Modern MindfulnessApril 3, 2009

Elders and Experts

Thich Nhat Hanh John Kabat-Zinn Ken Wilber Pema Chodron Jack Kornfield Daniel Segel

How To:

Observe

Describe

Present Moment

Not Judging

Step One:

Observe

Step Two:

Describe

Step Three:

Present Moment

Step Four:

Not

Judging

What is to be the Object of Our Mindfulness?

BreathBody

SensationsThoughtsEmotions

EnvironsRelationsAll Inside and

Outside

What happens over time?

Greater ability to attend to things inwardly and outwardly

Increased vividness of perceptions

Increased calm in the observing self

Increased clarity, insight, intuition into nature of self and others

Increased wisdom, compassion and clarity

Samhadi

Aim Sustain

Types of AttentionExecutive Frontal Cortex INTENTION

Orienting Lateral posterior cortex

AIMING

Alerting Right and middle prefrontal cortex

SUSTAINING

Meta-awareness

?- hypothesized to be prefrontal

AWARENESS OF AWARENESS

Multi-tasking

Peak=19 yrs. Ability decreases with

age, can be improved with practice

Men and women = ability

You remember what you attend to

David Strayers, Univ. Utah

Time Distortions and Information Density

Crisis- Time slow Aging- Time speeds

up Brain “helps” by filling

in experiences with prior learning, assumptions and expectations which inhibits sensory experiences and deadens feeling alive.

Mindfulness and Pain

Pain Aversion

Suffering Aversion

Brain vs. MindBRAIN=

Hardware

MIND=

Energy and information flow within the brain and between relationships

Neural Plasticity

MIND can use the BRAIN to create itself.

Strength training of neural firings at the synapses

States can become Traits through this brain plasticity, over time

Review of Basic Brain Waves

Alpha Alert and Relaxed High Beta Anxious

Beta Alert Working

Theta Creative Imaging Delta Asleep

Brain Hemisphere Strengthening

Example #1

LEFT=

Body awareness

RIGHT=

Describing

Example #2

LEFT= Autobiographical fact memory

RIGHT= Narrative that makes sense of the memory

“Handy” Brain Model

Wrist= spinal cord

Fingers= cortex

Fingernails=face

Palm= brainstem

Thumb= Limbic System, Hypothalamus

“Handy” Brain Model

Perception- 2nd knuckles back on top

Motor action and planning- between first and second knuckle

Prefrontal Cortex- up to finger’s first segment.

Index Finger/PinkyFirst Segment

PREFRONTAL REGION

Short term memory

Flow of attention

Middle Fingers’First Segment PREFRONTAL Region

Social communication and self-observation

Connects all parts of brain via physical proximity, aiding brain self communication

Prefrontal Cortex:Neural Integration and Attunement

Attachment Empathy Pain Control Placebo Effect

Mindfulness

Long-term Meditators

Larger right insula cortex Thickening of the mid prefrontal areas Decrease of reaction of amygdala and insula Mid prefrontal areas use insula cortex data

about emotions and body states to create representations of other’s minds as well as self-observation= empathy

Decreases cortisol stress reaction (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis)

Applications to Therapies

Psycho-Neuro-Immunology

Stress and Pain Reduction University of Massachusettes

Medical Center John Kabat-Zinn

Applications to Therapies

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy Relapse prevention for chronic

depression Segel, Williams, Teasdale, 2002

Applications to Therapies

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Borderline Personality Disorder Marsha Linehan, Harvard U.

Applications to Therapies

Substance Abuse Marlatt, 2001

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Hayes, 2004

OCD and Eating Disorders

Long-term Demonic Attitudes

Grasping Aversion Anger/Fear/Boredom/Judgment Sleepiness Restlessness Doubt

More Common Problems

Idealizing the practice Not wanting to do it Watching breath vs. thinking about breath Censoring or judging thinking Thinking you’re getting somewhere

Levels of Consciousness

Ken Wilber Author: Integral

Psychology and A Brief History of Everything

Development of Consciousness

STAGE EGO ATTACHMENT

REVOLUTION IN CONSCIOUS AWARENESS

THERAPIES

Perinatal Egocentric Undiff. Rebirthing, Regressive

Sensory-Physical

Egocentric Fused

Emotional Egocentric Diff. Out the physical

Structure Building

Pre-Operation

Egocentric Diff. Out the emotional

Uncovering

Development of Consciousness

STAGE EGO ATTACHMENT

REVOLUTION IN CONSIOUS AWARENESS

THERAPIES

Concrete operations

Sociocentric/ Ethnocentric

Trans-

Body

Cog-Beh, TA, Family, Narrative, Script

Formal Operations

World-centric

Trans-Group

Introspection

Development of Consciousness

STAGE EGO ATTACHMENT

REVOLUTION IN CONSCIOUS AWARENESS

THERAPIES

Vision-Logic

World-centric

Diff. Out Observing Self: Trans-personal

Existential

Psychic World-centric

Trans-personal

Nature Mysticism

Howard Gardner:

“The whole of human development can be seen as a continuing decline in egocentrism.”