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MINDFULLIVINGHONORSEXPLORATIONSPRING2016 ClarifyingMuddyPointsfromLectureofFebruary12,2016 Thanksforyourfeedbackonthelecture. Therewerethreeitemsthatwereidentifiedbymorethanonepersonasa“muddiest point:” • Flow(5people) • Buddhismandrelatedconcepts(4people) • Detailsofthedifferentdefinitionsofmindfulness,howtheycompareandcontrast, andwhoproposedwhatdefinition(4people) I’llprovidebriefattemptstoclarifyeachofthese.Feelfreetofollowupwithmore questionsasyourinterestsdictate. Flow Flowisanexperiencethatoccurswhenindividualsareveryfocused,productive,and creative.Theyaresoabsorbedintheirworkthatnothingelseseemstomatter;itfeels goodtoworkandcreate. Flowshareswithmindfulnessthefocusofsustainedconcentration,andIhypothesizethat individualswhohavebetter-developedmindfulnessaremorelikelytoexperienceflow. However,flowisalsodifferentfrommindfulnessinthatmindfulnessisaboutbeingopento experienceasitarises,withnoparticularoutcomeasagoal.Incontrast,flowarisesfrom activityorientedtowardachievingspecificgoals. ThoseinterestedinexploringmoremightconsidercheckingoutProfessor Csikszentmihalyi’sTEDtalkasanintro: https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow?language=en Thisonehasover3Millionviews! Buddhism IshouldmakeitveryclearthatIamnoexpertonBuddhism.I’vedonealittlereadingand wantedtogiveyouafeelforthereligious/culturaltraditionfromwhichmostconceptsof mindfulnesssprang. SomeoftheconceptsofBuddhismImentionedseemverydifferentfromtheworldview withwhichmostofuswhohavegrownupintheUnitedStatesarefamiliar.IhopeIcan clarifytheseconceptsalittlebetterforyou. Perhapsyouwillfinditinterestingtonote,inanon-judgingway,thatthesearenewand unfamiliarideas;exploretheideas,andhowyoureacttothem,asyouwill. Forexample,theideathatourmindissimultaneouslyapartofusandapartfromus seemscontradictory.IntheBuddhisttradition,suchcontradictionsandparadoxesare viewedaspartofthehumanconditionthat,atacertainpoint,cannotbesolvedorclarified. Notingormeditatingonsuchparadoxesdoesn’tnecessarilyclarifythembutcanopenup insightsintowhatitmeanstobehuman. Ifyouareinterested,Imightbeabletohelpyoufindfurtherresourcesthatyoucould exploreifyouwouldliketolearnmoreaboutBuddhism. Differentdefinitionsofmindfulnessbydifferentthinkers IhopethathavingtheactualPowerPointslidesavailablemighthelphere(Theslidesare availableinanotherhandout).Again,myideainthislecturewastogiveyouaflavorofhow mindfulnesshasmanyaspects,andhowdifferentpeopleemphasizedifferentaspects—not toprovideadefinitiveoverviewofthe“correct”definitionofmindfulness. ThemostobviouscontrastisbetweenProfessorLanger’sapproach,whichismore cognitiveandgoal-directed,andthosemorecloselyconnectedwiththeBuddhisttradition, whichIwouldcharacterizeasemphasizingexperiencingovergoalattainment. Iinviteyoutoexplorethedifferentapproachestomindfulnessyoufindinterestingor useful.Youmightdiscoverthatatdifferenttimes,yourexperienceofmindfulmoments seemstofitdifferentdefinitions.Or,thatyourappreciationofwhatitmeanstobemindful changesanddeepensovertime,andthateachdefinitioncapturessomethingofwhatyou experience.Or,ifyoudecideyoureallywanttobeanexpertonmindfulness,youwilllearn allthedifferentapproachesanddevelopyourownintegratedunderstandingonboththe conceptualandexperientiallevels. Don’thesitatetocontactmeifyouhavefollowupquestions.
