Mindfulness and Other Contemplative Therapies (Lecture 6+ ch. 12)

Question 1

What is contemplative psychotherapy?

Answer 1

Combination of western therapy and the Buddhistic approach to exploring and calming the mind: we should allow our feelings and behave in line with our values

Question 2

What are contemplative psychologies based on?

Answer 2

‘good-news, bad-news’ understanding of the mind
* Good-news: we can train our minds beyond conventional levels> enhanced mental capacity, well-being and maturity
* Bad news: mind less controlled than we recognize> unnecessary suffering

Question 3

What five assumptions are there in contemplative therapies?

Answer 3

1. Usual state of mind is dysfunctional
2. This dysfunction goes unrecognized because we all share it (self-masking)
3. Dysfunction> suffering
4. Contemplative practices can be used
5. All of these claims can be tested for oneself

Question 4

What are third wave, acceptance-based therapies about?

Answer 4

How a person relates to the process of internal experiences, rather than to their content

Question 5

Which of these contemplative therapies have strong support?

Answer 5

• MBCT (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) for MDD
• DBT for BPD
• ACT: strongest evidence for MDD, anxiety, substance abuse and chronic pain. Similarly effective as CBT

Question 6

What is acceptance about in these therapies?

Answer 6

Opening up to difficult feelings

Question 7

What are differential assumptions in CBT and contemplative therapies?

Answer 7

• Symptoms: illness <> functional
• Pain + suffering: trying to control <> part of normal life

Question 8

Conclusion of contemplative therapy?

Answer 8

1. Pain and suffering are normal
2. Craving and aversion cause suffering
3. Suffering ends by breaking delusions

Question 9

What is the goal of ACT?

Answer 9

Increase psychological flexibility to:
* Effectively deal with suffering
* Lead a meaningful life

Question 10

Model of ACT: which six factors contribute to psychological flexibility?

Answer 10

Mindfulness skills:
* present moment awareness
* acceptance (vs experiential avoidance)
* defusion (fusion)
* self as context (vs self as content)
Commitment skills:
* values (lack of contact with values)
* committed action (vs inaction, impulsivity, avoidance)

Question 11

Defusion?

Answer 11

Unhooking from unhelpful thoughs, relating to them as just thoughts (disidentification)

Question 12

Self as context?

Answer 12

Using the part of yourself that can observe

Question 13

Committed action?

Answer 13

Taking action guided by your values, despite difficult thoughts or feelings

Question 14

According to ACT, what two processes mainly drive burnout complaints?

Answer 14

1. Fusion with stressful thoughts and self-criticism
2. Experiential avoidance

Question 15

What is creative hopelessness?

Answer 15

Efforts to control or get rid of complaints haven’t worked and are taking away from living a valuable life

Question 16

What metaphor exercise can be used against creative hopelessness?

Answer 16

Tug-of-war with a monster:
* Physically and emotionally experience the futile struggle with complaints
* Solution is to let go > open to different approach

Question 17

What strategies are used in ACT?

Answer 17

• Metaphors
• Experiential exercises
• Mindfulness meditations
• Practicing skills
• BT!!! in the end, ACT is behavioral therapy

Question 18

What is the role of the therapist in ACT?

Answer 18

Shared humanity, also a human that is struggling

Question 19

What three broad levels of development are there?

Answer 19

1. Preconventional (prepersonal)
2. Conventional (personal)
3. Postconvention (transpersonal)
   * most psychotherapies focus on conventional, contemplative on post

Question 20

How is psychoanalysis seen from a contemplative perspective?

Answer 20

It overlooks our strengths and possibilities

Question 21

What do contemplative, Jungian, humanistic and person-centered psychologies agree on?

Answer 21

• The mind has an innate drive to growth and development
• Transpersonal experiences can help

Question 22

What three major kinds of integrations are there between contemplative and traditional therapies?

Answer 22

• Search for common factors
• Technical eclecticism: minfulness + traditional techniques
• Theoretical integration: contemplative + tradtional = integral psychology

Question 23

Issues with popularity of contemplative therapy? (5)

Answer 23

1. Mindfulness is not all
2. Multimodal context (practice ripped out of context, which reduces benefits)
3. Hard to measure in research
4. Motive of altruism overlooked
5. Therapists don’t take enough training

Question 24

Enlightment/nirvana?

Answer 24

The ‘normal’ person is considered to be partly dreaming and contemplative therapies can ‘wake’ them

Question 25

Stance of contemplative theories on self-image?

Answer 25

Self-image is constructed, and can be disidentified from

Question 26

What does Western psychology overlook? (motivation)

Answer 26

That people have a range of higher motives (metamotives) that lead to metapathologies when ignored

Question 27

What is a hedonic treadmill?

Answer 27

That if we get enough of lesser motives (sex, money, power), we habituate and want more

Question 28

What is meditation? + two types

Answer 28

Introspective self-regulation practices 1. Concentration (single stimulus) 2. Awareness (stream)

Question 29

Three mental factors that play a fundamental role in causing psychopathology?

Answer 29

1. Delusion 2. Craving 3. Aversion

Question 30

What three shifts does the contemplative ideal of health encompass?

Answer 30

1. Unhealthy qualities: diminish 2. Healthy qualities: development 3. Development: transpersonal

Question 31

What seven important mental qualities contribute to the ideal of health in contemplative theories?

Answer 31

1. Ethics 2. Transforming emotions 3. Metamotives 4. Concentration 5. Refining awareness 6. Wisdom 7. Altruism

Question 32

What difficulties can emerge during contemplative practice? (4) + how to solve

Answer 32

1. Emotional lability 2. Psychosomatic symptoms 3. Perceptual changes 4. Existential challenges * Resolve with further pratice, reassurance and normalization by therapist

Question 33

What psychological disorders can: mindfulness, transcedental meditation and MBCT help?

Answer 33

* Mindfulness: stress disorders * Transcedental: drug use * MBCT: depression

Question 34

What psychosomatic benefits do meditation and yoga have?

Answer 34

* Cardiovascular benefits * Hormonal and immune effects

Question 35

What psychological capacities do contemplative therapies enhance?

Answer 35

Interpersonal relationships, aging (attention), therapist qualities

Question 36

What can be seen in people who meditate (brain-wise)?

Answer 36

* Greater gray matter volume in hippocampus and PFC * Connectivity between hemispheres * Less age-related loss of gray matter

Question 37

Meditation can cultivate equanimity, what does this mean?

Answer 37

The capacity for staying calm in the face of provocative stimuli