mindfulness scientific evidence

Post here if you have been practising for a while, and you are starting to get your head around what this is all about. Also post here if you are a long-term practitioner with something to say about the practice.
scratchet
Posts: 19

Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:15 pm  

i have read quite a few articles on the scientific evidence for mindfulness but I've yet to find anything conclusive, although there are a number of small studies that have already been mentioned in previous posts. i would love to find something that tested against a large number of people with participants from different social groups, ethnicity, nationality, gender etc. with a good control group. but i don't think such study exists, and not sure who would fund it. most studies are sponsored with the aim of selling a drug or product at the end. but mindfulness is free to anyone who is willing.

i was a little concerned about the lack of evidence to begin with but decided to go ahead with it anyway as the general ideas and philosophy appealed, and I'm glad i did. i do of course continue to question everything that i read with the best logic i can. i would you urge you to do the same, you might find the evidence is right under your nose.

User avatar
Gareth
Site Admin
Posts: 1465

Thu Apr 17, 2014 10:21 am  

I am a scientist through and through, always been a logical kind of guy that needs to see evidence to believing anything.

But I got diagnosed with MS, and I was scared and stressed as hell, and I read somewhere that meditation was good for stress relief, so I did it.

I need no other evidence than the way that I feel, the way that I see mindfulness helping me countless times every day. I believe that mindfulness meditation is different, depending on the mind that it is operating on. But for me at least, it has been miraculous.

User avatar
piedwagtail91
Posts: 613
Practice Mindfulness Since: 0- 3-2011
Location: Lancashire witch country

Thu Apr 17, 2014 10:31 am  

I'll second what Gareth says. I went to mindfulness not wanting it to work. I was using it's failure as an excuse to kill myself.
I worked out what it was about on session 2 and haven't looked back. The scientific side of things is of little interest. I've had three great years after 26 years of depression and anxiety hell. I've had to read about the history of mbct for work but that's as far as I feel I want to go.

User avatar
rara
Posts: 255
Location: Huddersfield, UK

Sat Apr 26, 2014 6:16 pm  

Forget Wikipedia and forget science and stats...no wonder you are confused!

Practicing mindfulness on, example, breath quietens the mind anyway, does it not?
Twitter @rarafeed

User avatar
rara
Posts: 255
Location: Huddersfield, UK

Sat Apr 26, 2014 6:17 pm  

piedwagtail91 wrote:I'll second what Gareth says. I went to mindfulness not wanting it to work. I was using it's failure as an excuse to kill myself.
I worked out what it was about on session 2 and haven't looked back. The scientific side of things is of little interest. I've had three great years after 26 years of depression and anxiety hell. I've had to read about the history of mbct for work but that's as far as I feel I want to go.


Oh, and "like" :D
Twitter @rarafeed

van veen
Posts: 4

Mon May 05, 2014 7:51 am  

Hardly this got to do with confusion, it is a way to seek the truth underneath meditation, otherwise it would be the same as be devoted to father Pious or any other cult-like figure.http://www.tricycle.com/blog/meditation-nation
By the way: this is an interesting article on meditation.

User avatar
piedwagtail91
Posts: 613
Practice Mindfulness Since: 0- 3-2011
Location: Lancashire witch country

Mon May 05, 2014 11:34 am  

i really don't see where this is leading. i meditate to learn/enhance the skills which i then use in my daily life.
i honestly don't need a scientist to tell me whether or not it works or why it should or shouldn't.
i know it does,
and from where my life was to where it is now is really all that matters.
i don't see practicing meditation as devotion to anything , it's just meditation, building awareness, building the skills i didn't have before.
i've seen it work for many others, some still coming to meet ups after 5 or 6 years and still seeing benefits.
i don't really need scientist to advise me, my still being here is all the proof i need.
Last edited by piedwagtail91 on Mon May 05, 2014 2:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.

JonW
Team Member
Posts: 2897
Practice Mindfulness Since: 08 Dec 2012
Location: In a field, somewhere

Mon May 05, 2014 12:17 pm  

"I honestly don't need a scientist to tell me whether or not it works or why it should or shouldn't."
I'm agreeing with this. The proof is experiential.
Jon leads the Everyday Mindfulness group meditation on Zoom every Monday/Friday, 6pm London-time. FREE.
Follow this link to join the WhatsApp group and receive notifications: https://chat.whatsapp.com/K5j5deTvIHVD7z71H3RIIk

User avatar
rara
Posts: 255
Location: Huddersfield, UK

Tue May 06, 2014 6:51 pm  

Aye!
Twitter @rarafeed

User avatar
rara
Posts: 255
Location: Huddersfield, UK

Tue May 06, 2014 6:52 pm  

Pleeeeeease can we get like buttons on the forum?
Twitter @rarafeed

  •   Information
  • Who is online

    Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests