Benefits for People who are not lost in thoughts

[arguseyed]

A lot of material on mindfulness that I come across talks about how mindfulness can help people who suffer from anxiety, stress, rumination etc etc. Does mindfulness help those who do not go through these things?

[monkey]

Don't most people have rumination? I think that, for me, practising for a while has meant uncovering things that I wouldn't have said I had going on in my mind but which I realise have always been there and have shaped my actions and relationships without my being aware of it. So I guess that perhaps you can have an idea that you aren't doing something but actually on closer inspection those things are going on.

I'm not saying that's the case for you, just that that's part of the whole process, and often a pretty gnarly part in my experience!

Sorry, realised I didn't answer the question. I think the benefits that are stated in those terms kind of miss the point. Mindfulness and meditation aren't a solution to single problems or a way to be calm, although that does happen too. They are a process of relating to the world and yourself in a whole new way, of learning to see your habitual preconceptions, thought processes and reactions and to make a space where you can decide how you are going to act in the light of what your mind is doing. I can't see that that wouldn't be a good thing for everyone really. I'm interested to know if others see the practice differently though.

[arguseyed]

monkey, I liked what you said about relating to the world and yourself. I guess if someone doesn't ruminate or doesn't wander away is close to perfection.

[JonW]

'Does mindfulness help those who do not go through these things?'

Sure it does. You need need to suffer from something to benefit from mindfulness. JW