Psychology
Mindfulness Psychology
Mindfulness psychology involves the practice of being fully present and engaged in the current moment, without judgment. It emphasizes self-awareness, attention to thoughts and feelings, and the cultivation of a non-reactive mindset. This approach has been shown to have positive effects on mental well-being, stress reduction, and overall psychological health.
Written by Perlego with AI-assistance
Related key terms
1 of 5
10 Key excerpts on "Mindfulness Psychology"
eBook - PDFStress Management for Life
A Research-Based Experiential Approach
- Michael Olpin, Margie Hesson, Michael Olpin(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Cengage Learning EMEA(Publisher)
3 Mindfulness is the process of cultivating an appreciation for the fullness of each moment we are alive. It is a present-moment awareness. When we are mindful, we pay atten- tion, on purpose, nonjudgmentally. It is an acceptance of present-moment reality. It is waking up to the fact that our lives unfold only in moments. Understanding mindfulness guides us to become more relaxed and peaceful once we learn how to focus on the present moment directly. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, described mindfulness as a conscious discipline that can be explained as the intentional cultivation of non-judgmental, moment-to-moment aware- ness. 4 Think of mindfulness not so much as a technique but as a way of being. Mindfulness approaches are not considered relaxation techniques but, instead, a form of mental training to reduce vulnerability to reactive ways of thinking that increase stress and emotional dis- tress. 5 We prevent stress by staying aware of each here and now moment. Mindfulness is based on the ancient meditative tradition called vipassana , which means “seeing clearly.” Mindfulness is the process of learning how to be fully present in all experiences while being less judgmental and reactive. Mindfulness practices include self- reflection, acceptance, self-care, and opening to difficulties without avoidance. Mindfulness suggests being present in the here and now, listening for and attending to whatever arises, and staying focused and relaxed. 6 We can begin to understand mindfulness with an example of how we function mentally when we drive our car and notice that a police officer is driving directly behind us. His lights are not flashing to pull us over. He is just following us. When we drive with this level of alertness, we are entirely aware of everything that is going on. We are aware of the distance between our car and the one in front of us.
eBook - PDFHandbook of Contemporary Psychotherapy
Toward an Improved Understanding of Effective Psychotherapy
- William O'Donohue, Steven R. Graybar, William O′Donohue(Authors)
- 2008(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications, Inc(Publisher)
Coping styles driven by the desire to fix psy-chological problems are now considered potentially paradoxical (e.g., Magid, 2002), rather than therapeutic. The recent mindfulness movement provides us with new wisdom and direction in understanding and practicing for individuals' psychological well-being. Definitions of Mindfulness In psychotherapy literature, m i n d f u l n e s s is a confusing term, and it is often used to describe different events. For example, some view mindfulness as enhanced attention to and awareness of present moment experience (Brown &C Ryan, 2003). Others define mindfulness as a multicomponent construct, including observing, describing, accepting whatever one is experiencing without judgment, and acting with awareness (Baer, Smith, & Allen, 2004). What is more troublesome in psychotherapy literature is that mindful-ness has been referred to as both a specific treatment method (set of tech-niques) and a psychological process (see Hayes &c Wilson, 2003). As a method, m i n d f u l n e s s is defined formally and topographically, such as sitting meditation, breathing, walking meditation, and so on. In other contexts, mindfulness is construed as a process (e.g., skills). For example, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993), a recent mindfulness-based cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), defines mindfulness as a set of skills that include observing, describing, and participating in reality non-judgmentally, in the moment, with effectiveness (Dimidjian & Linehan, 2003, p. 229). Kabat-Zinn (2003), the originator of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSD; Kabat-Zinn, 1990), roughly defines mindfulness as a process of paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment (p. 145). From these perspectives, mindfulness methods are those designed to encourage these processes.
eBook - PDFEducational Psychology
Between Certitudes and Uncertainties
- Victori?a Trif(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- IntechOpen(Publisher)
An envisage of mindfulness as a meditational practice suggests a state of consciousness and self-awareness that may be strengthened over the course of time [33]. The psychological construct of mindfulness is postulated to closely associate with the positive psychology paradigm [1, 4, 34] for its characteristics and emphasis on positive yields. Central to this theoretical contention is the fact that mindfulness is meaningful , and contradicts with the negativities that may exist in life such as pessimism and mindlessness [35]. Mindfulness, in this sense, is a feat of human agency that reflects to a large extent the essence of a person ’ s temperament, personality, and state of mind. Engaging in the meditational practice of mind-fulness produce two important yields [36 – 40], namely: i. A person ’ s experience of a present state in any social milieu, which may reveal clear focus and personal contentment. Non-judgmental concentration at the present time, in itself, could serve to instill and facilitate an internal state of calmness, ease, and clarity. ii. The subsequent outcomes that may arise from the aftermath experience of mindfulness, including positive emotions (e.g., happiness), weakening in negative emotions (e.g., anxi-ety), and improvement in personal functioning (e.g., performance in a subject matter). Engagement in mindfulness practices, in this sense, emphasizes personal experience both the present moment and the future state of functioning. The two aforementioned yields signify and support the use of mindfulness theories [41 – 43] in educational and non-educational contexts. Educationally, in this case, it has been noted that there are a number of educational programs for usage in the practice of mindfulness (e.g., Master Mind Program: [44], Mind-fulness Education: [45]).
eBook - ePub- Satinder K. Dhiman(Author)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
Mindfulness has only recently become a highly studied variable amongst social science scholars; however, the concept has been around for millennia. Mindfulness dates back thousands of years; it is mostly rooted in Buddhist psychology but also shares ideas from other traditions, such as some of the ancient Greek philosophers (Brown, Ryan, & Creswell, 2007; Dane, 2011). Dane (2011) carried out an overview of recent academic conceptualizations of mindfulness and argued that for a long time, it was associated primarily with Eastern traditions and dismissed by scientists as too “Zen-like,” perhaps because it was incorrectly associated with meditation (p. 998).However, more recently scholars have concluded mindfulness and related practices of Eastern traditions, such as meditation, are not necessarily interchangeable and that mindfulness can indeed be scientifically studied apart from its more “Zen” origins (Dane, 2011). Dane (2011) adds that there have recently been many different perspectives on, and conceptualizations of, the term, many of them focusing on three common features: mindfulness as a state of consciousness, mindfulness as a focus on present phenomena (e.g., Brown & Ryan, 2003), and third, mindfulness as a process involving both internal and external phenomena. Combining all three elements, Dane proposed the following definition: mindfulness is a “state of consciousness in which attention is focused on present-moment phenomena occurring both externally and internally” (2011, p. 1000).Similarly, Long and Christian have (2015) defined mindfulness as a “psychological construct associated with nonjudgmental attention and awareness of present-moment experiences” (p. 1409). Mindfulness reflects the state when we become so aware of our thought processes that we become open to novel perspectives (Gudykunst, 1993; Langer, 1989). Being mindful is being able to focus only on specific chosen things or events in the present moment, and not consider the past, the future, or other distractions. Previous literature has also focused on the nature of mindfulness, such as how the variable can be operationalized.Shapiro, Carlson, Astin, and Freedman (2006), for instance, posited three axioms/components of mindfulness—intention, attention, and attitude—and argued these are “interwoven aspects of single cyclic process and occur simultaneously” as mechanisms of the mindfulness process (p. 375). Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, and Toney (2006) also argued for five multiple dimensions of mindfulness; Taylor and Millear (2016) describe these multiple dimensions, or attributes, as: (1) observing the immediate/present external environment, (2) describing said environment with words, (3) acting based on awareness of that environment, (4) not assessing/judging the environment in any way, and (5) not reacting before thinking in regards to that environment. Finally, mindfulness has been described as both a state , for example a state achieved during meditation, and a trait
eBook - PDF- Matta, Christy(Authors)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- New Harbinger Publications(Publisher)
Research indicates that mindfulness practice can stimulate changes in the brain by activating parts of the brain associated with positive mood (Davidson et al. 2003). What Is Mindfulness? The construct of mindful awareness originated in early Buddhist practice and is present in almost every religious tradition (Goleman 1977). Despite its origins in religious practice, mindfulness in DBT is a nonreligious skill designed to bring a particular quality of attention and awareness to your life. Mindfulness is characterized by unemotional, nonevaluative, and sus- tained moment-to-moment awareness. It is the examination of your inter- nal and external world through the act of bringing calm and open attention to your thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and experiences. Today mindfulness is widely taught for the purpose of stress reduction. Cultivating Mindfulness 117 Mindful Attention In any given moment, we are all both mindful and mindless to one extent or another. Mindfulness is developing the capacity to bring your attention to all aspects of your life. Whether you are washing dishes, driv- ing, worrying, laying back in the dentist chair, walking, meditating, or in a business meeting, mindful attention allows you to notice your experience in the moment. When you are mindful, you perceive your thoughts, physi- cal state, emotions, and world the way they are, without judging the experience. The quality of the attention that you bring to your experience is cru- cial. To practice mindfulness, you must let go of the evaluations of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. To focus on the actuality of your expe- rience, you need to suspend your judgments and expectations. When dis- tractions, judgments, expectations, and evaluations occur during mindful practice, notice them as part of the moment and then bring your attention to the present. The Concept of Wise Mind In DBT, Linehan describes a state of mind she calls wise mind.
eBook - ePubMindfulness
Diverse Perspectives on its Meaning, Origins and Applications
- J. Mark G. Williams, Jon Kabat-Zinn, J. Mark Williams, Jon Kabat-Zinn(Authors)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Taylor & Francis(Publisher)
Rupert Gethin revisits some traditional Buddhist sources to see how they understand mindfulness, exploring how their understanding fits—or does not—with some of the ways mindfulness is now presented in the context of mind-fulness-based interventions. Starting with well-known sources such as the Sati-pat.t.hanasutta, he moves on to pay more attention to some of the details of the understanding of mindfulness in later Buddhist systematic thought. These details, though less well known, provide important clues about traditional Buddhist approaches to the cultivation of mindfulness. In particular, he explores the notion of mindfulness as ‘non-judgmental’. He very cogently maps out the full range of the territory and potential issues at the interface of the converging epistemological streams:How one views the adaptation of Buddhist mindfulness practice to a modern clinical context for the treatment of stress and depression will depend on one's particular perspective. From one sort of Buddhist perspective, the abstraction of mindfulness from its context within a broad range of Buddhist meditative practices might seem like an appropriation and distortion of traditional Buddhism that loses sight of the Buddhist goal of rooting out greed, hatred and delusion. From a different Buddhist perspective, it might seem to be an example of ‘skill in means’ (upāya-kauśalya): it provides a way of giving beings the opportunity to make a first and important initial step on the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. From yet another perhaps still Buddhist perspective that might be characterized as ‘modernist’, it strips Buddhism of some of its unnecessary historical and cultural baggage, focusing on what is essential and useful. A non-Buddhist perspective might regard the removal of the unnecessary historical and cultural baggage as finally revealing the useful essence that had hitherto been obscured by the Buddhist religion. Finally we might regard the coming together of practices derived from Buddhism with the methods of modern western cognitive science as affording a true advance that supersedes and renders redundant the traditional Buddhist practices. As observers of social history, we might also see it as an example of a change from a cultural situation where we turn to religion to heal our souls to one where we turn to medicine and science.
eBook - PDF- Labbe, Elise(Authors)
- 1010(Publication Date)
- New Harbinger Publications(Publisher)
Health psychol- ogy research consistently supports the idea that psychological problems are risk factors for chronic illness (Taylor, 2008). An example is research demonstrating that anxiety can trigger headaches and that learning to cope with anxiety can reduce the frequency of headaches (Labbé, 1999). Mindfulness as a Process and an Outcome Mindfulness is a simple, commonsense approach to life. The challenge is to be consistently mindful. In fact, even mindlessness can be an opportunity to become more mindful. Mindfulness requires a lifestyle change that involves a person’s cognitive, behavioral, physiological, and emo- tional response to every moment. A mindfulness approach to understanding human experience considers each person as a whole being and emphasizes that any attempt to separate or compart- mentalize aspects of ourselves only leads to a false understanding of human nature. Furthermore, each being is not separate from any aspect of life and the universe; again, seeing an individual as a truly separate being leads to a false understanding of life. Mindfulness involves paying attention in a certain way (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Those who practice mindfulness direct their attention to the present moment in a nonjudging and accepting manner. Several other qualities of mindfulness can influence this attending to the present moment that dis- tinguishes mindfulness from other ways of paying attention. I’ll discuss these mindfulness qualities in the next section. Mindfulness Concepts 9 Kabat-Zinn proposed that mindfulness is the “common pathway of what makes us human, our capacity for awareness, and for self-knowing” (2005, p. 11). He maintains that paying attention and engaging in mindfulness meditation enhances mindfulness. In 2003, Kirk Brown and Richard Ryan defined mindfulness as being aware of whatever is present in each moment, noting that the person could be aware of a thought, sensation, worry, or anything else that may be taking place.
eBook - PDF- Zettle, Robert(Authors)
- 2007(Publication Date)
- New Harbinger Publications(Publisher)
Consequently, and in accordance with the “dead man’s test” (see chapter 6), your task is promoting the present-moment awareness of your clients rather than merely weakening their ruminative behavior. The mere absence of rumination is not the same as being nonjudgmentally aware of the ongoing stream of experience, although being mindful precludes fixation on the past and/or future. The Relationship of Mindfulness to Defusion and Acceptance At least for the purposes of this chapter, we will use the terms “contacting the present moment” and “mindfulness” synonymously, with mindfulness defined as “paying atten- tion in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally” (Kabat- Zinn, 1994, p. 4). A number of your clients may have heard of the term “mindfulness,” but most, in all likelihood, will not have practiced related forms of meditation or other exercises that promote contact with the present moment to an appreciable degree. To the extent that mindfulness thereby constitutes an alternative way that your clients can learn to respond to troublesome thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, images, memories, and the like, techniques that promote it also serve a defusing function. Likewise, a number of the defusion interventions discussed in chapter 6, especially Thoughts on Cards and Taking Inventory, can also promote present-moment awareness. As suggested by Kabat-Zinn (1994), mindfulness is not merely being deliberately aware of whatever psychological events are unfolding in the here and now, but it also involves relating to such experiences in a nonevaluative manner. Thus, a type of synergis- tic and reciprocal relationship also exists between interventions that support acceptance as discussed in chapter 6 and those that foster mindfulness.
eBook - PDF- Brantley, Jeffrey(Authors)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- New Harbinger Publications(Publisher)
So how do you get from your life today to the one you just imagined? Mindfulness will help you—and this book will teach you how to use mindfulness to deal with your anger. I frequently teach mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) classes, and I’d like to share one of our core beliefs with you, because you may find it helpful: “No matter how much a person thinks is wrong with them, we believe there is more right than is wrong.” The “more right” piece has to do with human intelligence, the capacity to learn and to relate to others, and the ability to know ourselves. It also has a lot to do with the basic human capacity for awareness called “mindfulness,” so let’s take a closer look at mindfulness now. 6 introduction WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Mindfulness is something you already have, at least as a potential. When you are mindful, you’re aware of what is happening now, in this very moment, without judging or getting lost in the thoughts and plans about fixing or changing anything. Mindfulness does not do anything! It simply notices, without judgment. You can think of mindfulness as a mirror that accurately reflects what appears before it. Mindfulness sees clearly what is present. That is what makes being mindful so important if you want to know what is happening inside your mind and body as well as in the world around you. You can also think of mindfulness as a talent like musical ability. Your ability is innate—it is already there—but for the talent to bloom fully, you have to develop certain skills with your instrument, and you have to practice. This book will introduce the basic mindfulness skills and offer helpful guidance for practicing those skills. Human beings have literally been practicing mindfulness for thousands of years and have amassed an enormous amount of wisdom about meditation practice and mindfulness. You will be able to draw on this wisdom as you take up the meditations and reflective practices in this book.
eBook - PDF- (Author)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- For Dummies(Publisher)
Enjoying the Benefits of Mindfulness CHAPTER 2 Enjoying the Benefits of Mindfulness 25 By purposefully connecting with one of your senses — say, touch — you begin naturally to calm your mind a little. In mindfulness you can begin by focusing on your breathing. Focus on your belly stretching or your chest expanding, or per -haps the movement of the air as it enters and leaves your body. By focusing on a particular sense — in this case the sense of touch — you’re focusing your atten -tion. Rather than your mind wandering wherever it pleases, you’re gently training it to stay on one object, namely your breathing. And in the same way as you train a puppy to walk along a path and not keep running off, each time your attention strays, you bring it back, just as you would gently pull the puppy back to the path. You’re discovering how to be gentle with yourself, as well as finding out how to focus your attention. By coming to your senses mindfully, you are doing the following: » Training your attention to focus » Being kind to yourself when your mind wanders off » Realizing that you have a certain amount of choice about what you pay attention to » Understanding that you can deliberately choose to shift attention away from thinking and into the senses » Calming your mind and developing a sense of clarity Creating an attentive mind Attention is essential in achieving anything. If you can’t pay attention, you can’t get the job done, whatever the job is. Mindfulness trains your attention by sus -taining your attention on one thing, or by switching the type of attention from time to time. Daniel Goleman, author of the book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ , published a book called Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence . He explains just how important focus is in every domain of our lives. He also identified a research study that imaged the brains of people practicing mindfulness of breath.
Index pages curate the most relevant extracts from our library of academic textbooks. They’ve been created using an in-house natural language model (NLM), each adding context and meaning to key research topics.
