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Buddhist mindfulness
practices in contemporary
psychology: A paradox of
incompatibility and harmony.
Presented by Malcolm Huxter, Clinical psychologist. Lismore,
NSW Australia. [email protected] www.malhuxter.com
The mismatch


There is a mismatch between the way
mindfulness is understood and practiced in
in contemporary psychology and the way it
is understood and practiced within the
teachings of the Buddha.
Fortunately, the practitioners of both
approaches are flexible enough to adapt
and integrate. Harmony exists.
Realising the mismatch


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About 13 years ago I wanted to use MBSR
in research with Mental Health
populations.
MBSR was not most optimal.
Important components of training were not
in accordance with the way I had learnt
these practices.
Honouring the teachings

To teach in a way that was not consistent
with my training would not be providing
participants of programs with the best and
most comprehensive training.
Primary concern


Mindfulness practices in contemporary
psychology is commonly understood as
something separate from its cultural,
historical, social and theoretical contexts.
This separation and reduction, in my
opinion, detracted from the potential for its
application.
Aim of presentation

To demonstrate how bringing mindfulness
more overtly back into a context of ethics
and wisdom not only enhances its use in
the clinical setting but it also provides
meaning and direction to therapy.
Contemporary Psychology

Grounded in scientific materialism where
empirical data that is most valuable is that
which is 3rd person, objective, measureable
and repeatable.
The psychology of Buddha

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Also based on empirical enquiry, but the
objects of enquiry are experiences which
are not often amenable to objective
measurement.
Emphasizes first person (subjective),
personal enquiry.
A path of wisdom, ethics and meditation is
not accepted by contemporary scientifically
based psychologists as a valid
psychological framework
Incompatibilities continued
In contemporary psychology (CP) consciousness is
mostly seen as an emergent property of the brain
where changes are only observable by measuring
changes in brain or behaviour.
In the psychology of the Buddha consciousness is
not solely dependent on the brain but is an
interdependent continuum that can observe and
know itself.
Differences in the practice of
mindfulness


In CP mindfulness is mostly considered as
a form of present moment, nonjudgemental bare attention or awareness
which is ethically neutral.
In psychology of the Buddha, mindfulness
is linked with ethics and wisdom in the
context of the eight fold path.
The eightfold path
Wisdom
1.Right view
or understanding
2.Right intention
Cultivation (meditation)
6.Right effort or energy.
7.Right mindfulness.
8.Right concentration or
unification.
Ethics
3.Right speech
4.Right action
5.Right livelihood
The eight fold healing path


Involves cultivating that which is helpful or
wholesome and
Letting go, abandoning, short circuiting or
extinguishing that which is unhelpful or
unwholesome.
Mindfulness: a traditional approach


A combination of circumspection,
discernment and retention (satisampajañña).
According to Bhikkhu Bodhi mindfulness
is “to remember to pay attention to what is
occurring in one’s immediate experience
with care and discernment”
Ethics and wisdom
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Ethics involves the types of speech, actions and
livelihood that are not harmful and are conducive
to long term well-being and happiness for oneself
and others.
Wisdom involves understanding, seeing things
(insight) and then making clear intentions to act
ethically.
For a Buddhist therapist, ethics and wisdom are
the fundamental foundations and directions of all
that is therapeutic.
Dislodging mindfulness from the
eight fold path
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The reductionist approach to mindfulness
that is common in CP has distilled it from
the eight fold context of wisdom and
ethics.
In CP, ethics is often only implied and
mostly hidden (e.g ACT involves valuesimportant life directions and Workabilitythat which works towards reducing
suffering and increasing meaning).
Ethics

When ethics is not important then
mindfulness can be reduced to a technique
to feel a bit better without addressing the
underlying causes of suffering, thus
detracting from valuable therapeutic
opportunities.
Wisdom
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When CP approaches to mindfulness do
not include mention of remembering and
discernment, the link to wisdom becomes
clouded.
A failure to remember lessons from the
past and our direction for the future renders
the role of wisdom, the discernment about
what is helpful and unhelpful, meaningless.
Jessi
• Long term mental health client. Mixed diagnoses
over time: Schizo-affective disorder, PTSD,
Borderline etc. Regular presentations for
“counselling.”
• Drunken episode with claims that she sexually
molested a married female friend.
• Jessi confused about the relationship, and
entangled in ruminative thoughts of guilt.
• At risk of spiralling into a psychotic episode.
Intervention
• Good rapport. Listened to her story
• Walking meditation to draw attention away from
ruminative thoughts and stop feeding them.
• Explored how actions have consequences. No
mention of Buddhism.
• Suggested five trainings for happiness (5 precepts).
• Suggested remembering to be attentive to unhelpful
urges and choose not to follow them .
• Suggested remembering aspirations of happiness and
interpersonal harmony.
Outcomes
• Jessi did not descend into a psychotic episode.
• Jessi took delight in her ethical decisions to cut
back on alcohol and also respect relationship
boundaries.
• Jessi still vulnerable to relapse, but the
wellbeing experienced increased the possibility
she would act wisely in the future.
Harmony
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Despite their theoretical incompatibilities,
we find significant cross fertilization
between Buddhism and contemporary
psychology.
JKZinn is now overt about the importance
of the connections of mindfulness with the
eight fold path.
Many third wave therapists attend Buddhist
retreats.
Harmony
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ACT highlights the importance of using
mindfulness within a context.
Many Buddhist therapists also teach
MBSR/MBCT and use DBT and ACT
because they are very practical and
beneficial for clinical presentations.
Harmony

The harmonious integration between CP
and Buddhism is increasing as practitioners
from both sides explore concepts and
viewpoints which may be beyond the
boundaries of their usual paradigm.
Conclusion

Even though there are some basic
incompatibilities between Buddhism and
contemporary scientific psychology,
differences can be resolved through the
power of compassion and a mutual
yearning to find freedom from suffering