Mindfulness

[ADiosgracias]

Can somebody tell me about this movement. Can a Catholic person follow it?

 

[cecilia97]

Can somebody tell me about this movement. Can a Catholic person follow it?

I’m not sure what you mean by a mindfulness “movement”, but mindfulness is becoming popular and scientifically supported in the mental health fields. I am a conservative Catholic (toe-the-line, frequent confession, faithful to the Magisterium and the Holy Father, etc) studying to become a therapist and I am interested in some of the newer therapies that involve mindfulness.

Mindfulness “meditation” is not really meditation. It is not transcendental, does not involve emptying the mind, and does not involve mantras or prayer. In fact, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), one of the biggest proponents of mindfulness practice, asserts that it is impossible for human beings to empty their minds.

A simple example of mindfulness for popular consumption is walking through a garden and taking the time to notice details about the flowers, insects, etc. I did it every day before I ever knew “mindfulness” existed.

The aim of therapeutic mindfulness is to help one become more aware of surroundings, emotions, and thought content…without trying to change any of those things in ANY way. These techniques are gaining impressive amounts of empirical support.

Can I answer any specific questions for you?

 

[TheAtheist]

I’m not sure what you mean by a mindfulness “movement”, but mindfulness is becoming popular and scientifically supported in the mental health fields. I am a conservative Catholic (toe-the-line, frequent confession, faithful to the Magisterium and the Holy Father, etc) studying to become a therapist and I am interested in some of the newer therapies that involve mindfulness.

Mindfulness “meditation” is not really meditation. It is not transcendental, does not involve emptying the mind, and does not involve mantras or prayer. In fact, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), one of the biggest proponents of mindfulness practice, asserts that it is impossible for human beings to empty their minds.

While i can’t speak for what your specific Church believes, i can chime in as a secularist and say that from a strict scientific perspective, Cecilia’s words ring true.

The effects of mindfulness are backed not only by clinical therapeutic trials, but from cognitive science and neurobiology as well.

I would think such a practice would be a-religious and not necessarily hold any particular metaphysical or theological content that conflicts with your belief system…athough another thread below makes me curious if i’m wrong to think that…

 

[cecilia97]

While i can’t speak for what your specific Church believes, i can chime in as a secularist and say that from a strict scientific perspective, Cecilia’s words ring true.

The effects of mindfulness are backed not only by clinical therapeutic trials, but from cognitive science and neurobiology as well.

I would think such a practice would be a-religious and not necessarily hold any particular metaphysical or theological content that conflicts with your belief system…athough another thread below makes me curious if i’m wrong to think that…

Thanks, TheAtheist. I can see where there would be some concern because of the Eastern/Buddhist background of some of the current mindfulness practices. As Catholics, we try to avoid things like chants or words that could call on powers other than our God. There is also concern about transcendentalism or types of meditation which seek to “empty” the mind. Catholics believe that the human person is body, mind, soul, and will and that to empty one of these or divide it from the other parts goes against the nature God gave us.

I do have a little friction about the self-compassion meditations in some mindfulness books which suggest repeating “I wish myself/others/the world happiness/freedom from suffering/etc”. As Catholics, we understand that there is benefit and worth in suffering, so we try to embrace it rather than wish to be free from it all the time. That said, I don’t think these exercises are “bad” per se, they just rub my Catholic understanding of life and the world in the wrong way, so I avoid them.

All this said, when I learned about ACT I was struck at how similar it is to parts of the Christian contemplative tradition…but my professor didn’t buy it.

 

[TheAtheist]

Thanks, TheAtheist. I can see where there would be some concern because of the Eastern/Buddhist background of some of the current mindfulness practices. As Catholics, we try to avoid things like chants or words that could call on powers other than our God. There is also concern about transcendentalism or types of meditation which seek to “empty” the mind. Catholics believe that the human person is body, mind, soul, and will and that to empty one of these or divide it from the other parts goes against the nature God gave us.

Well Cecilia, i understand what you mean. I’m not quite sure your fellow Catholics have the knowledge base to make that distinction - if only because its starting to occur to me that their entrance into understanding eastern religion and practice comes from the encounter with New Age gobbledy-gook.

by the way - when i mean your fellow catholics i’m talking about the run of the mill member of the laity - professional theologians tend to have a much more complete picture of what they are dealing with.

But in any event, everything that comes out of Eastern religion might start to be considered suspect.

Even as something as simple as counting your breathes

 

[Holly3278]

I am not sure but I think mindfulness is a Buddhist or Hindu thing.

 

[chrisb]

Mindfulness (i.e. Nepsis) is a very old teaching in the Ancient Church, especially among the Desert Fathers who practiced it as part of their overall method for protecting themselves from falling into sin and the wilds of demons. I don’t know what this Mindfulness Movement is but I doubt it has any connection with nepsis in the early church context.

To learn more about Christian Mindfulness (Nepsis) seek understand of the Eastern Orthodox teaching on Theosis.

Nepsis

 

[cecilia97]

Well Cecilia, i understand what you mean. I’m not quite sure your fellow Catholics have the knowledge base to make that distinction - if only because its starting to occur to me that their entrance into understanding eastern religion and practice comes from the encounter with New Age gobbledy-gook.

by the way - when i mean your fellow catholics i’m talking about the run of the mill member of the laity - professional theologians tend to have a much more complete picture of what they are dealing with.

But in any event, everything that comes out of Eastern religion might start to be considered suspect.

Even as something as simple as counting your breathes

Well, it help to keep in mind that I’m a pretty run of the mill member of the laity and most of my friends are, too. Lots of us might be smarter than you think.

 

[cecilia97]

Mindfulness (i.e. Nepsis) is a very old teaching in the Ancient Church, especially among the Desert Fathers who practiced it as part of their overall method for protecting themselves from falling into sin and the wilds of demons. I don’t know what this Mindfulness Movement is but I doubt it has any connection with nepsis in the early church context.

To learn more about Christian Mindfulness (Nepsis) seek understand of the Eastern Orthodox teaching on Theosis.

Nepsis

I relate this to the discipline of “practicing the presence of God” in our everyday lives. Something that is forgotten (or not often realized) about us “western” Catholics is that our spirituality is not monolithic. The Catholic Church allows for many different spiritualities as long as theology is orthodox and faithful to the truth. The medieval mysticism of Teresa of Avila speaks to me much more than the logic of Aquinas. Others find more value in reason. As long as each way is faithful to the gospels and Church teaching, there’s not a problem.

 

[Dranu]

The medieval mysticism of Teresa of Avila speaks to me much more than the logic of Aquinas. Others find more value in reason. As long as each way is faithful to the gospels and Church teaching, there’s not a problem.

I think both are needed to live a healthy life.

As for mindfulness in general, I can think of one good reason for it. God ordains that we receive (even at this very moment) what is ultimately best, so to believe otherwise is not to trust in God’s goodness (sin). Thus, I think we ought to beware of being too concerned with things to come, things that have past, and despairing about having deliverance from the sorrows at hand. Through this we can have a peace and attentiveness to all that is around us understanding that even the evil that oppresses us from without is not really much to fret about (though the evil of within may be something to worry about, we ought to trust God gives us the strength to destroy it and that His yoke is easy). Through this I find we can be far more at peace and have an incredible joy (especially when coupled with an understanding of the traditional moral theories of Probabilism and Equiprobabilism). I also find a lack of this sort of ‘mindfulness’ reveals a lack of faith in God. Finally, I find I am not at all good at this peace .

Despite it’s so-called Buddhist connections I do not think ‘mindfulness’ should be avoided for that reason alone (and I do not think they have a monopoly on it by any means). Yes, I think we ought to purge all connections to philosophies opposed to the faith, but we can utterly commandeer any methods and philosophies the pagans have that are good as it by right belongs to the Church . The Church has always been good to take everything good in society and just toss the pollution amongst it. In this particular case, I think Buddhists often detach mindfulness from its roots in reason and the faith. Without God’s providence and care for His creation there might be good reason to constantly be worrying and not being attentive to ‘trivial’ things surrounding you. They also tend to lack an understanding of the value of desires and suffering, whereas I think greater peace comes with regulating the desires without purging them all and being at peace with our suffering. So be careful about it, but as long as it does not contradict the faith, and you are one who knows the faith well, I would not worry about it.

On a side note I am starting to think praying the Holy Rosary and attentive prayer can be a very effective way (indeed perhaps the most effective ways) to work on ‘mindfulness’. Also, reflecting on God’s love and providence in all things is also helpful. Anyway that’s my long-winded 2cents.