Mechanisms of Detached Mindfulness

Brendan Conway-Smith explores the inner workings of detached mindfulness (and Vipassana meditation), a uniquely effective therapy for anxiety and depression.
Despite its proven effectiveness, its mechanisms remain unclear. Brendan sheds light on its underlying components by explaining humans develop metacognitive skill.
Summary:
• Mechanisms of Detached...
Published paper PDF:
cognitivemodeli....
Full video:
mathpsych.org/...
Brendan's homepage:
www.brendancon...

[@leonardmolin3066]

Thanks! I notice you don't include the role of persevering conceptual processing such as worry and rumination, any particular reason why?

[@Meta-Think]

Great question - the answer is that for a short talk like this, we have to narrow down the cognitive processes we focus on, to not have too many spices in the broth. Because emotion and conceptual thought involve different (yet interacting) processes of cognition, it was important to focus on one to make a specific argument. Discussing too many things can overwhelm the listener, and I was attempting to give the researchers attending a straight through line (and less reasons to balk). The paper itself does go into more detail, discussing how detached mindfulness can deactivate Cognitive Attentional Syndrome (CAS), which includes both negative cycles of emotion and thinking (worry, rumination). I invite you to open the PDF link in the video description. Thanks for your question!

[@Tjenaretjenaremannen]

@@Meta-Think What comes first? Are Meta-emotions a consequence of CAS in that case? If we use DM we disengage CAS which results in disengagement of meta-emotions and other emotions/anxiety?

[@Meta-Think]

@@Tjenaretjenaremannen CAS is the name of a psychological condition characterized by negatively-biased cognitive processing. This includes both feelings and thoughts. They are reciprocally connected, where negative thoughts cause negative emotions, and negative emotions prompt negative thoughts. This looping self-reinforcing negative pattern can be exited by developing a refined perception (not conceptual knowledge) of the momentary impermanence of negative feelings. This cuts the looping cycle by allowing feelings to be, and to process without being reacted to and perpetrated.

[@Tjenaretjenaremannen]

How long does it take for detached mindfulness to be applied more automatically (3. Expert)? Does it take a great deal of practice? How do we understand that some ppl grasp this concept of using detached mindfulness (it just clicks for them right away) way more quickly than others? For some ppl it can take time that has maybe been a worried person for whole their life is my observation.

[@Meta-Think]

Everyone has poor metacognitive sensitivity at first, by default. Conceptual knowledge of the impermanence of feelings will have little beneficial effect unless it is used to refine perception itself. Everyone can refine their first-person direct perception of their own feelings. It requires a dedicated mindfulness practice such as Vipassana meditation that will build metacognitive sensitive and disengage negative emotions. With a dedicated practice everyone is capable of direct insight very soon.