While the use of meditation and mindfulness procedures has exploded in popularity during the past twenty years, there exists a scarcity of information regarding the relationship of the “receptive” states of meditation and mindfulness to the “active” states of volition, motive, judgment and analysis. How can the receptive states of meditation and mindfulness “inform” and guide “active” consciousness and awareness? In this course, the paradigm of the “receptive” and “active” minds is explored as they specifically apply to the treatment of anxiety. The various forms of mindfulness are described as differing in “appearance” as a function of the objects of perception and the degree to which “receptive” vs. “active” consciousness is involved in the perception.
This intermediate course is comprised of two interviews covering three content areas presented in video, audio or text versions: a theoretical overview of meditation and mindfulness as receptive states and the relationship of these states to active states of mind; an overview of receptive states, especially reception as “direct perception”; and a discussion of the use of meditation and mindfulness in treating anxiety.
Educational Objectives
This course will teach the participant to
Demonstrate understanding of “receptive” or “active” mental states and the relevance of this distinction to meditation and mindfulness
Demonstrate understanding of the “appearance” of mindful states as a function of the objects of perception
Discuss the treatment of anxiety using meditative and mindful methods
Syllabus
Meditation and mindfulness: theoretical overview
Definitions
Consciousness as either active or receptive
Mindfulness’ contribution to modern psychology
The concept of “holding” or “sitting” with problems and difficulties
The advantage of including the paradigm of the active vs. receptive mind in clinical work
The relationship of insight to the quality of perception
The relationship of meditation to the receptive mind
The dynamics of perception
The nature of concentrative meditation and “wider angle” mindfulness
“Direct Perception” as the purest manifestation of the receptive mind
Direct Perception as “de-automatization”
The therapeutic value of “de-automatization”
The use of labeling in meditation
Mindfulness as the appearance of a “double-mind”
The use of meditation and mindfulness in treating anxiety
Emotions as psychological “messages”
Tolerance for distractions in meditation
The activity of the active mind as the object of the receptive mind
The refinement of perception using meditation
The use of labeling in mindfulness and meditation
Anxiety as “fear of fear”
Anxiety as a future orientation
Monitoring the level of “receptivity” in meditation
