In my own reading I’ve been exploring the concept of mindfulness and its similarity to meditation, being present, etc. There are biblical corollaries that make this an important topic as so frequently we react to life rather than observe it without giving in to impulsive reactions. Mindfulness and meditation are different but may share some commonalities. For example, healthy biblical meditation includes focusing on the character of God, his word, his creation, etc. It includes being aware of these things rather than judging experience or anxiously running after a feeling. Mindfulness also includes this focus and being present. Consider the opening words in Erica Tan’s recent essay,
According to Germer (2005, p. 7) in Mindfulness and psychotherapy, mindfulness is “the awareness of present experience with acceptance.” Mindfulness is a skill that enables an individual to be aware of the present–feelings, thoughts, situation, other people., and so on–without being reactive.
She goes on to quote Germer again about the opposite of mindfulness,
To be mindful is to wake up, to recognize what is happening in the moment. We are rarely mindful. We are usually caught up in the distracting thoughts or in opinions about what is happening in the moment. (p. 4-5).
In this way, mindfulness is similar to meditation in that both are focused on “noticing” things with our reactivity. Meditation does assume or judge things from God’s point of view in such a way that frees us from worry or fighting the situation. Both include an acceptance but meditation includes acceptance of God’s point of view.
I think mindfulness research in psychology has exploded because of the propensity for us to be constantly and anxiously judging our worlds. We confirm our own fears about what is right, wrong, good, bad. It recognizes that there can be wise thinking about these things but much of our lives are reactive and anxiety based. So, we benefit from the reminder that acceptance of feelings, and experiences helps us to be aware of that there is a “bigger picture” as Tan reminds us. While some may think this acceptance makes us passive or allows us to become unwilling to do something about sinfulness, that is not the point of mindfulness or meditation and would be a mis-use of these tools.
Tan, E. (2008). Mindfulness in Sexual Identity Therapy. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 27, 274-278.
7 Comments
October 13, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I find your stuff on mindfulness very interesting. I am a college Christ-follower and joined a mindfulness-based stress reduction class. I’ve been struggling with anxiety and depression for years (trying everything except antidepressants). Anyways, the class was going well until about a week and a half in. All of a sudden, depression and anxiety hit- and hit hard. After doing some reading I read about what’s called “emotional upheaval” that sometimes accompanies meditation practice. I think that’s what did it. Wondering if you’ve checked into this at all.
December 1, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Dear Phil,
Thanks for this entry. I was just doing a Google search of “Mindfulness and Christianity” to find out whether mindfulness is purely a Buddhist kind of discipline. What I gather from your writing is that mindfulness and meditation are like tools to help us not to “react to life rather” but to”observe it without giving in to impulsive reactions”.
I hope to be even more mindful of this now. It’s very easy to get distracted and worry instead of focusing on the present moment.
Shuyi
February 24, 2009 at 10:47 am
It seems that mindfulness is usually associated with Buddhism, but Buddha was just a man that figured out a spiritual principle of our Creator, the Lord God. Mindfulness works because it disengages you from the future, which really is a time not guaranteed to any of us.
Jesus told us to “take no thought for tomorrow.” If you study that in the Greek “no thought” means no thought. As we have developed mind habits for years, that is a tall order. But, through practice and diligent effort you will develop new pathways in your brain that will make this more natural.
Mindfulness will also help us deal with troubling thoughts normally associated with anxiety disorders. That is where it has helped me as I don’t need to get upset over every stupid thought that I create in my mind. I don’t judge them; I just let it flow on out like water. It is awesome when I can just be an observer of what I think.
I read a paper that said this is where Christianity and mindfulness are at odds because Paul the Apostle said we should “take each though captive.” But, in proper context Paul was saying that we need to take each thought captive to the obedience of Christ in terms of false doctrines.
Paul also said we need to be mindful of what we think on. He said whatever is pure, lovely, and so on … think on these things. So clearly he was telling us to not let disturbing thoughts be meditated on. He also said “be anxious for nothing”. And that definitely involves not judging anxious thoughts but letting them go.
I believe Evangelical Christianity would quickly reject any idea that came from Buddha because often we think there is a devil under every rock. But Buddha was just a man, not a savior, not a god…just a dude who wanted to chill. He had some great ideas as did other great men and women of the past. I am not going to become a Buddhist, I am a believer in Jesus, but as I mentioned earlier I believe Buddha just tapped into a spiritual principle that works.
Mindfulness Works, but my mind habits (because of an improperly train conscience) will tell me that is not of God, and blah blah blah.
April 1, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Hi. I am a Christian who struggles with depression and anxiety. A Buddhist friend has been pressuring me to try Mindfulness meditation. I have dismissed
it because I fear it’s Buddhist origins.Now I must investigate it further. This friend does seem rather detached from reality mind you and quite smug about being enlightened etc…
Thankyou. Peter
April 2, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Peter, thanks for your comment. Remember, just because your Buddhist friend uses mindfulness to detach, don’t assume that that is what mindfulness is really all about. In many ways, the healing power of mindfulness is really a form of taking captive every thought. It is far to easy to let our minds go in bad directions. When we take captive our thoughts we have an opportunity to hear and respond to wrong thinking, judgmentalism, etc.
April 3, 2009 at 9:07 pm
I agree, Phil. I have begun practicing more mindfulness and keeping a gratitude journal. It’s been quite helpful as I’ve wrestled with anxiety etc.
June 12, 2009 at 6:02 am
I wanted to begin with “Dear Dr. Phil” but I’m sure you’ve endured too many bad jokes about it, and I’m concerned that the “real” Dr. Phil might sue you not only for copyright infringement but for being more telegenic!
Like many of your respondents, I think the word “mindfulness” is laden with too much Eastern baggage to be embraced by Western Christianity and culture, and this is genuinely tragic. A new “age of anxiety” seems to be setting in, and our collective inability “to be aware of the present … without being reactive” is clearly having a depressive effect – on our psyches AND our economy.
But I also believe that the mindfulness principle of observing without reacting can easily be reframed (and even improved upon) within JudeoChristian tradition. I have very specific ideas and ambitions on this subject, and if you’re interested I’ll be glad to share them with you and your readership in my next entry.
You have a great website, and an equally great head of hair which, in these last days, is certain to unleash the full apocalyptic wrath of “the real” Dr. Phil. Please consider putting on the full helmet of God!