Once Again on Mindfulness and Memory in Early Buddhism

The normal is pathological: semi-conscious brains, mindless habits, and the paradoxical science of mindfulness

“…While this definition and many other similar ones (see: Ie et al 2014, p. 1) might have commonalities with one or another tradition in Buddhism (Anālayo 2018;Gethin 2011), it would not be accurate to describe them as succinct reformulations of some kind of an 'ur-idea'. Rather, the very notion of mindfulness as assumed by these definitions seems to have been made possible as a result of several selective translations over time.…”

“…There is some disagreement in the scholarly literature about whether the 'original' sense of sati implied a more encompassing and stronger connection to memory than just remembering to pay attention to the given moment (Anālayo 2018;Levman 2017). We do not, however, have to view them within an essentialist framework, as if they are mutually exclusive options-and, more generally, as if the question is whether mindfulness therapy is a genuine or distorted version of Buddhism (Grossman and van Dam 2011).…”

“…We do not, however, have to view them within an essentialist framework, as if they are mutually exclusive options-and, more generally, as if the question is whether mindfulness therapy is a genuine or distorted version of Buddhism (Grossman and van Dam 2011). As some scholars suggest, acknowledging the multifaceted relationships between mindfulness and memory should not deter us from recognizing that there is also a 'practice' side to mindfulness (Anālayo 2018). In this latter sense, as Anālayo (2018, p. 5) puts it, we do not have to consider mindfulness as "something inherently Buddhist."…”

“…In very general terms, this recent development can be seen as a medical innovation attempt partly because mindfulness therapists often utilize meditative exercises that were, and continue to be, used for non-medical purposes in many cultures. 1 This has given way to lively discussions about the relationship between Buddhism and modern mindfulness practices (e.g., Anālayo 2018;Gethin 2011;Levman 2017;McMahan 2008), the potential of mindfulness therapy to introduce 'religious' elements into modern medicine (Braun 2017;Brown 2016;Kucinskas 2019;Wilson 2014), as well as the spiritual, ethical and philosophical foundations of mindfulness therapy in general (Ng 2016;Purser et al 2016;Stanley et al 2018;Stingl and Weiss 2014). Yet, so far, there have been few inquiries about how exactly -i.e., through the involvement of which actors, concerns and technologies -this new field of therapy is constituted and what kind of implications this novel therapeutic approach might have for the prevalent modes of thinking in modern medicine and other biosocial disciplines.…”

Better to be optimistic, mindful, or both? The interaction between optimism, mindfulness, and task engagement

“…Brown and Ryan (2003) showed that attention to subjective norms regarding behaviour enhances the quality of an experience in the way that individuals become motivated and immersed in tasks (Aherne et al, 2011). Mindfulness can help people step back and see the big picture regarding a task or endeavour (Anālayo, 2018), which should enhance their abilities to grasp the importance of the outcomes expected if they were to attain a goal. In this sense, mindfulness could underpin the core features of task engagement, which are attention to and focus on tasks, because of the sustained immersion in tasks that mindfulness cues (Hafenbrack & Vohs, 2018; Mrazek et al, 2012).…”