Pseudoscience Or Game Changer: What’s The Deal With Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a buzz-word term that gets bandied about a lot these days. If you’re naturally inclined to scepticism — just like me — you might have dismissed mindfulness up until now, or at least eyed it with suspicion from a safe distance. To some, it might sound like a concept that goes hand in hand with flowing natural fabrics, and the wafting scent of patchouli, but to assume it to be so — especially if that simply isn’t your vibe — is to miss out on a tool of great potential value.
In reality, the practice of mindfulness has been the subject of scientific study for near half a century, and experts are beginning to flesh out a very tangible picture of evidence based reasons to give it a go. Research points to mindfulness being not only a means for life enhancement that we can all use, but also a resource for those grappling with mental health disorders and addictive behaviour. Here, we will dive into exactly what mindfulness is. What does the current science indicate, and what is yet to be revealed? Rest assured, should it concern you, that a bohemian sensibility is compatible, but certainly isn’t a requisite!
What Exactly Is Mindfulness?
One of the challenges faced by researchers is that the term itself is of the umbrella variety, covering a broad spectrum of different styles of practice. What is considered consensus is that mindfulness describes engaging with an endeavour which draws our attention to the present moment. It is a form of self-regulation, an attempt to adopt an attitude of openness, and the practice of paying attention to our intention. A mindfulness practice may take a form with roots in spirituality, such as meditation derived from Buddhist teachings, yoga, prayer, or tai chi — however it may also come in the form of secular chanting, performing body scans, or breath exercises.
The integration of a spiritual element is a question of personal taste — whether one feels they are communing with something larger than themselves, or simply taking the reins of the self in a purely practical sense, is down to the practitioner. Harvard psychologist, and author of the now infamous Mindfulness, Ellen Langer considers mindfulness to be — first and foremost — a method of interrupting the automatic behaviours that can, if left unchecked, lead us into ruts of negativity. She describes mindfulness as a resource to help us tap into intuition and creativity, and open ourselves up to new information and perspectives.
The Meeting Of Science And Mindfulness
It was in the 1970s that a scientific eye was first substantially and strategically applied to mindfulness. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a microbiology PhD, was fascinated by the impact he had observed in such practices, and so he set about engaging patients in the basic principles of mindfulness meditation within a medical setting. He developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, or MBSR, which called for consistent practice of carefully focusing attention, as a secular or non-spiritual application of mindfulness. His initial work with MBSR, in collaboration with affective neuroscience pioneer Richard Davidson, showed great promise in the alleviation of chronic pain.
In parallel, transcendental meditation was enjoying a huge surge in popularity across the United States. Professor Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School also found his curiosity piqued within this period of high-speed adoption of eastern practices. His work identified that transcendental meditation, alongside yoga and even religious prayer, triggered what he called the relaxation response. He described this as our ability to trigger a release of chemicals and brain signals slow muscle and organ activity, while increasing blood flow to the brain — the exact opposite of fight or flight.
Changes In The Brain
Using fMRI, Dr. Sara Lazar of Harvard Medical School was able to identify that eight weeks of MBSR was enough to alter grey matter concentrations in areas of the brain responsible for emotion regulation, learning, and memory. Her work indicated that those who have years of mindfulness practice under their belts appear to have a thicker frontal cortex than those that don’t, which suggests a level of protection against age related cognitive decline. However, commentators point out that it is hard to know the extent to which such long-term practitioners are inclined to mindfulness because of an already distinct brain structure, or have entirely altered their brain structure due to dedication to mindfulness. In this sense, future research still has much to reveal.
A study published in the journal Social Congnitive And Affective Neuroscience pointed to capacity for a mindfulness practice to dampen stress reactions in the amygdala, while enhancing connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. The result being that those subjected to stressors, who are adept at mindfulness, will be more resilient — bouncing back from stress quickly, or being less reactive in the first place. We can see the impact of such transformation in a steady stream of studies: from meditation training reducing drug use in prisons — leading to the development of Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention programs — to positive impact on patients struggling with binge eating at the University of New Mexico.
Changes In The Body
Not all of the changes thought to be triggered by mindfulness have been observed within the brain. In fact, Kabat-Zinn identified that combining a mindfulness practice with light-treatment for psoriasis resulted in a faster skin healing rate, at no less than four times the statistical average. This may be because MBSR appears to improve immune function. David Cresswell and colleagues, of the University Of California, found that mindfulness enhanced the immunity of not only healthy individuals, but even in those with HIV. Those practising mindfulness meditation were also found to have increased telomerase activity. This enzyme plays a key role in ensuring the health of each of our cell’s telomeres — the protective caps that top and tail our chromosomes. Each time our cells regenerate, this function protects us from degeneration, making it vital for longevity.
Mastering Mindfulness For Increased Resilience
Making mindfulness part of your routine is, it would seem, well worth exploring. When considering how much time we should dedicate to mindfulness, we might emit a chuckle at the old Zen proverb that says “You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day — unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.” There may be some truth in such wisdom, however for those who can’t begin to imagine spending an hour doing yoga, or even 10 minutes meditating, mindfulness can be incorporated into daily life without taking time out.
Self-training can be applied simply by connecting with the senses while performing every day tasks, observing the body, and being more aware of surrounding colours and textures, taste, or the sensation of touch. The result of drawing the self into present awareness is known as embodying an “approach state”, as defined by Dr. Daniel Siegel in his book Mindsight, and described as a benchmark of resilience. Those achieving this state are thought to be better able to move into meaningful challenge, rather than pulling away. With that in mind, what could you achieve, if you harnessed the enhancing power of mindfulness?
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