What is "mindfulness"?

As you’ve probably already noticed, the word “mindful” is used a lot these days. Every other self-help book seems to have something about mindfulness in the title and this blog is called The Mindful Brain, but what exactly is that supposed to mean?

The word “mindful” has been part of the English language since the 16th century, as in “be mindful of the stairs so you don’t trip”, and basically, it means to pay attention. But the way it’s used here means something more than that. Here, being mindful refers to a special way of paying attention, not only to what’s happening around you, but to what’s happening inside of you at the same time--bodily sensations, the flow of thoughts and feelings in your mind, as well as the content of those thoughts. 

At the same time, it also means not getting caught up in trying to figure out what it all means. Rather, being mindful means noticing these things almost as if you were an outside observer, carefully watching everything that happens, but without trying to analyze it or draw any conclusions about it. Even something as mundane as washing the dishes can be done mindfully if you focus on what’s happening in the moment, without dwelling on what happened at work that day or thinking about that phone call you’ve been meaning to make or wondering when you’re going to go through that stack of mail that’s been piling up on the counter. 

Being mindful is different than being introspective. When we use introspection, we deliberately set out to analyze and understand, through the use of logic, how all those thoughts and feelings are connected and what it all means. This is the traditional approach used in psychotherapy and it can lead to important insights. The focus of introspection is the self. The focus of mindfulness quite different.

It seems paradoxical at first, but by focusing on what’s happening in the moment, we become attuned, not only to ourselves, but to the world around us and everyone and everything in it. Rather than getting caught up in ourselves however, we become more more connected to the world around us. This, in turn, leads to better understanding and more compassion for those around us.

This concept of mindfulness is drawn from Buddhism, but it has nothing to do with religion. It’s a way of thinking and also a way of thinking about thinking. It’s really a psychological concept that can be used by people of all faiths. Western psychology has begun to use mindfulness as a psychotherapeutic tool, one which can be used by anyone in everyday life. Developing the ability to be mindful can help anyone lead a healthier and happier life.

In Western science, there has been a growing interest in Buddhism in recent years. Physicists in particular have commented upon the similarities between certain Buddhist concepts and the often strange, counter-intuitive ideas of quantum physics. Now neuroscientists are beginning to pay attention to these concepts and that is partly what this blog is about.

On April 7, PBS television will air a 2 hour documentary on the life of the Buddha.(http://www.pbs.org/thebuddha/?gclid=CN7prISK86ACFcN05Qod9xEiFw) If you are already familiar with some of the ideas of Buddhism, you probably already know about it. If not, you may want to check it out.