In all of the years I have counseled individuals, I have never found a theoretical foundation so useful as that of mindfulness nor a therapeutic tool as powerful as meditation. While I have not abandoned the use of cognitive therapeutic methods, I have found that meditation is the “royal road” to mindfulness and that the awareness that mindfulness brings is the foundation of constructive thought. For the sake of clarity and to promote a deeper understanding of meditation and mindfulness, I have used a conceptual system which has proven useful in promoting a client’s understanding not only of unbiased perception but also understanding of the ideal relationship between this form of perception and constructive action. Many clients become intrigued with mindfulness and become enthusiastic meditators but struggle with making the connection between unbiased perception and the very real need to take actions and make judgments in their day to day lives. Because of this dilemma, I have used the heuristic of the active mind and receptive mind. The receptive mind is the essence of mindfulness. It is essentially our “mirror mind” – the mind which observes closely, carefully and comprehensively but without bias, preconception, prejudgment, intention or expectation. It sees the objects of our everyday experience within their own context rather than within the context of the observer’s needs, wants or motivations.
And yet, we could not survive without engaging in actions or making judgments. Therefore, we need a psychological function which can carry out actions, make judgments, and impose its will. It is the active mind which carries out these functions. The active mind is essentially the volitional side of consciousness. Yet, it is crucial to ask ourselves “From which psychological context does this volition derive?” While mindful “reception” always derives from the object of perception according to the nature of the object itself, free from the bias or the intentions of the observer, the same cannot always be said of action and judgment. In essence, action and judgment can derive from essentially two sources: action and judgment exclusively based upon the mindful “reception” of the object or action and judgment based upon the observer’s pre-set needs, wants, preoccupations and expectations. Thus, constructive action and judgment derives directly from the object of perception. In Buddhist circles, this form of consciousness is referred to as clear comprehension. Alternatively, non-constructive action derives from projective consciousness or perception only as related to the observer’s set of needs and expectations. While projective consciousness asks “What’s in it for me in this situation?” clear comprehension asks “What is needed in this situation despite my own needs and wants?”
While instruction in mindfulness and meditation is a relatively simple process with relatively simple tenets, a regular practice in mindfulness and meditation is problematic for many clients. This is because the active mind is a jealous mind and dominates our consciousness for most of the day in most situations. We seek to “rid” ourselves of negative emotions, “conquer” depression, and “wipe away” anxiety. The problem with all of these intentions is just that: they are intentions. When active consciousness is based upon projective needs, it can only “wish” that negative emotions did not exist or, at most, condemn them. This is a psychological trap that many who suffer from psychological issues fall into. The principle which is lost for many who suffer is that negative feelings, emotions, and memories need to be “held” for a period of time before processing can occur. This “sitting” or “holding” is the work of the receptive mind which, because it does not judge, has no agenda, no “dog in the race,” can accurately survey consciousness, thus providing the only true context for clear comprehension and constructive action. In essence, the quality of any judgment or action is a direct function of the quality of perception. When perception is “pure,” action and judgment will always be constructive and precisely suited to particular situations, particular contexts, and particular moments.
In my practice, I usually begin meditation training with instruction in “holding” relatively neutral objects. While breathing is a very useful, almost universal object of meditation, I usually suggest that clients go to YouTube to find objects that resonate with them. The number of such objects is almost limitless: sounds of rainfall, rivers, oceans, birds chirping or, my favorite, Tibetan singing bowls. I then begin instruction in concentrative meditation or the “holding” of a single object in consciousness but with patience for distractions of thought, feeling, emotion or sensations. In teaching meditation, it is crucial that the meditator maintain this patience for distractions. I emphasize that distractions are part of the meditation process itself and that, with practice, meditators will find that they spend increasing amounts of time in the holding of the object. The basic instruction then becomes: focus all of you attention on the object, note any distraction from the object, return focus upon the object, repeat. It really is that simple.
After this initial phase, after meditators begin “to get the hang” of holding objects, they can transition to the holding of negative objects, especially negative feelings and emotions. Clients should be introduced to the concept of “acceptance” or the willingness to completely accept the contents of their own consciousness. It should also be emphasized that acceptance does not imply “liking” or “condoning” one’s present state of consciousness. It is rather the complete, exhaustive, unbiased, non-judgmental observation of one’s present experience. In this attitude, the “sting” of negative experiences, although not absent, becomes much more bearable. We encounter our own pain, physical or psychological, but free from “suffering” - which is our criticism, judgment, and rejection of our pain.
In the end, what some would term “self-actualization,” others would call “individuation,” and still others would call “enlightenment,” all depend upon our willingness to completely “receive” – to “hold” that which is perceived without judgment, without motivation, without intention, without expectation as the first and most crucial stage of “true perception.” Perception is “true” to the extent that whatever is perceived is perceived within its true context, its true “space” and not within the filter of the observer’s prejudices, presumptions, and interests. It goes without saying that this pure form of perception is a challenge to attain or even attempt but transforms our lives when achieved, even for small periods of time.
