on developing the capacity for Mindful Practice – attentiveness, situational- and self-awareness, teamwork, and self-monitoring – even in stressful and demanding situations.
Designed for medical practitioners (physicians, NPs, PAs) and others involved in medical practice and education, the program combines didactic presentations and experiential exercises using narratives, appreciative inquiry, and contemplative practices such as mindfulness meditation. Session themes include teamwork, difficult conversations with patients/families, uncertainty in medicine, medical education, grief and loss, resilience and compassion.
The workshop will offer participants hands-on experience in teaching and facilitation with attention to promoting Mindful Practice Activities at participants' home institutions. Prior attendance at a Mindful Practice workshop or experience with contemplative practice is desirable, but not required.
Course Directors: Ron Epstein MD and Mick Krasner MD
Additional Course Faculty: Fred Marshall MD and Florence Meleo-Meyer MA MS
Sponsored By: The Department of Family Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center
Location/Accommodations: Chapin Mill Retreat Center, Batavia, NY (Click here for details. http://www.rzc.org/ )
For more Information and to Register,
please visit: http://www.cvent.com/events/mindful-practice-quality-of-care-quality-of-caring-and-resilience/event-summary-6328a26ef8434b359385c32fb95b524d.aspx
Sunday, 17 November 2013
Therapeutic Presence
"Therapeutic presence is defined as bringing one’s whole self into the encounter with clients, by being completely in the moment on multiple levels: physically, emotionally, cognitively, & spiritually.
Presence involves
(1) being fully in contact with one’s self in the moment, while being
(2) open, receptive, & immersed in what is poignant in the moment, with
(3) a larger sense of spaciousness & expansion of awareness & perception.
This grounded, immersed, & expanded awareness is accompanied by
(4) the intention of being with & for the clients, in service of their healing process.
The inner receptive state involves therapists’ complete openness to clients’ multidimensional internal world, including their bodily & verbal expressions, as well as openness to their own bodily experience of the moment in order to access the knowledge, professional skill, & wisdom embodied within. Being fully present then allows for an attuned responsiveness that is based on a kinesthetic & emotional sensing of the other’s affect & experience as well as one’s own intuition, skill, & the relationship between.
Therapeutic presence has been proposed as an essential therapeutic stance. Therapeutic presence can increase the therapist’s listening & attunement skills and provide a more effective way to respond to a client that is right for that person in that moment. Presence also allows the therapist to work at a relational depth, which further deepens the therapeutic relationship so the client can feel open & safe to work with difficult issues."
Geller SM, Greenberg LS, Watson JC. Therapist and client perceptions of therapeutic presence: the development of a measure. Psychother Res 2010; 20(5): 599-610.
Geller SM, Greenberg LS, Watson JC. Therapist and client perceptions of therapeutic presence: the development of a measure. Psychother Res 2010; 20(5): 599-610.
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| RumpelHund www.dpreview.com |
Friday, 15 November 2013
Self-defeating Behaviours - Repression & Addiction
According to Buddhist psychology, we're all addicted to material things, our likes & dislikes, our opinions, etc, but most importantly, to our concept of self. It can take many years of reading and meditation just to get an inkling of the depth of these addictions.
"For generations, psychologists thought that virtually all self-defeating behavior was caused by repression. I have now come to believe that addiction is a separate and even more self-defeating force that abuses our freedom and makes us do things we really do not want to do. While repression stifles our desire, addiction attaches desire, bonds and enslaves the energy of desire to certain specific behaviors, things, or people. These objects of attachment then become preoccupations and obsessions; they come to rule our lives.
The word attachment has long been used by spiritual traditions to describe this process. It comes from the old French a-tache, meaning "nailed to." Attachment "nails" our desire to specific objects and creates addiction. In this light, we can see why traditional psychotherapy, which is based on the release of repression, has proven ineffective with addictions."
May G. "Addiction and Grace. Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions." HarperCollins, NY, 1988.
See also: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/07/361-beyond-stress-management-resilience.html
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| Stan W www.dpreview.com |
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