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Ask HN: Can mindfulness be maintained when lost in thought?

2 points by desertraven ↗ HN
Ok... so a bit off topic here. Recently I have found great reward in keeping with the moment as much as possible [1]. Simply watching what arises in my experience as low-level as possible.

In reality, I briefly watch the mind as it thinks, then I, the observer get swept up into the thought itself.

I pop out the other side after seconds, minutes, hours, days. I am self aware again.

My question is, where is it that I go during this process? Can observation take place there? Should one avoid this state (with effort), or accept its coming and going?

State A is watching whatever arises, including myself.

State B is forgetting that there is even one to watch.

What is the relationship between these states?

[1] - Waking Up app - of late James Low)

5 comments

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n3storm
Mindfulness is a pseudoscience which can lead you to a mental illness, anxiety, and other mental states contrary to what mindfulness gurus claim.
desertraven
Is there any further reading I can do on this? Or could you elaborate?

Obviously I meditate, but I do see how it could lead to drastic changes in how one exists in the world.

Is the nature of mind best not investigated first hand? The downsides may be mental health issues, but are there any upsides to this kind of practice?

LunarAurora
It is not mindfulness itself that is pseudoscience, but the simplified claims of new/modernized techniques that are put under that name, and their rush to link themselves to state-of the-art neuroscience and experimental psychology.

It is worth repeating the (Wikipedia) definition of mindfulness: "Mindfulness is the practice of purposely bringing one's attention to the present-moment experience without evaluation"

In this raw simple form, mindfulness is always a net positive (in the long term). However, I agree with you that special techniques (and obsession) can lead to negative effects especially when done without guidance. The reason is simple: Any powerful technique/technology is quite harmful when misused, and the mind is a fragile system.