Is Mindfulness Integratable with Christianity?

Over the past 30-some-odd years since mindfulness made its way Westward, the influences of Western thought and science (particularly neuroscience). have had an impact on our understanding of mindfulness and the meditative arts with the aid of such revolutionaries as Jon Kabat-Zinn, Daniel Siegel, Sharon Salzberg, and Jack Kornfield (to name just a few such luminaries). Some (i.e.; Buddhist purists) may not see this as a good thing. My notion of this is there is a fear that Buddhist thought and psychology will be watered down by Western marketing of mindfulness. This is not altogether inaccurate. But, in my mind at least, it would not be much different than saying Christianity is watered down by the proliferation of Christian books, Christian music, a proliferation of versions of Scripture (including one of my personal favorites - the Life Recovery Bible.

What I think is more salient in this discussion is that geometrically growing advances in neuroscience have helped us to see that much of what the Buddha taught about the mind now has empirical verification; something more plausible to the Western mind and, yes, more marketable. Who loves self-help books more than the American public (to the tune of about $10 billion dollars annually)? One particularly important contribution to this knowledge is Rick Hanson's Buddha's Brain: The practical neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom (2009) and his lovely and practical Just one thing: Developing a Buddha brain one simple practise at a time (Hanson, Rick, 2011).

I tell you all this because it is one set of evidence that the Buddha did not create these ideas but simply observed them and coded them in a simple set of principals. Coming, as I do, from an unashamed Christian Worldview, it is likely more satiable to many Christians to discuss how mindfulness and meditative practises (like formal medication, mindful living, and contemplative prayer) weigh out on the scale of God's Word. It would be difficult in light of current neurological evidence to deny the plethora of benefits that mindfulness seems to afford its practitioners. From what we now know of brain plasticity, there are many ways the brain (and thus the mind) is constantly malleable to new learning. Literally, through mindfulness practises we can exercise our brains and minds so as to develop them in ways that benefit us.

One purpose of this humble blog is to create discussions on how what we are learning can be grafted into our growing field of the integration of Psychology and Christianity.If we can but leave the notion that we are somehow swallowing Buddhism (whether in religious or psychological form) hook, line, and sinker, we may find that once again the creature has brought something to bear on our understanding of the Creator.

In future posts I hope to explore the integration of mindfulness and mindful living into practical Christianity and demonstrate any way it can be utilized to help us to grow and better serve the Kingdom of God, I also hope to make cases that it has the potential to enhance Bible study, prayer, fellowship, Christian service, and personal reflection and change.

Is mindfulness for everyone? I wish it were so, but admit that likely it is not. Can one benefit from any of it without feeling the unconscious desire to run off to the Himalayas and join an Ashram. If this is your worry, I commend to you a sage piece of wisdom delivered to those who first venture skeptically into a Twelve Step Program such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

"Take what you can and leave the rest. But keep coming back..."