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How Is Mindfulness Meditation Related To The Big Bang Theory?

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big bang

During a mindfulness meditation recently I had the insight that the meditation experience is in many ways parallel to the scientific theory of the Big Bang. The scientific theory of the Big Bang also parallels a number of ancient meditative and contemplative traditions as to how the universe was formed. Before I describe what I noticed in my meditation here is a definition of the scientific Big Bang theory as it presently stands.

“The Big Bang is a scientific theory about how the universe started, and then made the stars and galaxies we see today. The Big Bang is the name that scientists use for the most common theory of the universe from the very early stages to the present day.

The universe began as a very hot, small, and dense superforce (the mix of the four fundamental forces), with no stars, atoms, form, or structure (called a “singularity”). Then about 13.8 billion years ago space expanded very quickly (thus the name “Big Bang”). This started the formation of atoms, which eventually led to the formation of stars and galaxies. It was Georges LeMaitre who first noted (in 1927) that an expanding universe could be traced back in time to an originating single point. The universe is still expanding today, and getting colder as well.”

During my meditation I had the feeling that all of my energy was being gathered and concentrated into my body and that it was in a state of potential action. During meditation I also got the feeling of stillness and silence. Combined with this energy it felt like the next step was to do something with it. When I finished the meditation that focused, silent and still energy stayed with me and I realized that it was up to me to take that energy and create things with it. It was at that moment that I saw the parallel between the original point of energy in the Big Bang exploding out to create universes and the focused energy created during meditation being the driving force that helps us create things in our lives. I concluded that this is the main purpose of mindfulness meditation practice.

I now have a useful paradigm for how mindfulness meditation works as the primary driver for getting things done.

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Is The Formal Practice Of Mindful Meditation Enough?

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wooden steps leading down

Practicing mindful meditation on a regular basis is a necessary part of transforming your life through mindfulness. It provides the necessary training to remain present during times of stillness and silence. Stillness and silence are the two great teachers and connecting with them in the present moment will yield lifelong benefits that will energize and inform the rest of your life. People have discovered this over thousands of years of experience and now science is providing us with the answers as to why.

I’ve noticed over many years that there can be a tendency to overdo meditation. It’s an interesting phenomenon because the first impulse is to think that this is something that can’t be overdone, the more the better. I’ve discovered that this is not true and this remains as one of the major misconceptions about meditation. It’s true that after some practice we feel really good during meditation but I’ve noticed that this good feeling can actually become addictive at which time meditation, even mindfulness meditation, becomes an escape, a way to disconnect from what might be an unhappy life. So how do we avoid this situation?

The key to avoiding over meditating is to balance it with bringing the mindfulness practice into all activity. It is very important to build a bridge between the formal mindfulness meditation practice and everyday activity. I like to end each meditation with two or three minutes of meditating with my eyes open so as to give me a feeling for bringing this level of attention into the rest of my day. I find that it allows for a seamless transition. Next, I like to bring that present moment attention into all my activities especially, eating, walking communicating, exercising all five senses and exercising the body. Everything is fair game including the “small” stuff like brushing the teeth. This approach will guard against over emphasis on meditating and bring balance into your practice.

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Autism and Mindfulness

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autism spectrum

I was recently contacted by the Director of Autism and Brain Aging Laboratory at Arizona State University https://sites.google.com/a/asu.edu/braden-aba-lab/  to consult with them about using MBSR, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program as an intervention for adults with Autism. They have already done a successful pilot program and are looking to further their studies. I may teach some classes and consult with the laboratory on the mindfulness intervention research. It makes perfect sense to me that MBSR is an effective intervention with this group.

Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder that affects functioning in multiple areas. Recent studies show that autism is often accompanied by other psychiatric problems, including depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, inattention and distress. Evidence points to depression being the most common psychiatric disorder seen in autism (Ghaziuddin et al., 2002). Especially adults with a relatively high cognitive ability tend to develop symptoms of depression, possibly because they are more aware ofexpectations of the outside world and their inability to meet those expectations.

An important aspect related to depression and distress in people with autism is the tendency to ruminate. This can be described as having repetitive thoughts, a process which is very difficult to stop. Adults with autism, for instance, often lay awake at night, pondering about the events of the day, analyzing them in detail. The tendency of people with autism to ruminate appears related to the detailed information processing style that characterizes autism.

Many studies have shown MBSR to be an effective intervention for all of these psychological problems and much more. I’m glad that it is now being offered to the adult Autism population. It will no doubt result in a higher quality of life for them.

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Mindfulness In The Schools

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children in school

From 1998-2000 I designed and delivered a mindfulness in the schools’ program which I called the Attention Academy. I delivered it to classes in the first, second and third grades in a Scottsdale, Arizona school as part of a research program at Arizona State University school of Social Work. It was subsequently published in the Journal of Applied School Psychology in 2005 and became a seminal study which helped to spread the word around the world of the many benefits of training children in mindfulness.

My focus has been pre-K-12 with the idea of introducing mindfulness at an early age and re enforcing it throughout school days. Many of my associates have expanded the concept beyond pre-K-12 and are teaching mindfulness in the college setting as a 3-credit full semester elective. Universities are now offering Masters level programs in mindfulness with Doctoral level programs beginning to appear as well.

I find young children to be quick learners of mindfulness with the learning curve being substantially shorter than adults. The benefits are plentiful and go beyond increasing performance in school to becoming well adjusted people adept at social interaction.

My work with children continues as a Board member at www.innerexplorer.org where I also advise on curriculum. We have been very successful at bringing mindfulness to schools and at this writing are now reaching almost one million children a year with growth reaching exponential levels.

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Mindfulness Meets Technology Stress

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cell phone

I’ve been reading a lot of studies and articles lately that talk about the negative health effects of technology. Cell phones seem to be the recipient of most of the wrath being doled out in these reports primarily because of the dangers of texting and driving but also because of the tendency to become addicted to the behaviors that drive us to using technology in this way. Other devices such as computers and tablets also fall into the category of technology that is creating unhealthy behaviors. There are a lot of reasons why technology is ripe for blame in creating unhealthy behavior. It has opened the door to a myriad of possibilities and has created an avenue of excitement for everyone who uses it. The excitement factor is usually the element that creates the health problems associated with our use of technology.

There has been discussion over the last few years about our attraction and subsequent addiction to adrenaline and excitement. It can be argued that the media and companies recognize this addiction and gear products to creating and then satisfying this adrenaline/excitement addiction. This is a problem that is tied closely together with stress and the fight or flight response. There is a tendency in people around the world to be susceptible to actually getting stuck in the fight or flight mode for extended periods of time…sometimes even years. One of the many results of this phenomenon is the overproduction and subsequent attachment to adrenaline. Since adrenaline produces excitement, we end up looking for other ways to sustain the excitement when our supply of adrenaline wanes. Technology is ripe for stimulating and sustaining the adrenaline effect.

The important thing to remember is that stress and fight or flight is dependent solely on our relationship to events in our lives, not the events. That being understood brings us to the realization that technology has nothing to do with creating stress. We need to develop a new healthy relationship with technology that will allow us to use it constructively. I know of no better approach to accomplish this than the practice of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program. Mindfulness practice allows us to create healthy new behaviors and relationships. This has been documented in over 3000 studies and continues to be the gold standard in reducing stress and creating new healthy perspectives in our lives.

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Mindfulness Retreats

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retreats

We just finished leading a 3-day Mindfulness intensive retreat based on the 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program pioneered by Jon Kabat- Zinn. Retreats have become very popular in the last few years and for good reason. I have found that retreats serve many functions. If you already have a regular mindfulness practice a retreat can serve as an impetus to deepen your practice further. Even experienced practitioners have “dry spells” where their practice seems stale and not going anywhere. A retreat can serve as a way of breaking that stale pattern and expanding the boundaries of your practice. Not only is the sustained practice of a retreat helpful but the interaction of a group helps to stimulate new ways of experiencing things. This retreat wasn’t silent but even a silent retreat stimulates new ways of seeing simply by interacting with everyone’s practice.

If you are a relative beginner a 3-day retreat of this nature is also beneficial. It provides the understanding of the process as well as ample time to learn the core practices and understand how to make mindfulness a 24×7 experience. We had beginners, intermediate and advanced practitioners and the interaction between everyone was very helpful. It gave everyone a glimpse of what was, what is and what will be. In so doing it provided a road map for the full spectrum of experience along the path of mindfulness practice. This kind of insight provides a strong foundation for building a practice that can sink deep roots into one’s being. These deep roots will provide the impetus and motivation to continue practicing for the long term.

I like the 3-day retreat format as it is accessible to many people. Shorter retreats are valuable but have limited impact. Longer retreats are great too but not as accessible to as many people. If a longer retreat is accessible to you then it too can be a valuable addition to your mindfulness practice. The opportunity for sustained practice and interaction with like minded people is invaluable to deepening your practice and enhancing your life.

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Can Mindfulness Help Those With PTSD

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PTSD brain

Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as: “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
Many people who go through traumatic events have difficulty adjusting and coping for a while, but they don’t have PTSD — with time and good self-care, they usually get better. But if the symptoms get worse or last for months or even years and interfere with your functioning, you may have PTSD.
Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function.”
To me the main factor involved in PTSD is the issue of getting stuck in fight or flight. There are a lot of reasons for this and among them are genetics and social and environmental factors that can predispose us to the situation. It seems to have reached epidemic proportions worldwide and at it’s core it is fueled by fear. When we go into fight or flight and then the autonomic nervous system gets stuck in the sympathetic mode(fight or flight) we experience the fear associated with the survival instinct for extended periods of time. Fight or flight is all about survival and the most effective strategy in survival is to produce extreme fear which then serves as the prime motivator to survive. The body cooperates by shifting into a gear that allows us to mobilize ourselves to increase our chances of survival. The fear is very specific and since it is connected to survival it is the fear of dying. It is a very positive strategy when used temporarily in necessary situations but becomes a problem when the nervous system gets stuck in that mode and continues to generate degrees of the fear and corresponding physical, mental and emotional changes. This can go on for years and symptoms can vary greatly but when the symptoms are extreme as defined by the Mayo Clinic we call it PTSD. The truth is that real or imagined situations can produce this condition.
Mindfulness meditation deals with PTSD in a very specific and effective way. The main coping mechanism for going into fight or flight is our ability to disconnect from the present moment by disconnecting from ourselves…meaning our bodies/emotions/thoughts. It’s a very effective way of protecting ourselves from the anticipated pain and suffering that we assume will be coming our way from a survival situation, real or imagined. The problem arises when due to getting stuck in fight or flight we also get stuck in the disconnection strategy. As long as we are disconnected the body assumes there is danger and remains in fight or flight. When we reconnect the body assumes the danger is over and comes out of fight or flight leaving the fear behind. Mindfulness meditation is the process of reconnecting. In mindfulness meditation practice we pay attention very specifically to our physical sensations, thoughts emotions and breath in the present moment. We actually reverse the very same phenomena that occurs when we disconnect to protect ourselves. In so doing, we sound the all clear message to the mind/body which then proceeds to take us out of fight or flight and back into balance. From there mindfulness affords us the opportunity to more fully appreciate and experience our lives.

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Using Mindfulness As A Tool To Build Self-Confidence

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confidence clock

Mindfulness is one of the best ways to develop true self confidence. I’m talking about being self confident versus acting self confident. I’ve seen a lot of seminars that will teach you how to behave “as if” you are self confident but ignore developing the inner qualities that project the true energy of self confidence. We can sense when someone has this self confidence and when they are just pretending….and it has nothing to do with behavior. The dictionary defines self confidence as “A feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities, and judgment. “ Let’s examine how we can develop this quality and what role meditation can play in helping us develop it.

I have discovered through my own mindfulness meditation practice that my self confidence has increased. I notice that there is a direct relationship between my fear levels and my self confidence. In order to truly have a feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities, and judgment one must have the level of self awareness that informs us that there is nothing to fear. Once that lens of fear is removed we are able to see clearly and function at levels of competence that put us in a peak performance mode. Our energy increases and our ability to put that energy to good use is magnified as our fear levels go down resulting in a natural rise in self confidence.

Mindfulness has been my greatest tool for reducing fear and there have been a number of studies published around this subject that come to the same conclusion. The relationship of mindfulness meditation to stress reduction has been well documented and since fear exists as the predominant experience in stress it makes perfect sense that mindfulness is a very effective tool in lowering fear and thereby raising self confidence.

In conclusion it is important to briefly discuss the concept of human potential. When the fear goes away what is left? What is the true nature of the human experience? Human nature is a multi faceted thing. Once we tip the scales away from fear we have the capacity to bring out all of the positive qualities such as kindness, compassion, gratitude, love, connection, forgiveness and so forth. When we experience these qualities and express them outwardly we are embracing true self confidence which flows naturally and effortlessly from within. Our potential to move in this direction is always present. All we have to do is cultivate it and it will continue to unfold.

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Mindfulness And Leadership

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leadership street sign

I recently read an article on business leadership by Susan Ward and part of what she said was “What is leadership? A simple definition is that leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. In a business setting, this can mean directing workers and colleagues with a strategy to meet the company’s needs”.

“This leadership definition captures the essentials of being able to inspire others and being prepared to do so. Effective leadership is based upon ideas (whether original or borrowed), but won’t happen unless those ideas can be communicated to others in a way that engages them enough to act as the leader wants them to act”.

“Put even more simply, the leader is the inspiration and director of the action. He or she is the person in the group that possesses the combination of personality and leadership skills that makes others want to follow his or her direction”

I’ve seen definitions of leadership like this not just in business but in all fields of human behavior. I agree 100% with this perspective under traditional guidelines but find myself wondering what mindfulness has to say about all this.

Upon inner reflection I have come to recognize that being a mindful person has everything to do with becoming one’s “authentic” self. The authentic self has found it’s natural flow in life and interacts with a sense of ease. People may or may not consciously recognize this in someone but on some level it is recognized and admired by everyone and called leadership. Someone who is not in their authentic self can recognize these positive qualities in someone else and in some way seeks to emulate and embrace these same qualities so becomes a “follower” of the leader.

The irony is that someone who is truly expressing their authentic self shies away from creating followers and instead encourages others to become their own authentic leader. A truly mindful person recognizes that it is counter productive to have people following them and discourages it in. Therefore since a leader must have followers by definition, and since a mindful person will discourage followers, leadership to a mindful person needs re defining. In mindfulness there are no leaders and followers, just people expressing themselves from their authentic selves. Connect with your inner voice and actions and there will be no need for leaders and followers.

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