Free Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Fabrizio Didonna

that is,
    being dependent on the incessant mental conversation that goes on in our
    minds. There seems to be a unique fascination with this attachment since
    we only feel normal when our minds are thinking a lot and since we think
    that the solution to all of our problems can come solely from thoughts as
    if we had a sort of blind faith in the presumed magical power of thinking
    and re-thinking. Mindfulness offers a passage through which thoughts can
    be stripped of the importance we attribute to them. When we realize that
    our thoughts are non-concrete and have no substance, that their true nature
    does not necessarily have anything to do with reality, we have overcome the
    obstacle of attachment and the possibility that it will degenerate into the
    negative effects of rumination.
    Through diligently practicing the ability to detach ourselves from our own
    thoughts, our consciousness gradually evolves. The consistent practice of
    meditation leads to the intentional suspension of every judgment and evalua-
    tion we make regarding what happens around us and inside us. This allows us
    to observe and accept, without wanting to change, the processes of thought
    and our emotional reactions in all areas of experience. Therefore, the main
    aim of mindfulness-based programs is to help individuals make a transforma-
    tion at the root of their relationship with their thoughts, feelings, and physi-
    cal sensations that contribute to activating and maintaining psychopatholog-
    ical states.
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    Fabrizio Didonna
    The issues that have been discussed demonstrate why and how, especially
    in the last 20 years, there has been a natural and fruitful synthesis between
    mindfulness meditation and cognitive-behavioral approaches. This synthe-
    sis has made significant integrations between the two perspectives possible,
    many of which will be illustrated in this handbook.
    The Clinical Relevance of Mindfulness-Based Treatment
    There are an estimated 10 million practitioners of meditation in the United
    States and hundreds of millions worldwide. The widespread use of medita-
    tion in all the major world religions is based on the experience of many that
    meditation aids several processes related to personal development. Deurr
    (2004) points out that meditation is one of the most widely used, lasting, and
    researched psychological disciplines worldwide. In the last 20 years, there
    has been a dramatic increase in clinical interventions that use meditation
    skills, especially in the form of mindfulness. Salmon, Santorelli, and Kabat-
    Zinn (1998) have reported that over 240 hospitals and clinics internationally
    were offering mindfulness-based stress-reduction trainings as of 1997. This
    number has certainly significantly increased today.
    One of the most significant problems psychology has had in drawing upon
    the practices of Eastern and Buddhist cultures is that until 15–20 years
    ago, the word “meditation” was considered by many to be suspect and
    associated with images of fraudulent mysticism (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Medi-
    tation was almost demonized and considered solely as an esoteric aspect.
    In part this was due to cultural and conceptual ignorance regarding these
    techniques, which have only recently started to be considered in scientific
    research in psychology and neurology. This led some authors (Benson &
    Proctor, 1984), especially in the 1990s, to recommend separating medita-
    tion from its Eastern roots in order to make this practice more appealing
    and acceptable within Western psychotherapy practice (Carrington, 1998;
    Shapiro & Walsh, 1984) and in order to overcome suspiciousness and preju-
    dices. However, leaving out the spiritual aspect of meditation practice may
    limit a complete understanding of the potential of this practice (Kabat-Zinn,
    1990).
    Eastern roots need to be manifested in a universal way and language as skill-
    ful means, so that people who are suffering can understand why meditation
    might be helpful to them