Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness has been described as a process of bringing a certain quality of attention to moment-by-moment experience and as a combination of the self-regulation of attention with an attitude of curiosity, openness, and acceptance toward one's experiences. 98 Mindfulness meditations, the core practice of Vipassana meditation, have been incorporated into several clinically-based meditation therapies.

76The capacity to evoke mindfulness is developed using various meditation techniques that originated in Buddhist spiritual practices; 99 however, general descriptions of mindfulness vary from investigator to investigator and there is no consensus on the defining components or processes.98 Mindfulness approaches are not considered relaxation or mood management techniques, 98 and once learned may be cultivated during many kinds of activities.

Mindfulness increases the chances that any activity one is engaged in will result in an expanded perspective and understanding of oneself.76 in a state of mindfulness, thoughts and feelings are observed on par with objects of sensory awareness, and without reacting to them in an automatic, habitual way. 98, 99 Thus, mindfulness allows a person to respond to situations reflectively rather than impulsively.

98 Mindfulness meditation practices include the traditional Vipassana, and Zen meditation and the clinically-based techniques MBSR and MBCT. Of the four practices described below, the last two, MBSR and MBCT have standardized techniques (i.e., the techniques have been described systematically in manuals and are relatively invariant wherever, whenever, and by whomever they are taught).

Clinically Standardized Meditation

CSM was developed by Patricia Carrington while she was conducting studies on meditation at Princeton University in the early-to-mid 1970s. Believing that TM® was not flexible enough to be suitable for all clinical purposes and that the cost of its instruction put it beyond the reach of most individuals and institutions, Carrington modified a classical Indian form of mantra meditation and produced what she called CSM.64

Main components:

Trainees are instructed to choose a mantra from a list of 16 Sanskrit mantras, or choose their own. In choosing their own mantra, practitioners are told to select a word that has a “pleasant ringing sound” and to avoid using words that are emotionally loaded. The word should help imbue the practitioner with a sense of serenity. 64In its original formulation, CSM used a secular ritual for transferring the mantra. CSM is practiced while sitting comfortably, with eyes open and focused on a pleasant object of some kind. The mantra is repeated aloud, slowly and rhythmically, at ever decreasing volume, until it is a whisper, at which point the mantra is no longer said aloud, but instead is only thought. The eyes are then closed as the mediator continues repeating the mantra in thought. Mediators allow the mantra to proceed at its own pace, getting faster or slower, louder or softer “as it wants.” 64, 97

Breathing:

Breathing is passive, proceeding at its own pace and is unconnected to the repetition of the mantra. Attention and its object. Like TM® and RR, CSM is a passive technique that requires little concentration or discipline. In contrast to RR, CSM instructs practitioners to flow with their thoughts rather than ignore them, returning periodically to the mantra. 

Spirituality and belief:

CSM is designed as a secular, clinical form of meditation practice, so no specific system of spirituality or belief is required.

Training:

CSM is taught in two lessons: a 1-hour individual lesson and a group meeting.

CSM is practiced twice daily for 20 minutes. 64 As with RR, the contemporary version of CSM differs slightly from its original form, with perhaps the most important difference being that trainees are given a manual and an audio recording of instructions rather than individual instruction.64

Criteria of successful meditation practice:

The criteria for successful meditation practice rest with the subjective evaluation of the mediator, the results of practice judged against the reported effects of CSM. Books and audiotapes for self-instruction in CSM are readily available, and there is no explicit statement that an experienced practitioner teach the technique or that individualized instruction is necessary.