Never Mind Mindfulness

In both elementary and high school education, along with in the mental health field, the concept of mindfulness has been a hot buzzword since the 2000s. Psychology Today defines mindfulness as “a state of active, open attention to the present; observing one’s thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad; a tool to avoid self-criticism and judgment while identifying and managing difficult emotions.” Under closer scrutiny, you will find that mindfulness is at best a quick fix and at worst harmful. Instead of a momentary escape from anxiety that mindfulness falsely promises, there are Catholic alternative techniques which not only offer a more established solution to anxiety but also a permanent transformation.

In my 40 years in education, I noticed that educational buzzwords were 99% of the time resurrected from similar concepts from an earlier generation, just renamed or remarketed. Back in the 1960s and 70s, the feel-good fad was transcendental meditation, which was a form of meditation created and introduced by an India guru. Transcendental meditation was supposed to help with relaxation, stress reduction, and self-development. No proof was shown that it helped anyone, but the fad certainly made a lot of instructors and so-called religious leaders rich.

Today, it’s popular to talk about how the hot Eastern-meditative practice of the 21st century – mindfulness – can be used to help both children and adults in similar ways that transcendental meditation was promoted two generations ago. Practicing forms of mindfulness has said to bring about some or all of the following positive effects:  

• helps one focus;

• makes one feel better emotionally and physically;

• decreases stress and anxiety;

• increases compassion and kindness;

• gives higher life satisfaction.

Because of these supposed benefits, mindfulness-meditation has become popular among some schools for their students and among some therapists for their patients, as they try to help them not be overwhelmed by what’s going on around them.  However, a meta-analysis of 18,000 mindfulness studies conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in 2014 found only moderate evidence of decreased anxiety, depression, and pain and low evidence of improved mental health-related quality of life.

This research led to more alarming findings. Mindfulness isn’t merely ineffective; it can be harmful. Mindfulness can backfire on people as they focus intently on the moment and leave their thoughts behind, including the positive ones.  It can also lead people to disconnect rather than focus and engage in critical thinking on problems that require more thinking and not less.

Besides not having proof that mindfulness techniques work, we must, as Christians, also be aware that mindfulness was originally a Buddhist technique. It is said you don’t have to become a Buddhist to practice mindfulness-meditation; that you’re not adopting the whole religion, just one of its techniques. But it’s important to make sure we are divorcing ourselves from any connection whatsoever with Buddhism if practicing mindfulness techniques.

In the Buddhist’s belief, mindfulness is part of their worldview and philosophy of life, and the Buddhist view of the self is different from the Christian view of the self. Buddhism doesn’t have the concept of God, so although it’s called a religion, it’s technically atheistic. Buddhism-based mindfulness seeks to bring about a state of attention on the present by which one observes his or her thoughts and feelings as if from a distance, without judging them to be good or bad.  Connecting with God is not the goal of this type of meditation. In Buddhist mindfulness, the only object is to be totally present to what one is doing. It does not make any reference to God, because Buddhism has no personal God and rejects the idea of there being a Creator-God.

Why is mindfulness all-the-talk today?  I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s due to the fact that so many people have abandoned mainstream religion and so find themselves needing to feed that spiritual void with a practice such as mindfulness. It could be because people who feel a need to escape from the pressures of today’s world are drawn to Eastern meditation practices which use techniques that are designed to empty the mind and give people a false reprieve from their worries. 

Mindfulness is counter to Catholicism in three ways – it is rooted in Buddhism, it is not designed to ultimately lead one to God, and its fundamental goal is to release the person from the burden of suffering. Growing in self-knowledge is a noble and worthy goal if we are striving to grow closer to God, but mindfulness practices omit this very critical component. And of course, the rejection of suffering is the rejection of the Cross, which is our means of salvation. Christians believe suffering brings us closer to God and unites us with our Suffering Lord. Buddhists believe suffering is something to be escaped from.

One study which proved the ineffectiveness of mindfulness noted:

“With mindfulness-based interventions, the aim is not to change your thoughts, but your global beliefs about thoughts – essentially, you’re expected to stop believing that your thoughts are necessarily true or important. This is where the Buddhist philosophy really kicks in: your thoughts are mere ‘mental events’ – just thoughts, nothing more – and they don’t necessarily warrant any action. All you’re aiming to do is be aware.”

Conversely, as Catholics we are taught not to dismiss our thoughts as mere “mental events” but to put on the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) – that is, to make our thoughts holy and Christ-like. Moreover, we are told:

“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Christian-centric techniques are the better answer to help those who feel stressed or anxious, whether we are talking about strained and worried adults or students. (Please note: for more serious mental health conditions, one should contact a licensed mental health therapist or psychiatrist.) When Catholics pray, we realize we must confront our problems, but we are doing so with someone who can actually solve those problems.  In Eastern meditation, the only option is momentary escape.

As principal of a Catholic school, I countered the hot topic of mindfulness with my teachers who had heard about this latest education buzzword and wanted to try it in their classrooms. I explained to them that if they wanted to practice any so-called type of mindfulness with their students, it would need to be removed from Buddhist connections and transformed into a Christian perspective that is connected to our Almighty God. Some suggestions I gave them to try with their students – that adults can also try at home – were: 

1) Praying the Rosary and using the various mysteries to reflect on the life of Jesus and the intercession of Mary .

2) Praying the “Jesus Prayer” repeatedly to oneself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

3) Creating a sacred space with statues and icons of Jesus and Mary and using it daily by sitting or kneeling before it when praying and/or talking to Jesus and Mary.

4) Doing a daily examen, using music and images to help focus. The daily examen, an ancient practice in the Church, is a technique of prayerful reflections on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern His direction for us.

5) Attending Eucharistic Adoration, being aware of the presence of the Lord, contemplating how much He loves you, and professing your desire to love Him and be with Him forever.

6) Reading from the Bible, using Scripture to help you understand what God wants for you to know and have the courage and faith to apply that to your life.

Christ teaches that He is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6), but the Buddha teaches through mindfulness techniques that every person must find their own path to enlightenment. Parents and teachers who are searching for techniques to help their children and students deal with stress and anxiety should take the Christian-route and teach their youngsters how to talk with Jesus, pray to God, and ask for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Similarly, adults seeking their own mental health benefits should give no mind to mindfulness but turn to prayer and Catholic practices. By doing so, the most likely result will be a long-term opportunity for personal growth and the realization that the essential goal of our existence is eventual, everlasting union with God.