John Kabat-Zinn is the Geru of mindfulness. His first paragraph says the definition is living in the present paying no attention to the past or the future. Yet farther on he says acceptance is necessary. Acceptance of what?
I'm going to call this the cabbage technique. You coast through life living in the one moment with the past meaning nothing and the future having no plans and accepting all around you has no meaning. It can't or it would reflect on the past and influence the future. Like a cabbage, just being there is all. Cabbages don't have feelings or panic attacks.
As far as I am concerned the definition is wrong. I think the Buddhists meant living in the positive. At peace with ones past and present. Without a past you can have no creativity or imagination.
Henry Molaison known as Patient HM had 2/3 of his Hippocampi removed. He is a well studied case of what happens when you can not store the past or use it.
This is too close to "off the deep end" exposure for me. Living and being aware of your present surroundings means being aware of the negative also if it is there. This would be then little more building tolerance for rather than changing a situation. Cognitive restructuring on the other hand changes how you look at the situation so you don't have to build tolerance. As a coping skill Mindfulness may work well for some people but I can see no way it can cure anything. It could lead to a cure by adding changing thought patterns to it and using it as a coping skill.
I believe anything that works for a person should be used as long as it's limitations are understood.
Mindfulness has been used with success to treat children with learning disabilities by teaching them to focus and stay in the present instead of wandering. And does reduce stress. This is a good thing. Achievement reduces anxiety and builds confidence.
Again I think if it works, do it.
Davit
