Enacting Mindfulness: A View from Cognitive Science with Evan Thompson, PhD

[@philipm3173]

Monumental in scope whilst clear and succinct. Bravo.

[@rossmoore7868]

The distinction between classical mindfulness and non-dual mindfulness is overstated as the Satipatthana Sutta clearly indicates we merely watch the coming and going of thoughts, feelings etc. This leads to non-dual awareness because appearing phenomena are recognised as inseparable from sheer awareness.

[@metta1773]

I do not agree with what was stated around the 38min mark, regarding changes in brain regions that can happen as a result of mindfulness. This is because in these contexts, researchers are observing certain neural changes that have been *previously linked* to observations such as reductions in stress. For example, a reduction in the size of the amygdala is well known to be associated with reduced stress (based on several studies of induced stress) and mindfulness practices are also known to bring about reductions in the size of the amygdala, clearly indicating that these practices are reducing stress. Similarly, mindfulness brings about greater connectivity of brain networks and here again, this change is tied to better mental health (e.g. better emotional regulation) in individuals.

[@76Terrell]

The key point he's making there is that neurological reduction alone is insufficient for contextualizing mindfulness. Yes you are right about the role of the amygdala in intense emotional processing, but we should also consider sympathetic nervous system activation throughout the body, behavioral changes regarding avoidance of stressors, social relationality and so on.