L.6 - Mindfulness and other Contemplative Therapies Flashcards

Question

Kamran M.

Answer 1

- ACT assumes 2 processes mainly drive burnout complaints > Fusion with stressful thoughts and self-criticism → in ACT thoughts are still important, however you change how you relate to them, not their content > Experiential avoidance of painful or stressful inner experiences → what is Kamran trying to avoid? what have you tried in order to get rid of these complaints? Map everything out!

Answer 2

- Experiental avoidance > fighting feelings of guilt, exhaustion, panic sensation - Fusion > I am letting others down - Inaction, impulsivity and avoidance > overworking, isolated > he is not in line with the person he wants to be, even though he tries really hard to do that - Lack of contact with values > actions seem motivated by strict rules and parental beliefs > "I should" → we try to move on from this

Answer 3

- efforts to control or get rid of complaints haven't worked and are taking away from living a valuable life → Metaphore exercise: "Tug-of-war with a monster" 1. imagine you have an end of the rope, and the monster (your negative feelings) has the other one 2. you try to pull the monster into the whole between you, but the monster pulls back !! Goal: physically and emotionally experience the futile struggle with complaints 3. while you do this, how much attention do you have for the things that surround you, that you find important? → always the client says "none" 4. what can you do to get out of this struggle? → let go of the rope → usually people feel sense of relief !! Consequence: patients become more open to a different way to approach their complaints (i.e. with psychological flexibility) → patients become more open to try new approaches to deal with monsters

Answer 4

- individual or group format - different lenghts (1-12 sessions) - personalized - metaphores, experiental exercises, mindfulness meditations, practicing skills, ACT (behavioral therapy) - therapist: shared humanity (being inflexible = normal!)

Answer 5

ACT...: - is not primarily about symptoms reduction - is about learning skills to deal with difficult thoughts, feelings and sensations - is about behavioral change that fits personal values and makes life meaningful

Answer 6

- prepersonal/preconventional > we are born in this stage > we have no coherent sense of self or social conventions - personal/conventional - transpersonal / post-conventional

Answer 7

- develop a coherent sense of self and accept social conventions - previously thought to be the peak of our developmental potential > but seen as limiting (Plato's cave) by many (limited, distorted and unclear) > called consensus trance / shared hypnosis / illusory... > existentialists describe it as unnecessarily superficial, defensive and inauthentic → it results in herd mentality, where we blindly follow rules and norms > contemporary culture makes it worse (constant distraction and commercial superficiality) - being the average, well-adjusted person still implies rejection of much depths of human nature; we are only half-awake and half-grown → "normality" may be a form of collective developmental arrest

Answer 8

- a new way to compare therapies: what level of development do they foster? - most only aim for a healthy conventional one, but meditative therapies aim for postconventional ! psychological systems address 3 levels of concerns: a) pathological b) existential c) transpersonal

Answer 9

When making comparisons, assume the following: 1. Each system offers a valuable but only partial contribution to understanding and treatment 2. Claims for blanket supremacy of any one approach are suspect 3. Effective therapies share a variety of methods and mechanisms 4. Different therapies may be complementary rather than necessarily conflictual 5. Therapists familiar with only one system are likely to fall into the procrustean trap of squeezing all clients into the same interpretive and treatment box. If you know only one therapy, then all clients and conditions appear appropriate for it 6. Good therapists are flexible and familiar with multiple methods. They assess which approach is likely to work best for each client at each stage, and treat or refer appropriately

Answer 10

- led to huge advances in the areas of childhood development, transference and unconscious dynamics / defenses - shared goals and understandings: > humans are not in full control of their minds > it values deep introspection - BUT it underestimated human nature and humans' potential > by focusing on conflict and pathology it overlooks human strenghts and it does not aim for posconventional development → conventional threpies argue that psychological conflicts resolve here

Answer 11

- agree with contemplative psychology on several major points > the mind drives towards growth → sex and aggression are not hte only motives, there is growth too > beneficial effects of transpersonal experiences > multilayered nature of the unconscious - Jung's individuation, Maslow's self-actualization, contemplative self-transcendence > we need something bigger than ourselves to commit to - transpersonal experiences/states: states in which the sense of self expands to include wider aspects of humankind and the world

Answer 12

- like contemplative therapies, they recognize the power of thoughts and beliefs > we are prone to develop erraneous thoughts/beliefs that go unrecognized (ACT calls it Fusion) → they result in assumptions taht are mistaken for reality and cause pathology - cognitive therapies have learnt to identify specific profiles for each pathology > they recognize thought-stopping, but ACT can do it for longer and maintain the brain in calm state > allows us to disidentify, not only heal and reduce, from thoughts - contemplative therapies can identify and modify deeper levels of thoughts, can achieve greater cognitive control

Answer 13

- like contemplative therapies, they centere on ultimate concerns > fundamental life challenges that we all inevitably face → they result in anxiety that is not only circumstantial, but also existential! - they both emphasize how we live superficially and inauthentically; her mentality tha tfunctions as a collective defense > herd mentality encourages automation conformity → unreflective, conventional lifestyles in which we tranquilize ourselves with trivia - extistentialists: > recognize and defenslessly embrace these challenges > have a heroic attitude, be corageous and authentic - contemplatives: > smae, but also cultivate mental qualities and foster maturation to transpersonal stages > find inherent meaning and purpose, in larger identity

Answer 14

- like contemplative, believe that the best way to promote healing is by combining approaches and techniques - contemplative therapies: all of life is an opportunity for healing and learning > heal not only for yourself, for others too (become helpful!)

Answer 15

- presence - accurate empathy - non-judgemental attitude → meditation fosters all three + psychological maturity, insight, and sensitivity - supershrinks outperform pseudoshrinks > supershrinks: therapists that are very effective because of their personal, non-specific characteristics > pseudoshrinks use the same techniques as supershrinks, but are less effective > feedback to therapist is crucial, and immediate feedback after each session dramatically improves therapy success rate

Answer 16

Contemplative practices and their views of human nature, health and potential - Consciousness - Identity - Motivation - Development - Higher capacities

Answer 17

- we have impaired states of consciousness are associated with suboptimal mental functions such as distorted perception, reduced concentration, impaired cognition and negative emotions - our normal waking state is subotimal and it can be improved through contemplative training → why suboptimal?

Answer 18

- daydreaming, thoughts and fantasies are significantly more pervasive, distoring and confusing than we realize - we deal with a constant flux of unrecognized thoughts and cognitive distortions that prevent full awareness, and leads to trance-state = The result is a clouding and distortion of daily experience that causes much of our mental suffering, yet remains unrecognized until we subject our mental processes to rigorous scrutiny as in meditation - thus, normal person is considered partly asleep, in a consensus trance → when dream is painful or disruptive, it becomes recognized as pathology

Answer 19

- liberation, enlightment, salvation, satori, fana, nirvana - meditative or yogic training can help us recognize and reduce these distortions, and studies of advanced meditators demonstrate enhanced perceptual speed, sensitivity, and accuracy - there is a broad spectrum of beneficial states and there are methods to reach them (higher states) > e.g. unwavering consciousness, perceptual clarity, penetrating insight, deep compassion - monophasic → polyphasic cultures > monophasic: view of reality only comes from waking state of consciousness > polyphasic: comes from dreams, meditation and yogas too

Answer 20

- our usual sense of stable self is an illusion > selectively constructed from a flux of thoughts, images and emotions - western therapies: modify our self image - vs contemplative: break free from it by cultivating true, sensitive awareness = self as a context > these experiences can emerge briefly when induced, but maintaining them requires practice (picture)

Answer 21

- there are metamotives that cannot be ignored: self-actualization, self-transcendence, and selfless service > if overlooked: pain and pathology > they are vital to our well-being > we would be immature, inauthentic and blame it on others ...> metapathologies, e.g. sense of meaninglessness, cynicism, alienation, ... - if we assume that lesser motives (sex, money, ...) are the only means to satisfaction, we fall into a delusion that forces us to chase them → hedonic treadmill: never enough, become addicted, want to work, ...

Answer 22

- emphasis on the 3rd stage (post-conventional) - merges into experiences that have been thought of as mystical, spiritual, but now as psychological

Answer 23

- emotional transformations > painful emotions such as anger and fear diminish, whereas positive emotions such as love, compassion, and joy can mature to become stronger, unwavering, and all-encompassing - cognitive development up to vision logic / network logic (interconnections between groups of ideas) - motives are higher - mind is more peaceful - wisdom through reflection (causes of happiness and suffering, the brevity of life)

Answer 24

- Concentration meditations: attention is all a single stimulus (e.g. breathing) > this develops the ability to focus and calm the mind - Awareness mediations: explore the flux of experience, the nature of mind > aim to cultivate clear sensitive awareness and to use it to explore the nature of mind and experience > fosters self-understanding, maturation

Answer 25

- contemplative therapies offer little help with personal stages of development and major psychopathologies (such as psychosis) > focus is on "normal pathology" → cont. t. consider everyday psychopathology to be a reflection of psychological immaturity - main characteristics: envy, addiction, agitation, distractability, ... - three mental factors cause psychopathology = three buddhist poisons

Answer 26

1- Delusion > cognitive factor > unrecognized mindlessness > the mind clouded by delusion forgets its inherently blissful true nature and so feels deficient and dissatisfied 2- Craving 3- Aversion > motivational factors

Answer 27

- motivational factor - western concept of addiction but extended to everything - whether iron or golden chains, we end up suffering when craving (≠ wanting) is involved → iron: addiction to material goods > physical foursome (money, sex, power and prestige) → golden: addiction to ideals ! the psychological suffering in our lives is related to the strength of each craving multiplied by the gap between reality and what is craved → acceptance of reality is the solution - we fear that we will not get what we crave, boil with anger toward those in our way, writhe with jealousy when others get what we lust after, and fall into depression when we lose hope - if only... and until... games = we can reduce psychological conflict and suffering by reducing the number and strength of cravings and by accepting reality as it is

Answer 28

- addiction results in aversions → compulsive need to avoid undersirable stimuli - mental illnesses and symptoms are important feedback, a signal pointing to addiction and aversion → satisfy cravings: easy in short-term, hard in long-term → break free: hard in short-term, easy long-term - psychological pain offers opportunities for learning and growth because psychological pain is an invaluable feedback signal -a mental alarm pointing to addiction and aversion and the need to relinquish them

Answer 29

- the contemplative ideal of health extends beyond conventional adjustment and encompasses three shifts > relinquishment of unhealthy mental qualities such as delusion, craving, and aversion > development of specific healthy mental qualities and capacities > maturation to postconventional, transpersonal levels

Answer 30

- 7 central practices to cultivate 7 corresponding qualities of mind and behavior 1. Ethics (...) 2. Emotional transformation (...) 3. Redirecting motivation > more concerm with metamotives, less wish compulsions and aversions → purification 4. Training attention (...) 5. Refining awareness > perception is trained to be more sensitive and accurate 6. Wisdom (...) 7. Altruism and service (...)

Answer 31

- not seen in terms of conventional rules, but postconventional discipline to enhance well-being - through introspection, see that unethical behavior stems from and nurishes unhelpful qualities → (Karma = psychological residue left by past behavior) - ethical behavior does the opposite! → (something sought from within, service to self and others)

Answer 32

- not only reducing negative emotions, but also fostering positive onset > joy, love, compassion, ... → this leads to emotional intelligence, associated with greater personal, interpersonal and professional success

Answer 33

- western psychology: attention cannot be sustained - contemplative psychology: attention can and must be sustained in order for us to grow > cultivating concentration helps calm the mind, and managing to direct focus allows control of our thoughts and emotional states

Answer 34

- deep nuanced insight and understanding of oneself and the central existential issues of life + skills in responding effectively > knowlege: acquiring info, wisdom: understanding - read the work of wise minds, interact, spend time alone and reflect, stay in contact with nature

Answer 35

- it's both a means to and an expression of well-being and maturity → do your best for others - giving inhibits unhelpful qualities and nourishes helpful ones → what we intend others to experience we tend to experience ourselves → we're happier when we do that than when we devote all our energy to ourselves

Answer 36

- meditation and yoga are skills to be practiced (slow but cumulative processes) - usually immediately shine light on the automaticity of the mind and how littel control we have over it → visualization exercise (visualize an object clearly) → breath meditation (count breaths from 1 to 10; go back 1 every time you were distracted) - this discovery leads to the 1st stage of meditation practice > 6 overlapping stages of meditation

Answer 37

- 3 recognition and insight, 3 development 1. recognition of our mindlessness and lack of mental control > important insight that is also hard to swallow 2. recognizing habitual patterns 3. refined awareness unveils deeper cognitive insights > microscopically investigate subtle psychological processes such as thought, motivation, and perception 4. emergence of exceptional abilities 5. emergence of transpersonal experiences > producing identification with others and compassionate concern for them 6. stabilization of obtained abilities and states > peak experiences extend into plateau experiences and transient capacities mature into permanent abilities

Answer 38

1- emotional lability > intense emotions surface > patient learns to accept and investigate these experiences, allowing them to resolve by themselves in the healing light of awareness 2- unfamiliar experiences > emerge as awareness of self and teh world shifts 3- spiritual challenges > freed from distraction, the mind ponders deep questions that can be unsettling 4- emergence of previously repressed or unprocessed memories > karmic release (yoga), unstressing (TM), catharsis (psychology), interior purification (christianism) ! pathologies can sometimes emerge, psychosis is the most severe (very rare) ! therapists can guide well through common contemplative difficulties, reframing and reattribution are very valuable > reframing: seeing them as normal > reattribution: seeing them as opportunities for growth (p. 454)

Answer 39

Suggested by contemplative traditions: 1- calming the mind (concentrate and calm it) > relaxation response + many more benefits through meditation 2- enhanced awareness > internal observation, watchfullness of the moment > virtually all therapies endorse the expansion of consciousness 3- disidentification > awareness no longer identifies with, but only observes thoughts > they are not reality and not us → freedom > when we unconsciously identify with part of the mind - thought or fantasy -we assume it to be true, and are hypnotized by it. When we consciously disidentify from it, we are free, and this freedom produces healing and growth 4- rebalancing mental element > mental contents can be healthy or unhealthy > try to increase the former and decrease the latter > 7 factors of enlightenment: mindfulness, effort, investigation, rupture, concentration, calm, equanimity

Answer 40

1. mindfulness (precise conscious awareness of stimuli) - energizing qualities: 2. effort 3. investigation 4. rupture (exstasy coming from awareness) - calming factors: 5. concentration 6. calm 7. equanimity (calm mental state) - western therapies recognize less the importance of simultaneously training the calming qualities

Answer 41

- the effects of meditation could be explained by relaxation, desensitization from stressful stimuli, counter conditioning - automatic habits undergo deautomatization, and people develop learning, self-acceptance and control → developmental account: > meditation may restart and catalyze development (fosters ego, cognitive and moral development) > supported by research: it highers maturity, coping sklls, ...

Answer 42

- transpersonal growth - people with psychological and somatic disorders (...) - enahncement of psychological capacities and well-being (...)

Answer 43

1. Stress disorders - multiple anxiety disorders can be treated > large effect sizes compared to CBT > multicomponent mindfulness-based therapies are more effective than mindfulness alone > combining lifestyle changes also helps 2. Drug use - reduces use of legal and illegal drugs + craving - people need to stop using drugs several days before therapy 3. Depression - can reduce relapse rates as well as antidepressants - meditation based theraoies, yoga, lifestyle changes, ... 4. ADHD - could be, not sure

Answer 44

1. Cardiovascular system - reduction in blood pressure and cholesterol levels (when practice is continued) - coronary artery disease can be reversed through yoga and meditation + diet and exercise 2. Hormonal and immune effects - type II diabetes and other issues can be prevented and immune functions can be strenghtened 3. further adjuvant treatments - enhance the conventional treatment of many disorders + reduce secondary distress in many others

Answer 45

- improvements on measures of personality, performance, health and well-being - can be more helpful than many active treatments, and much more than general relaxation - largest benefits: quality of relationships > empathy, emotion, ... !! specific meditations produce simiral overall effects but different specific effects - it seems to reduce the psychological and neural effects of aging, and helps to live longer - personal contemplative practice can greatly help mental health professionals

Answer 46

- MBSR is a multimodality programs centered on mindfulness training - it also offers education, yoga and social support = these additional components produce additional benefits, because MBSR has a significantly larger effect size (0.31) than mindfulness alone (0.25) > these benefits show up especially in heightened well-being and in reduced anxiety, stress, and negative emotions

Answer 47

- cultivation of love, compassion and joy > visualization exercises (...) help with positive emotions and reduce negative emotions - lucid dreaming > dream yoga develops the ability to know one is dreaming while still asleep → observe and modify dreams → can even reach a state of constant awareness, even when sleeping

Answer 48

- several techniques that include evreything from diet and meditation to ethical and lifestyle changes - novices start with 1/2 simple practices and add onto it gradually Simple introductory exercises: 1. Ethical behavior = say only what is true and helpful > exercises: → look for the lie → say onlt what is trye and helpful for a day 2. Transforming emotions = use wise attention to cultivate positive emotions > we strengthen the qualities to which we give attention to → exercise 3. Transforming motivation = exploring craving to bring awareness to it and eventually change it → exercise 4. Develop concentration and calm = one thing at a time > multitasking and fragmented attention reduce efficiency and creativity > foster anxiety and agitation > reduce clarity and introspection → exercise: do one thing at a time 5. Cultivate awareness → mindful meditation → mindful eating 6. Developing wisdom > reflect on our mortality → exercise 7. Generosity and service > transform pain into compassion > downward comparison helps combating sadness + cultivation compassion → exercise

Answer 49

- several studies show effects on: > personality > performance > (physiological) body and brain > (biochemical) hormones - clients that benefit are usually interested in internal experiences, open to unusual views, have a sense of self-control... - it's still unclear how durable the benefits are > some dissipate after stopping, others are maintained depending on other factors (e.g. diet)

Answer 50

1) huge amount > studies of meditation appear daily, making it the most intensively and extensively researched of all therapies 2) wide array of demonstrated effects > in addition to diverse psychological and psychotherapeutic benefits, research has demonstrated developmental, physiological, biochemical, and neural effects - far more than for any other psychotherapy 3) research demonstrates multiple exceptional abilities 4) research support is available for most therapeutic applications

Answer 51

- attention and concentration - emotional maturity > reduce destructive emotions and cultivate positive ones > ! EEG proof - equanimity, maintaining values in the face of provocative stimuli - moral maturing > enhancing ethical motivtaion and strengthening morality + supporting emotions, ... > highest state of moral maturity → induced by transpersonal experience

Answer 52

- lucid sleep - unique integrative cognitive style - inhibition of startle response - control of autonomic nervous system - ability to detect fleeting facial expressions of emotions - respond with compassion and relaxation to negative stimuli

Answer 53

- contemplatives studies are brief, the follow-ups are short, and control groups are not ideal - most research has been means oriented, rather than goal-oriented > research has focused on what is easy to measure, rather than on the classic goals of contemplation → we know more on the effects on the heart rate, rather than on heart opening, love, wisdom or enlightenment

Answer 54

While cultural diversity and sensitivity are widely discussed, crucial factors are still overlooked: - diversity occurs in all systems, including all (therapeutic) relationships - all diversity creates diversity tension, which has both problematic and beneficial potentials - adults differ on their levels of psychological development, such as levels of ego, cognitive, and moral maturity > e.g. research on moral development has identified three major stages - preconventional (egocentric), conventional (ethnocentric), and postconventional (worldcentric) > as people mature through these three stages, they initially tend to identify with and focus their care and concern on themselves (egocentric), then on themselves and their community (ethnocentric), and finally on all people (worldcentric) - for people at certain development stages, the idea of developmental possibilities beyond their own can be threatening. > however, developmental diversity is just one more kind of diversity that needs to be recognized, honored, and used to benefit everyone > a key concern for diversity training (and psychotherapy) becomes fostering psychological maturity, including diversity maturity - people’s (and therapists’) developmental level influences what they observe and understand in any situation, the range of possible responses they recognize, and therefore how effectively they can respond and help - a person’s developmental stage will influence attitudes and responses to diversity. > e.g. consider the markedly different responses of people at: the conventional ethnocentric, postconventional pluralistic, and postconventional integral stages

Answer 55

1. conventional, ethnocentric stage - accept other beliefs, even if you see them as wrong 2. Postconventional, pluralistic stage - because you now see how personal and constructed beliefs are, you truly honor every cultural and individual values and beliefs → ! two traps: > cultural relativism: all values and beliefs are equally valid and cannot be judged or ranked > developmental denial: the mere existence of ranked developmental stages is invalid 3. Postconventional, integral stage - ask questions and evaluate all beliefs from different perspectives (solid criteria: fairness, ...)

Answer 56

- problematizing differences > people's intrinsic value as human beings is distinct from their extrinsic or situational value in specific situations, (e.g. athletic competitions) > diversity sensitivity can devolve into a suspicion or even denial of individual, gender, or cultural differences and capacities - sensitivity can become hypersensitivity > what we look for we tend to find (basic principle of perception) ! we should be aware of these biases too - expecting microaggressions, racism, ... tends to resul in mistakenly finding them through misunderstanding and bias = optimal approach: unital multiplex → recognize unity underlying diversity and don't focus too much on own category

L.6 - Mindfulness and other Contemplative Therapies Flashcards

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