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At the root of this turnaround: the idea that mind-wandering is not a waste of attention but simply a different kind of focus. Could this be the beginning of t
by danieldk 11y ago
At the root of this turnaround: the idea that mind-wandering is not a waste of attention but simply a different kind of focus.
Could this be the beginning of the revolt against mindfulness?
I think the article (and probably a lot of modern mindfulness courses/books) conflates mindfulness and concentration meditation. One of the basic principles of mindfulness meditation is equanimity. In terms of 'mental objects' this means being non-judgmental towards thoughts, emotions, etc. Wandering is just one of the many things that occur and when one notices wandering, one can just observe that. If the wandering continues, it continues. If the wandering stops, it stops.
Focus can be a side-effect of mindfulness meditation, but is not the goal.
- avtar 11y agoI agree. Could this be the beginning of the revolt against mindfulness? Also, proliferation of thoughts is covered in 2,600 year old teachings https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptual_proliferation https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptual_proliferation It seems we as a species have been revolting for a while ;)
- gypsy_boots 11y agoI was having trouble articulating my thoughts on this article but I think you nailed it. I don't think mindfulness and mind-wandering are inconsistent with one another. In fact as you pointed out, a key tenet of mindfulness is occasionally allowing our thoughts to wander, but knowing what is happening, and naming said thoughts. In fact, mind-wandering paired with mindfulness can be very powerful. We can allow our subconscious to come out of the shadows, all the while noticing where it is going. The two don't have to be separated, they can go hand-in-hand.