May I suggest that if you're suffering from PTSD, depression,

[Jackpine Radical]

grief, anxiety, etc. that you check out the potential benefits of meaningfulness meditation? Buddhists, Tibetans in particular, stumbled onto some very powerful secrets a long time ago, and western psychologists (and a few psychiatrists) are finally beginning to catch on.

The meditation techniques are totally compatible with virtually any religious background, or none. It is not about beliefs, but about a way of being in the world.

Here s an excellent book to start with:

Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart [Paperback]
Tara Bennett-Goleman

http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Alchemy-Mind-Heal-Heart/dp/0609809032/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356882377&sr=8-1&keywords=tara+goleman

“May this very important and enticing book find its way into the hearts of readers near and far so that it can perform its mysterious and healing alchemy for the benefit of all.” —John Kabat-Zinn, author of Wherever You Go, There You Are and
Professor of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School

The Transformative Power of Mindfulness

Alchemists sought to transform lead into gold. In the same way, says Tara Bennett- Goleman, we all have the natural ability to turn our moments of confusion or emotional pain into insightful clarity.

Emotional Alchemy maps the mind and shows how, according to recent advances in cognitive therapy, most of what troubles us falls into ten basic emotional patterns, including fear of abandonment, social exclusion (the feeling that we don’t belong), and vulnerability (the feeling that some catastrophe will occur). This remarkable book also teaches us how we can free ourselves of such patterns and replace them with empathy for ourselves and others through the simple practice of mindfulness, an awareness that lets us see things as they truly are without distortion or judgment. Emotional Alchemy provides an insightful explanation of how mindfulness can change not only our lives, but the very structure of our brains, giving us the freedom to be more creative and alive.

Here is a beautifully rendered work full of Buddhist wisdom and stories of how people have used mindfulness to conquer their self-defeating habits. The result is a whole new way of approaching our relationships, work, and internal lives.

[applegrove]

2. I naturally have the ability to focus and get lost in things. Saved my ass a great deal.

[libodem]

3. I think it can help

But it is a discipline and takes a little committment. I took a ten day Veposhina(sp), no idea how to spell it in 1976. It was mind expanding but I've had horrible follow through.

It is good for getting a grip on that blathering parent tape and putting it on forced ignore. That seems to be the 'voice' that wants to interrupt when I get two seconds of silence, and it exclaims you're doing it.


We'd all be better for a little serenity prayer and meditation each day. It is that time of year for resolutions.

You first.

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Vipassana.

And you're due for a refresher.

As for me on the resolution think, well, if you insist,

I hereby resolve to continue my 33-year practice of daily meditation.

[libodem]

5. Good on ya

I'm due to add more discipline into my life. I was awarded disability in May. I'm so grateful. I slacked off and went into a freefloat.

I'm searching for that age old quest: Who am I, and what is my purpose? I'm a bit unfulfilled, at this point.

Woman's search for meaning.


Thank you for the spelling. And I totally admire your disciple in practicing your meditation

I have a daily Alanon reading that gives my ship an mini manifesto.

[dreamnightwind]

6. Anyon read these other books?

Thanks for bringing this book to my attention.

I noticed a couple of related books that look interesting, and am wondering if anyone here has experience with them:

Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition; Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
by Daniel Goleman (husband of Tara Bennett-Goleman)

Emotional Intelligence 2.0
by Travis Bradberry (Hardcover)

My time is limited, so I won't be reading all of them, mostly looking for a starting point to work on some of these issues. I have plenty of experience with mindfulness meditation, mostly looking to improve emotional and social competence.

[Jackpine Radical]

7. Before committing to a whole book, I suggest you try Wikipedia.

I haven't looked at their entry, but I do know that a number of psychologists don't see it as quite as important as Goleman does. Judge for yourself.

BTW, Goleman has also written about meditation. His book The Meditative Mind is a great intro to the various meditative traditions. He's written some new stuff too, including a book with Richard Davidson (UW-Madison psychological researcher who is frequently visited by the Dalai Lama), but I haven't seen the newer things.

[undergroundpanther]

8. meditation doesn't help

I find more active things do like art etc.keep me connected. Just letting thoughts come and go is not a good thing for me .My thoughts come and go all day,I can lose entire days.
And I haven't a clue where it went. Dissociation can be like meditation as can Hyper-focus like in ADHD which I also have. And yes I have focused to the point I saw the blueness and beyond and completely was aware of everything and non-being..I still feel deep sadness and tortured dreams waking up heart pounding hard.

[BeHereNow]

10. With all due respect to Jackpine...

This very thread only supports why we need another group
as the one you have proposed in Meta...designed more for research,
and discussions such as this very one.
My 2 cents.
I think JPR has the very best intentions, but we need another forum
for these types of discussions.

BHN

[HereSince1628]

11. Maybe, but this IS actually about personal experience with mental illness

And the expression of personal experience is decidely not my goal for the propsed group, which I hope to be driven by published reports.

I think within this thread there is an important point being made:
Our experiences while perhaps not unique are very idiosyncratic.

DBT and the many subsequent approaches related to Bhuddism argued by Kabat-Zinn and Linehan and her acolytes, work for many. Linehan designed DBT with women in mind and that's the population on which it's validating clinical trials were conducted.

The person to whom I replied has a similar profile to my own. Meditation didn't work for the person to whom I was responding, and DBT and 'mindfulness' didn't work for me. That IS our experience. It's limited and idiosyncratic, but it shouldn't be invalidated. Indeed the realization that I am not alone in my struggle with ineffectiveness is somewhat reassuring. It is not JUST me.

It's probably an important thing to have on record. EVERY therapy DOES NOT work for everyone.

JP is a licensed clinician would probably appreciate that.

I think it's a mistake to be mesmerized by the notion that a safe zone can only include posts which are positive and uplifting. It's really about being empathetic and avoiding comments that could be triggering

No one expects complete positiveness in any other peer-to-peer group, I don't see a useful purpose for that standard here.

[Still Blue in PDX]

12. Thank you for saying this so well.

I thought it was just me.