Mindfulness is meditation on reality, not supernatural illusion

After more than forty years of daily meditation I've realized that mindfulness is the way I want to meditate.

I'm no longer interested in withdrawing from the world via repeating a mantra, or focusing on some spiritual "eye center" that supposedly is the gateway to supernatural realms of reality. That used to appeal to me. No longer.

Because reality is a horrible thing to waste.

Sure, what's inside my head, my brain, that's real. But mental cognizing, no matter how refined or ethereal, is a different order of reality from what mindfulness focuses on.

What is present, right here, right now. Not a fantasized future or remembered past.

Mindfulness isn't about walking down interior psychic corridors filled with theological speculation, spiritual imagination, and faith-based anticipation. It's about embracing reality as it is, not as how we'd like it to be.

Usually I find guided meditations irritating. But the three-minute video below appealed to me. Probably because it doesn't involve imagination ("picture yourself watching ocean waves from a warm beach..."), just whatever is present, right here, right now.

 

The video comes courtesy of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, which says it is about "Preventing Depression and Enhancing Human Potential by Combining Modern Science with Ancient Wisdom." 

Thumbs up to that.

If meditation can't be shown to be good for something, other than making meditators feel "I'm doing something good," it is pretty much worthless. Here's another video from the Centre where the science of mindfulness is described.

 

Having practiced a much more mystically inclined form of meditation for many years, I understand the attraction of feeling like you're on the verge of entering into a realm of the cosmos far removed (and far superior) to everyday physical existence.

But here's the thing: wherever you go, that's where you are. (Ooh, great book title! Too bad it's taken.)

If you're in your bedroom, meditating, that's where you are. If you're at the right hand of God, meditating, that's where you are. Great. Be mindfully aware of where you actually are. Sitting in your bedroom, imagining you're at the right hand of God -- that isn't mindfulness. It's imagination'ness.

I like how researchers have shown that mindfulness practices provide genuine benefits.

One intriguing area of research is being carried out with United States Marines. If mindfulness is an aid in extremely stressful combat situations, it sure seems like it should work in dealing with the milder anxieties and worries of everyday life.

Stanley, who is also involved in studies for the Army, said the techniques can help warfighters think more clearly under fire when they are often forced to make quick decisions that could mean life or death, and help them reset their nervous systems after being in combat.

Maj. Gen. Melvin Spiese said he was convinced after looking at the scientific research and then taking the course.

While teaching troops to shoot makes them a better warfighter, teaching mindfulness makes them a better person by helping them to decompress, which could have lasting effects, he said.

"As we see the data supports it, it makes perfect sense that this is what we should be doing," said the 58-year-old outgoing general, sitting in his office adorned with pictures of war and a 1903 rifle. "It's like doing pushups for the brain."

Last year I wrote "Why mindfulness is better than concentration." I explained why focusing on one thing isn't as beneficial, either practically or spiritually, as being open to whatever.

That's how I feel, at least. To me, mindfulness is more authentic than other forms of meditation. Check out my "Mindfulness is better than 'spiritual' meditation."

Comments

[Scott]

Very true. Mindfulness meditation was not rescued from religiousness and "supernatural illusion" -- it never contained those elements as taught by Siddartha ("Buddha").

As hard as you are on religion, Brian, it seems you are lashing out at the particular brand of superstition you once practiced, and lumping all spiritual endeavor into the same superstitious, useless lump.

Nevertheless, as you have noted several times, neuroscience is just now coming to terms with the meaning of the idea of there being no internal, physical locus of the self. The self, a scientist would say, is an emergent property of the body/mind complex. Congratulations! Buddhism already knew all about it through the practice of mindfulness meditation.

Superstition is useless; but all spirituality is not based on superstition. There is at least one spiritual path that does not lead to self-delusion; it is a good idea to avail yourself of that ancient technology of mindfulness.

[cc]

"There is at least one spiritual path that does not lead to self-delusion; it is a good idea to avail yourself of that ancient technology of mindfulness."

A "path" can be a pathology. Mindfulness isn't achieved or arrived at by going this way or that. It's simply stopping in your tracks and attending to what is. There's nothing "spiritual" about it.

[Scott]

cc, I stand corrected. There is, indeed, nothing "spiritual" about it.

[Sita]

It is as spiritual as one feels it.

What IS spiritual(ity)?

What is NOT spiriual(ity)?

I find mindfulness very spiritual because one can't fake things.
One finds ,feels, experiences what IS there in the moment.
I find that very spiritual.

Or is that a word not to be used?
Same with the word God or should we say Cosmos or Universe or the Unknowing or Creator or Nothingness or Everythingness
Emptiness or Fulness?
Or beginning or Shabd or Space or Wholeness
or Big Bang?

It is also what we give at the words we use.

In Buddhism vipassana they say we have no soul.
But he, we have Buddha nature.What is the difference?

Or we call it Conciousness.

Same with Ego or self ore Self..
self as little self and/or Self The Self..

Or waves ..

Ore........

That makes everything easy,no words ;)

But experiences..

Nice I can say this in words..everything is a contradiction..everything has many sides many meanings many interpretations..

[Kathleen Suneja]

Hi there! I’m quite sure that I have something that I can connect and interject, my book is about relevant lessons from my journey towards self-realization. Tried and tested by my activism during my grassroots movement to uphold democracy, I realized that the vigor of my convictions and capacity to uphold freedom was driven by my belief in my inner being. My strong sense of my personal responsibility to protect individual freedom led me to explore and test my inner capacity to sustain the spirit of freedom. I daresay, I launched a democracy movement in order to test my inner capacity to realize my ability to protect what is owed and natural to me in my body, mind, spirit and soul. The desire to be free is a soul searching self-realization.
Our advocacy is to promote change for the better through self-realization we express the natural genius and open our minds to feel the flow of life energy as it courses through us. By experiencing the life form in its true creative genius we connect to our body, mind and spirit as it was meant to be. The learning from our inner experience in meditation allows us to know who we are. In meditation, we reevaluate life and are inspire ourselves to experience more fully our best selves.
Help us, visit our website at http://www.iamthechangeiseek.org and also http://www.goodreads.com/kathleensuneja
Thank you and have a great day!

[Tim]

To understand the essence of the nature of reality is something so simple, obvious and natural that scientists, psychologists, academics, scholars and philosophers miss it in droves.