#377 Meeting Basic Psychological Needs Promotes Inherent Growth Tendencies

     "Motivation is having the energy or desire to do an action. The degree to which an individual’s psychological needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness are being met within any performance context will determine if that person is motivated or unmotivated to perform the task(s) at hand. When a performance context facilitates the fulfillment of basic needs, that need fulfillment engenders intrinsic motivation, or autonomous types of extrinsic motivation, toward a task or performance. These self-determined types of motivation, because they involve voluntary & persistent effort toward a task, help to ensure successful outcomes. The successful outcomes lead to renewed need fulfillment, more self-determined motivation, and continued success of outcomes, all of which lead to psychological well-being. If the needs are not met, an individual will not achieve psychological well-being.

     Self-determination theory (SDT) is concerned with human motivation. The theory examines people’s inherent growth tendencies and innate psychological needs, which are posited to be the foundations of self-motivation. Understanding the circumstances that bring about positive motivation is the focal point of the theory. SDT is based on the assumption that humans, with their innate psychological needs, seek challenges in an effort to master their environments. 
     To understand the reasons why people participate in any activity, according to SDT, it is important to distinguish among a variety of types of motivation. The theory proposes that there is a continuum of human self-determination (or choice) regarding the things that we do. Along this linear continuum, various types of motivation can be described. At the far left of the linear continuum is amotivation, which is the lack of an intention to act. At the far right end of the continuum is intrinsic motivation, which refers to doing an activity for the inherent satisfaction of the activity itself. Four types of extrinsic motivation lie between amotivation and intrinsic motivation, which is at the far right side of the continuum.
     The first type of extrinsic motivation is external regulation. This is the least self-determined, or the least autonomous, of the externally regulated behaviors, in which actions are performed to satisfy external demands. The next type of extrinsic motivation is introjected regulation, which involves behaving so as to avoid guilt or to enhance one’s ego. Identified regulation is a self-determined, or autonomous, form of extrinsic motivation in which the person identifies with the personal importance of a behavior. Integrated regulation is the most self-determined form of extrinsic motivation. It operates when behaviors are most congruent with an individual’s values and needs."
       Ballmann JM, Mueller JJ. Using self-determination theory to describe the academic motivation of allied health professional-level college students. J Allied Health 2008; 37(2): 90-6.

     For more details about SDT, search for Ryan RM on: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/

Galatia N   www.dpreview.com

 

#376 Embracing Our One Precious Life

     People commonly mistake meditation practice for self-hypnosis - a way to escape real life by going into a trance & hang out in "a happy place".

     But meditation is the exact opposite of escaping reality. Meditation is a gentle way of waking up, with eyes, mind & heart wide open, and embracing reality every bit of it - joys, sorrows, as well as regular daily aspects - "the full catastrophe". To give our real life a grizzly-bear hug with a thundering 'YES!' from every cell in our body.

     So we should be aware of the "temptation, and inherent danger, of focusing exclusively on the positive aspects of self-development, whilst ignoring the challenges, struggles and losses which were also part of the growth process. Even the field of positive psychology acknowledges that nobody is happy all the time, that subjective well being is a mixture of both positive affect and negative affect and that whilst profound personal growth may occur during adulthood, it is often preceded by adversity or trauma. ... a psychological account which can embrace these contrasting aspects of change could enhance our understanding of the processes of growth." 

       Mercer J. Exploring the processes of self-development encountered by adult returners to higher education: A lifespan psychology perspective. Psychology Teaching Review 2010; 16(1): 24-36.

#375 Self-development, Self-knowledge, Wisdom & Overcoming Self-centeredness

     "Quests for self-realization, self-actualization, maturity, & autonomy, and even the quest for wisdom might initially be motivated by a desire for a stron­ger self, yet it is precisely through the process of self-development & self­ knowledge that people start to realize the illusory nature of the phenomenal self. 

     The self is not a substance, an unchangeable essence, or an "individual," but a construct that is created through social interaction. According to the liberative model of adult development, the self may be thought of as a construct of attachments & aversions, which need to be transcended. Self-transcendence can be achieved through nonattachment, patience, and in particular self-observation and self-knowledge. A person in search of wisdom will eventually come to the realization that what is conven­tionally called the 'self,' the 'I,' or the 'ego' is an illusion that enables one to construct a stable image of oneself. It is the attachment to the self that creates the ego. Through the practice of self-examination, self-reflection, & mindfulness the ego grows quiet, which allows a glimpse into reality beyond the self and consequently results in greater wisdom.

     It should be noted that wise people's selflessness is not equivalent to low self-esteem or low self-confidence. Maslow even maintained that 'the best way to transcend the ego is via having a strong identity'. A dialectical relationship exists between selflessness and self-knowledge insofar that only individuals who know who they are can over­come their self-centeredness."

         Ardelt M. Self-development through selflessness: The paradoxical process of growing wiser. in Wayment HA, Bauer JJ eds. Decade of behavior. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, 2008.

     More from Ardelt's chapter: http://www.johnlovas.com/2013/07/wisdom-awareness-self-transcendence.html

 

#374 Unbinding from "Our" Thoughts and Emotions

     Gradually, with ongoing mindfulness practice, we come to see clearly, directly experiencing, that like all other phenomena, thoughts & emotions arise, abide for a while, then cease. We become increasingly stabilized in observing the impermanent, evanescent nature of all phenomena, that are like birds that suddenly appear in the backyard, land, chirp a few times, then fly away. This includes "our" thoughts & emotions - just transient guests to observe in flight - not to be taken seriously, nor to identify with - these are not who or what we are - not 'I', 'me' or 'mine'.
     This gradual shift in perspective is tremendously freeing, a huge weight off our backs.

     "Can you imagine the possibility of having anxiety and not being anxious about it? Or having depression & not being depressed about it? In other words, can you imaging feeling discomfort without trying to get rid of it? The question is, how do we learn to live in this way? There is no easy answer, but the key is to learn how to welcome – with curiosity – whatever our life is in each moment.”            E. Bayda

Tyne   www.dpreview.com

#373 How Free is our Free Will?

     In the introduction to his short book “Free Will” (Free Press, 2012), Sam Harris writes: 
    “The popular conception of free will seems to rest on two assumptions: 1) that each of us could have behaved differently than we did in the past, and 2) that we are the conscious source of most of our thoughts and actions in the present. As we are about to see, however, both of these assumptions are false. 
     But the deeper truth is that free will doesn’t even correspond to any subjective fact about us – and introspection soon proves as hostile to the idea as the laws of physics are. Seeming acts of volition merely arise spontaneously (whether caused, uncaused, or probabilistically inclined, it makes no difference) and cannot be traced to a point of origin in our conscious minds. A moment or two of serious self-scrutiny, and you might observe that you no more decide the next thought you think than the next thought I write.”

     When we devote no more than the odd moment to contemplate who we are, and how we relate to our environment, Harris is correct, we do remain locked into being thoroughly conditioned by our past history, genetics, etc. Conditioning powerfully, predictably programs specific responses to specific stimuli. Our default mode is indeed primitive conditioned reactivity - we live much (ALL according to Harris) of our lives on autopilot. Sadly, most of us behave based on the complex cocktail of causes & conditions of our past - our future 'set in stone' by our past - with no chance of creatively carving out new, qualitatively better possibilities. 

     The timeless exhortations to "Know Thyself!" and "A Life Unexamined is Not Worth Living" point to the power of conditioning to enslave, BUT ALSO to the fact that there is A WAY OUT of an otherwise pre-programmed, robotic existence.
     Einstein said, "We cannot solve the problems of today at the level of thinking at which they were first created." Since our "normal" level of thinking is conditioned, it cannot solve the problem of conditioning. Contemplative practices such as mindfulness meditation are designed to free us from the prison of conditioning by cultivating a more evolved level of awareness that leads to wisdom.
     "Wisdom is a function of deep insight into, and mature understanding of, the central existential issues of life, together with practical skill in responding to these issues in ways that enhance the deep wellbeing of all those who the responses affect." 
       Walsh R. The varieties of wisdom: Contemplative, cross-cultural, and integral contributions. Research in Human Development 2011; 8(2): 109-127.

eaglevshawk   www.dpreview.com

#372 Direct Perception of the Flow of Experience

     “… healing occurs as we learn to move from the realm of concepts to the world of direct experience. Our mental concepts and ideas about things, about people, objects, or feelings, are static and unchanging. But the reality of experience is an ever-changing river. Direct perception drops beneath the names of things to show us their ephemeral, mysterious nature. When we bring our attention to the direct perception of experience, we become more alive and free.”               Jack Kornfield

#371 Life as Therapy & Therapist

     "Therapeutic alliance is the prototypical common factor shared by nearly all psychotherapies. It is currently understood as involving

          1) an agreement between therapist & patient on the goals of treatment, 

          2) the tasks needed to accomplish those goals, and 

          3) a sense of a personal bond between therapist & patient." 

       Schnur JB, Montgomery GH. A systematic review of therapeutic alliance, group cohesion, empathy, and goal consensus/collaboration in psychotherapeutic interventions in cancer: Uncommon factors? Clin Psychol Rev 2010; 30(2): 238-47. 

     Isn't each one of us learning to become whole, healed, mature, evolved, perhaps even wise? If so, we each need to develop a therapeutic alliance with our life in this world, to 

          1) come to an understanding about the meaning, goal or purpose of our life;
          2) form a reasonable plan to accomplish this; and finally
          3) learn to consciously, open-heartedly embrace the "full catastrophe" - all that life brings us.
 
     "Free Will"? - see: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/07/373-how-free-is-our-free-will.html  

bijan64   www.dpreview.com

#370 Everyone's Doing the Best They Can With What They Have

     How do we understand statements like: "Be kind, for everyone is carrying a heavy load" or "Walk a mile in his shoes"? Can we give ourselves & others a break? This is how mental health professionals understand how we're able to muddle through our challenging life:

     “The synthetic function of the ego refers to the self's capacity to integrate various aspects of its functioning. This function of the ego involves the capacity to unite, organize, and bind together various drives, motives, tendencies, and functions within the personality, enabling the individual to think, feel, and act in an organized and directed manner. Briefly, the synthetic function is concerned with the overall organization and functioning of the ego in the self-system and consequently must enlist the cooperation of other ego and nonego functions in its operation. Although the synthetic function subserves adaptive functioning in the self, it may also bring together various forces in a way that, although not completely adaptive, is an optimal solution for the individual in a particular state at a given moment or period of time. Thus, the formation of a symptom that represents a compromise of opposing tendencies, although unpleasant in some degree, is nonetheless preferable to yielding to a dangerous instinctual impulse or, conversely, trying to stifle the impulse completely. Hysterical conversion, for example, combines a forbidden wish and the punishment for it into a physical symptom. On examination, the symptom often turns out to be the only possible compromise under the circumstances.”

       Meissner WW. Classical Psychoanalysis. in Sadock BJ, Sadock VA, Ruiz P eds. Kaplan & Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry. 9th ed, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009. 

 

Jack Simpson   www.dpreview.com

#369 Ready for Change?

     "According to the transtheoretical model of change readiness for change is represented across a continuum, from 

precontemplation (denial or minimization of a problem),

contemplation (considering making change), 

action (actively engaged in change), and 

maintenance (efforts taken to maintain changes already made)."

       Jakupcak M et al. Readiness for change predicts VA Mental Healthcare utilization among Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. J Trauma Stress 2013; 26(1): 165-8. 

#368 Practicing Meditation Changes How We Relate to Experience

     "the best quality study so far has found a significant positive association between the amount of formal meditation practised during the MBSR course and improvements in symptoms & wellbeing. In addition, based on the theory of Segal et al, higher frequency & duration of mindfulness practice (after the course also) should be associated with more positive outcomes since the ability to switch to a being mode is strengthened by practice.

     ... we would argue that mindfulness practice differs from other health behaviours in that it involves cultivating a different mode of functioning. Thus, it entails not only performing a discrete behaviour but also changing the way in which we relate to our experience. *** One can adopt specific behaviours while remaining within a “doing” mode, whereas to become more mindful entails developing an entirely different “being” mode, which one can enter at any time. Thus, arguably, mindfulness practice is less a health behaviour and more an approach to life."

       Langdon S, Jones FW, Hutton J, Holttum S. A grounded-theory study of mindfulness practice following mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Mindfulness 2011; 2(4): 270-281.

*** See also "Qualities or Attitudes of Mindfulness": http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2012/04/114-qualities-or-attitudes-of.html

Gandalfthewhite   www.dpreview.com

 

#367 Discovering & Manifesting our Innate Goodness & Wisdom

     “We do not have to improve ourselves; we just have to let go of what blocks our heart. When our heart is free from the contractions of fear, anger, grasping, & confusion, the spiritual qualities we have tried to cultivate manifest in us naturally. They are our true nature, and they spontaneously shine in our consciousness whenever we let go of the rigid structures of our identity.”               Jack Kornfield

     "Spirituality" (like "faith" & "religion") have a checkered history. Currently, in healthcare, attempts are being made to engage the valuable (while avoiding the divisive) aspects of these universally potent paradigms.
     See: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2012/10/critical-spirituality-is-way-of-naming.html
     and: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2013/02/spirituality-in-health-care_28.html
       and: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2012/03/faith.html 

Frenchfx   www.dpreview.com

#366 Invitation to Live Life Fully - "Be All that You Can Be"

     We have a "… diminished view of ourselves as isolated, as separate, as inadequate, as that which so often leads us in fear to ... keep 'the fullness of life at bay while we negotiate our way into a safe, thin, colorless cage.'
     (Mindfulness training) is nothing less than an invitation to liberate ourselves from the habitual and confining prisons of our own creation***, to begin to listen to the inner callings of the heart, and to literally cook in the fires of direct experience, and in doing so, to grow ripe and savory and complete in who we actually are." 
       Jon Kabat-Zinn

        Santorelli S. “Heal thyself. Lessons on mindfulness in medicine.” Bell Tower, NY, 1999. 

     *** See "Growth" : http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/05/327-ideas-about-happiness-vs-real-thing.html

 

lex32   www.dpreview.com

#365 Essential Basic Principles EXPERIENCED

     It's quiet remarkable how long and earnestly people (- I -) can practice mindfulness, before "really getting it" - directly experiencing, a fairly basic principle. It's obviously "basic" ONLY on a conceptual, NOT experiential level! To really KNOW something, we must learn it with our whole heart-mind-being.
       Speaking mindfully with someone - as a specific mindfulness practice - not worrying about the length of silent intervals between speech, one sees one's own compulsion to avoid "dead air" by filling it with words - anything but silence! Yet, describing only what one feels physically & emotionally, as it arises, gives one the opportunity to listen more deeply - and certainly listen longer - than one has ever done before.

     This (Insight Dialogue) practice is just one more way of seeing how we struggle mightily to escape our imperfection, trying to hide in distraction, idle chatter, concepts, theories, being right etc, etc, etc. But with a good practice partner, one gradually finds that it's OK to be human like everyone else. Perfection is a theory, while we're very real, and very imperfect, ... AND that too is OK. 

ki11ua   www.dpreview.com

#364 Being your own Trainer, Sports Psychologist & Life Coach

     The will to repeatedly put a little bit more quality, a little bit more intelligence - the "right effort" into each activity - to behave mindfully - comes from deep within us. This will is referred to as "heart", "spirit", "character", "intestinal fortitude" or "show us 'what you're made of'". If we learn to consistently dig down deep to manifest that "little extra", we are training ourselves to become progressively stronger, more competent, and more resilient. We transform ourselves into an elite individual, a champion in our chosen field of interest. In other words we intentionally remodel "what we're made of" - our mind, body & emotions - physically & functionally, for the better. Also, we become a fine personal trainer, sports psychologist & life coach to ourselves.

     "Water boils at 100°C, not at 99°C. That 1° of intensity makes all the difference. Workouts are similar ... If you aren't getting results, up the intensity!"               encouragement handwritten on Dalplex exercise room board

     “I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results. That’s why I approach practices the same way I approached games. You can’t turn it on and off like a faucet. I couldn’t dog it during practice and then, when I need that extra push late in the game, expect it to be there.”         Michael Jordan, NBA MVP 1988, 1991, 1993, 1996, & 1998.
     See also: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/06/348-heart-of-mindfulness-practice.html
     and: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2013/06/basic-essential-life-skills-need-to-be.html

alan-tunnicliffe   www.dpreview.com

#363 Mind - Emotions - Body: Thoroughly Interconnected & Trainable

     Through mindfulness training, as well as other practices (see below), direct experience tells us that we are infinitely more trainable that we had imagined. This includes not only our bodies, but also our emotions, minds, and even our autonomic nervous system.

      “you cannot be anxious if you breathe slowly and regularly and do not tense your muscles. When you are anxious, the ‘natural’ response to the feeling of apprehension is to tense your muscles and breathe faster – this is a response of the sympathetic nervous system. But if this is the natural response of your body, how can you possibly change this pattern of response? Perhaps this is easier said than done, but in fact this approach is regularly taught in pre-birthing classes for expectant parents. It may not be the ‘natural’ response, but practice can change this. Breathe slowly and regularly, and when you feel tension in your muscles, you should unclench those muscles, and you will start to feel more relaxed. There are three interesting and important implications of this bit of advice. First, our ‘natural’ bodily responses are not fixed & immutable. The things we take for granted about the way our bodies work are not set in stone. Practice can change what seem like reflexive responses.
     Second, the same is true for our mental processes and responses. But in addition, you can change your emotional state by changing an aspect of your physical state.”

     Read the rest of this article by Howard C. Nusbaum: http://wisdomresearch.org/forums/t/1209.aspx#

 

RuthC   www.dpreview.com

A psychiatrist once told me that it is possible to reduce the symptoms of anxiety without medication or long therapy. In short, you cannot be anxious if you breathe slowly and regularly and do not tense your muscles. When you are anxious, the "natural" response to the feeling of apprehension is to tense your muscles and breathe faster--this is a response of the sympathetic nervous system. But if this is the natural response of your body, how can you possibly change this pattern of response. Perhaps this is easier said than done, but in fact this approach is regularly taught in pre-birthing classes for expectant parents. It may not be the "natural" response, but practice can change this. Breathe slowly and regularly, and when you feel tension in your muscles, you should unclench those muscles, and you will feel start to feel more relaxed. There are three interesting and important implications of this bit of advice. First, our "natural" bodily responses are not fixed and immutable. The things we take for granted about the way our bodies work are not set in stone. Practice can change what seem like reflexive responses. - See more at: http://wisdomresearch.org/forums/t/1209.aspx#sthash.bWOBmMxB.dpuf

A psychiatrist once told me that it is possible to reduce the symptoms of anxiety without medication or long therapy. In short, you cannot be anxious if you breathe slowly and regularly and do not tense your muscles. When you are anxious, the "natural" response to the feeling of apprehension is to tense your muscles and breathe faster--this is a response of the sympathetic nervous system. But if this is the natural response of your body, how can you possibly change this pattern of response. Perhaps this is easier said than done, but in fact this approach is regularly taught in pre-birthing classes for expectant parents. It may not be the "natural" response, but practice can change this. Breathe slowly and regularly, and when you feel tension in your muscles, you should unclench those muscles, and you will feel start to feel more relaxed. There are three interesting and important implications of this bit of advice. First, our "natural" bodily responses are not fixed and immutable. The things we take for granted about the way our bodies work are not set in stone. Practice can change what seem like reflexive responses. - See more at: http://wisdomresearch.org/forums/t/1209.aspx#sthash.bWOBmMxB.dpuf

A psychiatrist once told me that it is possible to reduce the symptoms of anxiety without medication or long therapy. In short, you cannot be anxious if you breathe slowly and regularly and do not tense your muscles. When you are anxious, the "natural" response to the feeling of apprehension is to tense your muscles and breathe faster--this is a response of the sympathetic nervous system. But if this is the natural response of your body, how can you possibly change this pattern of response. Perhaps this is easier said than done, but in fact this approach is regularly taught in pre-birthing classes for expectant parents. It may not be the "natural" response, but practice can change this. Breathe slowly and regularly, and when you feel tension in your muscles, you should unclench those muscles, and you will feel start to feel more relaxed. There are three interesting and important implications of this bit of advice. First, our "natural" bodily responses are not fixed and immutable. The things we take for granted about the way our bodies work are not set in stone. Practice can change what seem like reflexive responses. - See more at: http://wisdomresearch.org/forums/t/1209.aspx#sthash.bWOBmMxB.dpuf

A psychiatrist once told me that it is possible to reduce the symptoms of anxiety without medication or long therapy. In short, you cannot be anxious if you breathe slowly and regularly and do not tense your muscles. When you are anxious, the "natural" response to the feeling of apprehension is to tense your muscles and breathe faster--this is a response of the sympathetic nervous system. But if this is the natural response of your body, how can you possibly change this pattern of response. Perhaps this is easier said than done, but in fact this approach is regularly taught in pre-birthing classes for expectant parents. It may not be the "natural" response, but practice can change this. Breathe slowly and regularly, and when you feel tension in your muscles, you should unclench those muscles, and you will feel start to feel more relaxed. There are three interesting and important implications of this bit of advice. First, our "natural" bodily responses are not fixed and immutable. The things we take for granted about the way our bodies work are not set in stone. Practice can change what seem like reflexive responses. - See more at: http://wisdomresearch.org/forums/t/1209.aspx#sthash.bWOBmMxB.dpuf

A psychiatrist once told me that it is possible to reduce the symptoms of anxiety without medication or long therapy. In short, you cannot be anxious if you breathe slowly and regularly and do not tense your muscles. When you are anxious, the "natural" response to the feeling of apprehension is to tense your muscles and breathe faster--this is a response of the sympathetic nervous system. But if this is the natural response of your body, how can you possibly change this pattern of response. Perhaps this is easier said than done, but in fact this approach is regularly taught in pre-birthing classes for expectant parents. It may not be the "natural" response, but practice can change this. Breathe slowly and regularly, and when you feel tension in your muscles, you should unclench those muscles, and you will feel start to feel more relaxed. There are three interesting and important implications of this bit of advice. First, our "natural" bodily responses are not fixed and immutable. The things we take for granted about the way our bodies work are not set in stone. Practice can change what seem like reflexive responses. - See more at: http://wisdomresearch.org/forums/t/1209.aspx#sthash.bWOBmMxB.dpuf

#362 Finding Humanity's Common Core Goals & Values to Make Life Workable

      “In addition to meditation’s use as a self-regulation and self-exploration strategy, it has also been used as a technique for self-liberation and for compassionate service to the world. Within the traditional religious contexts, these four aspects of meditation have been understood as part of a developmental continuum, with the lower levels necessary, but not sufficient, for the attainment of the next level. The goal of meditation at its deepest level has been liberation from the egoic self; developing a sense of harmony with the universe; and the ability to increase one’s compassion, sensitivity, and service to others. These goals may include, but also go beyond, personal self-regulation or self-exploration. For example, meditation as a stress management technique can be learned just for its self-regulation effects (eg to calm the mind) or for its help in deepening caring for others. As a subject in one of our meditation research studies noted, ‘relaxing and clearing my mind helps open my heart.’
     Although there are differences and complexities in efforts to determine unifying principles across spiritual (and secular humanistic) traditions, there are in fact some common goals and values. These include emotional transformation – decreasing unwholesome qualities/evil inclinations, while increasing qualities of love and compassion; service to others, justice, ethical living, right action.”

       Shapiro DH. Examining the content and context of meditation; A challenge for psychology in the areas of stress management, psychotherapy, and religion/values. Journal of Humanistic Psychology 1994; 34(4): 101-135. 

Udayan Sankar Pal   www.facebook.com/UdayanSankarPal

#361 Beyond "Stress Management" - Resilience for Real Life

      Our life will include several catastrophic events - death of loved ones, end of relationships, accidents, financial setbacks, humiliations, job losses, serious illnesses, etc - "shipwrecks" - where our life, as we once knew it, ends. “To undergo shipwreck is to be threatened in a total and primary way. … what has dependably served as shelter and protection and held and carried one where one wanted to go comes apart. What once promised trustworthiness vanishes.”
       Parks SD. Big questions, worthy dreams. Mentoring young adults in their search for meaning, purpose, and faith. John Wiley & Sons, San Francisco, 2000.
 
     There is NOTHING we can do to reliably prevent these from happening. A bruised ego will want to play the irrational, immature blame-game - detrimental on many levels. What we CAN do, is intentionally mature, so we won't just survive these storms, but will thrive! Mindfulness meditation practice is an excellent time-proven way of achieving that. Some discomfort - "growing pains" - are normal signs of progress in this practice - a very small price to pay. “As you go deeper into your practice, there will be times of great inner tension followed by release to the point of weeping. If you have not experienced this at least several times, you have not yet really practiced.”
        Kornfield J, Breiter P. A still forest pool. The insight meditation of Achaan Chah. Quest Books, Wheaton IL, 1985.

     IF resilient, after a shipwreck "we wash up on a new shore, perceiving more adequately how life really is – there is, eventually, gladness. It is a gladness that pervades one’s whole being; there is a new sense of vitality, be it quiet or exuberant. Usually, however, there is more than relief in this gladness. There is transformation. We discover a new reality beyond the loss. Rarely are we able to replace, to completely recompose, what was before. The loss of earlier meaning is irretrievable and must be grieved and mourned. But gladness arises from the discovery that life continues to unfold with meaning, with connections of significance and delight. ... There is deeply felt gladness in an enlarged knowing and being, and in a new capacity to act.
     ... the gladness on the other side of shipwreck arises from an embracing, complex kind of knowing that is experienced as a more trustworthy understanding of reality in both its beauty and terror.” 
       Parks SD. Big questions, worthy dreams. Mentoring young adults in their search for meaning, purpose, and faith. John Wiley & Sons, San Francisco, 2000.

     Our task is to discover a freedom that's independent of all circumstances & times.
     Kornfield J, Breiter P. A still forest pool. The insight meditation of Achaan Chah. Quest Books, Wheaton IL, 1985.

     See: Readiness for Change http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/11/436-readiness-for-change-is-pivotal.html

Udayan Sankar Pal   www.facebook.com/UdayanSankarPal

#360 Technology MUST be Balanced with Timeless Basic Human Skills

     Google's director of research interviewed Nicholas Carr, author of the article "Is Google making us stupid?" and the book "What the Internet is Doing to our Brains - The Shallows." Carr argued that regular use of the internet, computer games & smart phones thoroughly & effectively remodels our thinking, behavior patterns & our brains physically (neuroplasticity), with the corresponding very real danger of disuse atrophy of the neural networks that enable us to reflect deeply AND THUS weaken our ability to behave wisely - "Use it or loose it!"
     "If you look throughout the history of culture, you see that many of the great monuments of culture - whether we're talking about art, science, literature, whatever - come from people who were able to think attentively, deeply, and be contemplative, meditative, and be reflective. And if we devalue those things, and practice those things less, I think we not only get less interesting as individuals, we face a culture that is flatter, not as vibrant, and not as interesting as it used to be.
     ... inundating (oneself) with new technologies, with new information, has to be balanced with being attentive, reading, backing away from technology, even backing away from friends sometimes. It's great to collaborate, but there's also a role in the world for solitude, and I think we should encourage our kids, and ourselves, to practice that as well."
http://fora.tv/2010/06/23/Nicholas_Carr_Is_Google_Making_Us_Stupid

     Speed, quantity, meaningless fun, fast food etc must be BALANCED with - and as we mature as individuals & as cultures, progressively REPLACED by - slowing down, quality, meaning, food that's slowly prepared with love & other quality ingredients etc. Our lives have meaning; technology has no inherent meaning. We make tools / technology to improve - not distort - the quality of our lives.

     See also: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2012/07/146-time-to-re-engage.html

evanrassbcglobalnet   www.dpreview.com

#359 Primer on Perseverative - Repetitive, Negative - Thoughts

     Mindfulness practices train one to rest in the awareness of whatever the present moment holds, without judgment, letting go of self-talk, letting go of thoughts of the past or future. Below are a few reasons, from the perspective of Western psychology, why this is beneficial.

     "The ability to recall stressful life events and to anticipate stressful events has several adaptive functions. It enables us to learn from previous mistakes, to avoid negative events, and to prepare for the worst. There is, however, also a downside to these abilities: thinking about past and future negative events also enables perseverative thoughts (or perseverative cognition): repetitive, negative thoughts that do not solve or improve a situation. Examples of perseverative thoughts are: recurrent self-denigrating thoughts about a past failure on an exam or anxious thoughts about an upcoming contest. Two concepts that fall under the category of perseverative thoughts are worry (‘a chain of thoughts and images, negatively affect-laden and relatively uncontrollable’; and rumination (‘a class of conscious thoughts concerning one’s goals and that recur in the absence of immediate environmental demands requiring the thoughts.’ 

     Already in childhood, these perseverative thoughts are quite common. Perseverative thoughts arise in middle childhood when children’s cognitive development allows them to reason about future possibilities, to consider multiple outcomes, and to elaborate potential negative consequences. In line with findings confirming the down- side effects of perseverative thoughts on adults’ emotional functioning, perseverative thoughts in childhood are associated with further problems of negative affect, such as anxiety and depression.

      The literature on adults also has consistently shown that perseverative thoughts are positively associated with adverse physiological activation, cardiovascular disease and somatic complaints. These findings support the ‘perseverative cognition hypothesis’. According to this hypothesis, perseverative thoughts prolong physiological activation beyond the presence of actual stressful situations. Whereas acute physiological changes in response to an actual stressor are useful in enabling a person’s behavioral responses to stress (i.e., fight or flight), the prolongation of this physiological activation caused by perseverative thoughts adds to the total load, or ‘wear and tear’ that stressful events have on somatic well being. This prolonged physiological activation eventually leads to a pathogenic state and somatic problems. In addition, the negative affectivity related to perseverative thoughts may increase the attention of adults and children for internal signals, and to interpreting them more negatively. According to the symptom perception hypothesis of Pennebaker (1982), this will increase the likelihood that physical symptoms are perceived as somatic complaints." 

       Jellesma FC, Verkuil B, Brosschot JF. Postponing worrisome thoughts in children: The effects of a postponement intervention on perseverative thoughts, emotions and somatic complaints. Social Science & Medicine 2009; 69(2): 278-284.

Portia and Hildie