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Part 1

Theory, Conceptualization,

and Phenomenology

1

Mindfulness: What Is It? Where Did

It Come From?

Ronald D. Siegel, Christopher K. Germer, and Andrew Olendzki

We can make our minds so like still water that beings gather about

us, that they may see, it may be, their own images, and so live for

a moment with a clearer, perhaps even with a fiercer life because of

our quiet.

William Butler Yeats

Throughout history, human beings have sought to discover the causes of

suffering and the means to alleviate it. Sooner or later, we all ask the same

questions: “Why am I not feeling better?” “What can I do about it?” Inhabiting

a physical body inevitably exposes us to pain associated with sickness, old

age, and death. We also struggle emotionally when confronted with adverse

circumstances or with benign circumstances that we see as adverse. Even

when our lives are relatively easy, we suffer when we don’t get what we

want, when we lose what we once had, and when we have to deal with

what we do
not
want. From birth until death, we are relentlessly trying to

feel better.

As this book will show, mindfulness is a deceptively simple way of relat-

ing to all experience that can reduce suffering and set the stage for positive

personal transformation. It is a core psychological process that can alter how

we respond to the unavoidable difficulties in life—not only to everyday exis-

tential challenges, but also to severe psychological problems such as suicidal

ideation
(Linehan, 1993),
chronic depression
(Segal, Williams, & Teasdale

2002),
and psychotic delusions
(Bach & Hayes, 2002).

Mindfulness is not new. It’s part of what makes us human—the capacity to

be fully conscious and aware. Unfortunately, we are usually only in this state

for brief periods of time and are soon reabsorbed into familiar daydreams and

personal narratives. The capacity for
sustained
moment-to-moment aware-

ness, especially in the midst of emotional turmoil, is a special skill. Fortu-

nately, it is a skill that can be learned.

Mindfulness is an elusive, yet central, aspect of the 2,500-year-old tradition

of Buddhist psychology. We can talk about mindfulness or write at length

about it, but to truly understand mindfulness, we have to experience it

directly. This is because mindfulness points to something intuitive and pre-

conceptual. With committed practice, every person can gradually figure out

how to become more and more mindful in life, even in the face of significant

suffering. Cultivating mindfulness is, and has always been, a deeply personal

journey of discovery.

17

18

Ronald D. Siegel, Christopher K. Germer, and Andrew Olendzki

The Ancient Meaning of Mindfulness

“Mindfulness,” as used in ancient texts, is an English translation of the Pali

word,
sati
, which connotes
awareness, attention
, and
remembering
. (Pali is

the language in which the teachings of the Buddha were originally recorded.)

The first dictionary translation of
sati
into “mindfulness” dates to 1921

(Davids & Stede 1921/2001).
As we shall see, the definition of “mindfulness”

has been somewhat modified for its use in psychotherapy, and it now encom-

passes a broad range of ideas and practices.

Awareness is inherently powerful, and attention, which is focused aware-

ness, is still more powerful. Just by becoming aware of what is occurring

within and around us, we can begin to untangle ourselves from mental pre-

occupations and difficult emotions. Sometimes this can be quite simple, as

in the case of a mentally retarded man who managed his anger outbursts

by shifting his attention to the “soles of the feet” whenever he noticed he

was angry
(Singh, Wahler, Adkins, & Myers, 2003).
By redirecting attention, rather than trying to control or suppress intense emotions, we can regulate

how we feel.

Another aspect of mindfulness is “remembering.” This does not refer to

memory of past events. Rather, it means remembering to be aware and pay

attention, highlighting the importance of
intention
in mindfulness practice.

Each moment we remind ourselves: “Remember—be aware!”

But “mindfulness” means more than being
passively
aware or being aware

for awareness’ sake. The Buddhist scholar,
John Dunne (2007),
has pointed out that awareness, attention, and remembering (
sati
) are present when a

sniper, with malice in his heart, aims at an innocent victim. Obviously this

is not what we’re trying to cultivate as psychotherapists, nor is it the goal of

Buddhist psychology. Rather, the purpose of mindfulness in its ancient con-

text is to eliminate needless suffering by cultivating insight into the workings

of the mind and the nature of the material world. The mindfulness practi-

tioner is actively working with states of mind in order to abide peacefully in

the midst of whatever happens.

Through mindfulness, we develop “street smarts” to manage the mind

(Bhikkhu, 2007).
It helps us to recognize when we also need to cultivate

other mental qualities—such as alertness, concentration, lovingkindness, and

effort—to skillfully alleviate suffering. For example, if in meditation we are

being self-critical, we may want to add a dose of compassion; if we are feel-

ing lazy, we might want to try to raise the level of energy in the mind or

body. Mindfulness alone is not sufficient to attain happiness, but it provides

a solid foundation for the other necessary factors
(Rapgay & Bystrisky 2007).

In the classical literature, mindfulness was usually discussed in terms of its

function
, not as a goal in itself. Mindfulness is ultimately part of a project

designed to uproot entrenched habits of mind that cause unhappiness, such

as the afflictive emotions of anger, envy, or greed, or behaviors that harm

ourselves and others.

The recent focus on mindful awareness in psychotherapy is a strategic cor-

rection to some modern treatment trends. Many well-intentioned therapists

prematurely attempt to “fix” a patient’s problems, unwittingly bypassing self-

acceptance and self-understanding. As will be demonstrated throughout this

volume, our emotional and behavioral problems can be amplified by our

Chapter 1 Mindfulness

19

instinctive efforts to avoid discomfort by propelling ourselves into change-

seeking activity. The approach of the new, mindfulness-oriented agenda is

“awareness and acceptance first, change second.”

Therapeutic Mindfulness

As mindfulness is adopted by Western psychotherapy and migrates away

from its ancient roots, its meaning is expanding. Most notably, mental quali-

ties beyond
sati
(awareness, attention, and remembering) are being included

in “mindfulness” as we adapt it to alleviate clinical conditions. These qualities

include
nonjudgment, acceptance
, and
compassion

Jon Kabat-Zinn, the foremost pioneer in the therapeutic application of

mindfulness, defines it as “the awareness that emerges through paying atten-

tion on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfold-

ing of experience moment to moment”
(Kabat-Zinn 2003,
p. 145). In 2004,

Bishop et al. (2004)
offered a consensus paper on the definition of mindfulness: Mindfulness is “self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on

immediate experience, thereby allowing for increased recognition of men-

tal events in the present moment” and “adopting a particular orientation