effect of inward attention on mental health

[brendan]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23490204

 

www.rohith.me

[onedayillsailagain]

Hmm interesting. Nice find!

However I'd like to comment that from this, it seems the following statement is essentially made:

"Mindfulness/meditation in depressed individuals is likely to cause adverse effects"

There have been multiple studies showing exactly the opposite. Moreover whether mindfulness/meditation worsens, or betters, a persons psychological state, is highly ambiguous to numerous factos, and is highly personal.

That said, the outward visual stimuli bit was interesting. I wonder what the methods were?

[Syntheso]

How did you view the full thing ? Did you pay?

[Syntheso]

Oh, never mind.

 

Hmm interesting. Nice find!

However I'd like to comment that from this, it seems the following statement is essentially made:

"Mindfulness/meditation in depressed individuals is likely to cause adverse effects"

There have been multiple studies showing exactly the opposite. Moreover whether mindfulness/meditation worsens, or betters, a persons psychological state, is highly ambiguous to numerous factos, and is highly personal.

That said, the outward visual stimuli bit was interesting. I wonder what the methods were?

Hey man,
 

It seems you think that meditation is about concentrating on internal thoughts/states. but I disagree.. it's about letting go of them - everything, emptying the mind, transcending even the feeling of inward attention itself, towards something beyond ordinary experience (enlightenment)... ie when you are meditating you strive to be able to achieve a place where you have no thoughts, ultimately just the feeling of the bliss of an empty consciousness. One of the reasons for practicing this is so that you aren't bothered by thoughts that negate one's experience outside of a meditation. So, it actually enforces the idea of external visual attention. By practicing clearing your mind, you are able to live in the moment (not burdened by constant internal thoughts) and give your attention to the external world - live in the moment. So I don't think is suggests that and both ideas are incompatible!

My thoughts anyway..!

[Cupasoup]

Hi guys,

 

I quickly skimmed the article (i have access). The authors only proposed their method of outward attention being a psychological therapy based on several reports that a mode of inward attention has negative effects on ones state of mind. In other words, they did not actually test neither prove that an increase of outward attention could lead to relieve of psychological symptoms, so its just a theory. I agree however, that this approach would closely mimic meditation, like syntheso said. By silencing the mind, one can find inner peace. Have you ever heard about Eckhart Tolle? He is a spiritual guru and his method is all about letting go of inner thoughts and the continous rambling of the mind by looking around ('stop and smell the flowers'), focusing on the here and now and feeling alive. 

 

Grtz

[Syntheso]

Hi guys,

 

I quickly skimmed the article (i have access). The authors only proposed their method of outward attention being a psychological therapy based on several reports that a mode of inward attention has negative effects on ones state of mind. In other words, they did not actually test neither prove that an increase of outward attention could lead to relieve of psychological symptoms, so its just a theory. I agree however, that this approach would closely mimic meditation, like syntheso said. By silencing the mind, one can find inner peace. Have you ever heard about Eckhart Tolle? He is a spiritual guru and his method is all about letting go of inner thoughts and the continous rambling of the mind by looking around ('stop and smell the flowers'), focusing on the here and now and feeling alive. 

 

Grtz

Yeah, I'm familiar with Tolle, I was thinking about his book The Power of Now when I was writing my last post. Thanks for elucidating the article .