mindfulness and CCI

Written by Niek | 01 December 2011

Not being a scientist has its advantages. I am a simple, practical (former) agricultural journalist and CCI trainer and that is why I try to communicate what I (seem) to observe. Within the CCI world as well as outside. And this all in relation between these both worlds, where I live in and with. The reader has to decide if that is of practical use for them, and if it makes sense. Looking at what happens and has happened in my lifetime, in this world and within myself, I try to communicate and to contribute to what I think is worthwhile to take into account. It is the ultimate personal decision and responsibility of each of us, to accept or to neglect it. That exactly is what we have in common! And that wants to be respected.

My recent daily paper (NRC Handelblad) offers me, in its scientific psychology section of last weekend, a page full article about meditation. It tells that this activity is helpful against stress and fear, but the question is still how that works. 'Googling' at mindfulness informs me that mindfulness started in the 1960ties. With a book: 'The Miracle Of Mindfulness '. It says: 'Thich Nhat Hanh founded a School of Youth for Social Service in Vietnam. The school's members practiced 'engaged Buddhism' and helped to rebuild bombed villages, teach children and organize cooperatives during the Vietnam War. This book was first written as a letter to the School after Thich Nhat Hanh's exile to France. Thich Nhat Hanh, poet, Zen master and chairman of the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace Delegation during the Vietnam War was nominated by Dr Martin Luther King Jr for the Nobel Peace Prize.'

It is obvious, that there is a kind of connection between the first activities of 'mindfulness' and those of CCI (starting in the 1970ties). Both are highly practical and willing to accept 'all what works'. In the seventies of last century, so informs NRC, introduces prof. Jon Kabat Zinn (Medical school of the University of Massachusetts) 'the mindfulness based stress reduction program'. In 2000 prof. Mark Williams (Oxford University UK) and colleagues start the Mindfulness based cognitive therapy. And also this works! However they still don't know how!

In a recent article, published in the last November issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science by Britta K. Hölzel cs. (Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany) they give an overview of the results of different approaches How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? (click ). They conclude that mindfulness meditation has influences in four different fields: 'a) attention regulation, (b) body awareness, (c) emotion regulation (including reappraisal and exposure, extinction, and re-consolidation), and (d) change in perspective on the self.' The authors suggest that the mechanisms described here work synergistically, establishing a process of enhanced self-regulation, they say in an abstract of their article.

CCI

These four fields are in practice well known within CCI. Especially the 'field' of attention plays a major role in CCI co-counseling. And not only in the sense of 'no commends', but especially in the sense of 'being available, supportive, witnessing, offering free attention'. The change of 'perspective on the self' seems to have its connections with the CCI culture of validations. And so is also the body awareness evident, as 'housing' the emotions.

The NRC article commends that 'mindfulness meditation' learns, to experience emotions without giving them any special notion. 'You are looking at them from a distance. Their influence vanishes by experience by themselves'. The article says.

The CCI practice and experiences points in quite another direction: 'reliving' the emotion', ends in (a kind of) discharge. This discharge is followed by experiencing relief. A relief that offers space to experience other solutions (new insights) than those ordered by the (old) pattern. As well in CCI (in practice and visible) as well in experiencing by mindfulness meditation (by scanning of the brains), there is a physical connection between emotions and the body.

The NRC daily paper points out that 'a better body awareness helps people also to manage their feelings. Because,' the journal informs, 'the body reacts on emotions by heart palpitations, belly rumbling, or a squeezed throat'. (In fact there are more reactions to mention, as the practice of CCI proves). In their interview with prof. Williams from Oxford (UK), who visited the Netherlands to introduce the translation of his book 'Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World' (click), it all seems me to be very much brain oriented work.

what I miss

Reading this newspaper information with my CCI experiences on the background, I am aware of missing 'something'. The information itself seems to be correct. It even proves how right CCI has been as approach for healthy people, by not accepting anymore any authoritarian influences. They are banned, as well as aware and not aware.

Trying to find out what exactly I do miss, took me quite a while. The best way to word it is, at this moment, that I miss in the whole approach: the humanity in self responsibility. What I miss is, the personal observations/reactions/new insights, respect in general and specific to co-'travelers' and others; I miss 'belief, hope and love'; I miss any view on the future; I miss the collective.

This total journalistic approach is all about individual selfish interests, how the patient has to be guided to deal with stress and fear, with life in general. As if they are in disorder, having failures of 'nature' etc. The reality is, that we all have to deal with this not knowing: in the future, in the present and in the past. Our human curiosity how 'it all (might) work, helps us to fill the gap and to create the future. That is why CCI accepts all what works well (within its preconditions of respect and non authoritarian influences). Science can, and needs to be helpful by that task to build together a prosperous future!