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HEALING POWER OF AWARENESS

D R S . W ILLE M F O N T E IJN- G G ZG R O U P , N E T H E R LA N D S

I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E & E X P O O N C L I N I C A L P S Y C H O L O G Y - O C T O B E R 1 8 - 2 0 , 2 0 1 8

THE CASE OF JOHN

• just a normal guy, 40 years old, overworked/burnout

• married, nice wife, two daughters, nice house, friends

• depressed, low self-esteem, negative thoughts

• suicidal

EFFORTS OF JOHN SO FAR

• why am I suffering?

• what did I do wrong?

• failing in new behavior

• asking his mind to end suffering

• repeating old patterns over and over again

• trying to escape unpleasant thoughts and feelings

• using control

JOHN COMES TO MY OFFICE

WHY?

EXPECTATION OF THE CLIENT

THE END OF

SUFFERING

NATURE OF SUFFERING

S E L F D E S T R U C T I V E C O N V I C T I O N S

B O D I L Y A N D M E N T A L P A I N

D Y S F U N C T I O N A L E M O T I O N S

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LET’S SHIFT TO MIND

ASKING THE MIND TO END THE SUFFERING RESULTS IN

MIND CONTROL

NATURE OF THE MIND (1)

• analyzing and clustering

• thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations

• conditioned

• filled with convictions

• evaluating the past and planning the future

NATURE OF THE MIND (2)

• categorizing experiences

• seeking solutions for the individual

• coping with threat

• complex of algorithms

• bound by logic

MIND IS VERY USEFUL FOR

S O L V I N G P R O B L E M S

D E V E L O P I N G S U R V I V A L R O U T I N E S

D E V E L O P I N G C U L T U R A L C O M F O R T

SO S

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MIND IS NOT USEFUL FOR

M A K I N G A N E N D T O I N D I V I D U A L S U F F E R I N G

M A K I N G L O V E

• analyzing the nature of suffering without finding a clue

• victimizing the individual

• making the same choices, experiencing the same

feelings, thinking the same convictions

BUSY MIND

• analyzing the nature of his suffering without finding a clue

• victimizing John

• making the same choices, experiencing the same feelings,

thinking the same convictions

• feeling desperate, thinking let’s end this

BUSY JOHN

WHAT A SMELL IS FOR THE NOSE, IS A THOUGHT FOR THINKING. - BUDDHA

THINKING MIND

• you are not your thoughts

• freezing is the natural response of a body that can’t

escape from a thoughtOBSERVE THE SPACE BETWEEN YOUR THOUGHTS, THEN OBSERVE THE OBSERVER.- H A M IL T O N B O U D R E A U X

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LET’S SHIFT TO AWARENESS

AWARENESS/CONSCIOUSNESS

• key ingredient for change in psychotherapy

• psychoanalysis brings unconscious conflict to

consciousness

• CBT exploring and challenging dysfunctional hidden

cognitive key convictions about self and the world

• unconditional positive regard (compassion)

AWARENESS IS THE GREATEST AGENT FOR CHANGE. - E C K H A R T T O L L E

NATURE OF AWARENESS

• neutral observing

• here and now

• compassionate

• transforming quality

• being present with the stream of experiences

• open for new experiences

NATURE OF AWARENESS

NOM IND

NOBODY

NOTH ING

NOONE

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EASILY OVERLOOKED MIND AND AWARENESS

• mind is conditioned

• awareness is unconditioned

• mind minimizes threat and seeks comfort

• basic emotion of mind is fear

• basic emotion of awareness is love

MIND AND AWARENESS

MIND AWARENESS

rigid flexible

closed open

anxiety and threat love and opportunity

survival mode innovation mode

conditioned unconditioned

controlling observing

doing being

critisising accepting

TO BELIEVE THAT I, AWARENESS, SHARE THE LIMITS AND THE DESTINY OF THE MIND AND BODY IS LIKE BELIEVING THAT THE SCREEN SHARES THE LIMITS AND DESTINY OF A CHARACTER IN A MOVIE. - R U P E R T S P IR A

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC USE OF AWARENESS

• starts in the therapist’s office

• therapist acts as a role model

• compassionate containing the emotions of client and therapist

• shift the attention to what is happening here and now

• focus at the bodily sensations

ALL STIMULI HAVE THIS QUALITY: PLEASANT, UNPLEASANT, OR NEUTRAL.- N .N .

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PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC USE OF AWARENESS

• pleasant, unpleasant and neutral are the result of the

interaction between you and the stimuli

• pleasant results in approach

• unpleasant results in escape

• neutral than you just go on

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC USE OF AWARENESS

• add awareness to the process

• learn the client to stay present

• observe the stimuli and the tendency to approach and escape

• allow change to happen

• using the body as a mirror for thoughts

• focus on the bodily sensations and posture

BODY

• always present, here and now

• mirror of the mind

• body always reacts on stimuli

• approach or escape

• freeze (dissociating, closure)

• habitual posture reside in connective tissues

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC USE OF ATTENTION

• attention brings phenomena to awareness

• focused attention, absorbed attention, approach

attention

• with mindfulness we train attention, neutral attention

NARROW AWARENESS

A B S O R P T I O N

BROAD AWARENESS

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PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC USE OF ATTENTION

• body, thoughts and emotions mutually influence each

other all the time, are cause for each other

• for instance depression

• negative thoughts, gloomy mood, passive

behavior

• a body-mind system in balance

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC USE OF ATTENTION

• focus on one aspect, the body

• redirecting your attention

• broaden your awareness

• allowing change to happen

• or actively change the posture of the body

• redirecting your attention

• allowing change to happen

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC SESSIONS WITH JOHN

• about 10 sessions during 6 months

• add awareness to what is happening

• notice your thoughts

• just let them come and observe the reactions in your body

• you are not your thoughts

• practice awareness in daily life

• allow change to happen

HOW IS JOHN?

• “great”: no longer suffering

• accepting his life

• curious to new opportunities

• more in connection

• mindful

NOTICING, NAMING AND CONTAININGK E Y IN G R E D IE N T S F O R B E N E F IC IA L C H A N G E

CONTAINING INSTEAD OF EXPLAINING

CIRCLE OF AWARENESS

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INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY INSIGHT MEDITATION

T H E R E IS P A N IC , W E L C O M E P A N ICA T T E N T IO N W A N T S T O G O A W A Y , W A N T S T O E S C A P E

B O D Y C A N ’T E S C A P E , F R E E Z E SP A N IC IS E V E R Y W H E R E IN T H E W H O L E B O D Y

T H IS M U S T S T O P , I H A V E T O G E T A W A Y , G O O U T S ID EB R IN G Y O U R A W A R E N E S S T O Y O U R F E E T O N T H E G R O U N D

C A N Y O U F E E L Y O U R F E E T O N T H E G R O U N DJ U S T K E E P Y O U R A T T E N T IO N W IT H Y O U R F E E T O N T H E

G R O U N DW H A T D O Y O U N O T IC E ?

P A N IC V A N IS H E S , C A L M S D O W N … … ..

PANIC

PRACTICE AWARENESS IN DAILY LIFE AND IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE.

- W IL L E M F O N T E IJ N

J O U R N A L O F B E H A V I O R A L M E D I C I N E

N y k l i c e k , D i j k s m a , L e n d e r s , F o n t e i j n & K o o l e n ( 2 0 1 2 )

PUBLICATION

I N T E R A C T I O N E F F E C T .

P = 0 , 0 9 1

W I T H

C O V A R I A T E :

P = 0 , 0 5 8

P O W E R = M E D I U M

RESULTS QUALITY OF LIFE

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9

RESULTS: ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

INTERACTION EFFECTP = 0,034POWER = MEDIUM

CONTROL COVARIATE:P = 0,046POWER = MEDIUM

MAIN EFFECT (TIME)WITH AND WITHOUT COVARIATE:P = 0.001POWER = LARGE

A N N A I S A W O M A N I N H E R M I D - F O R T I E S . S H E J O I N E D A M I N D F U L N E S S R E T R E A T A S P A R T O F H E R M E D I T A T I O N P R A C T I C E .

T H E C I R C L E W A S P A R T O F T H E P R O G R A M . A N N A W A S E X C I T E D B Y

T H E M E T H O D O F T H E C I R C L E A N D K E P T O N T E L L I N G E V E R Y O N E H O W G O O D T H E T R A I N E R H A D B E E N O N H I S J O B A S W E L L H O W

N I C E I T H A D B E E N F O R H E R W H E N S H E F I N A L L Y U N D E R S T O O D T H E P R O C E S S O F I N S I G H T M E D I A T I O N . E V E R Y T I M E A N O T H E R

P A R T I C I P A N T S T E P P E D I N T O T H E C I R C L E T O E X P L O R E H I S O R H E R

I S S U E S , A N N A W A S E A G E R T O G I V E H E R F E E D B A C K A B O U T T H E P S Y C H O L O G I C A L B A C K G R O U N D O F T H E I S S U E R A I S E D . F I N A L L Y S H E

S T E P P E D I N T O T H E C I R C L E H E R S E L F A N D W A N T E D T O E X P L O R E H E R O W N F E E L I N G S O F I N F E R I O R I T Y . I S T A R T E D B Y S U G G E S T I N G T O H E R

H O W S H E M I G H T E X P L O R E H E R F E E L I N G S O F I N F E R I O R I T Y B Y

O B S E R V I N G T H E W A Y S H E M O V E D H E R B O D Y .

A N N A W O R K E D H A R D . S H E W A S A B L E T O E X P R E S S H E R T H O U G H T S A N D W H I L E D O I N G S O , E X P L A I N T H E M T O T H E T R A I N E R S . S H E

R E P L I E D T H A T T H I S W A S A L L V E R Y H E L P F U L I N U N D E R S T A N D I N G

H E R F E E L I N G S O F I N F E R I O R I T Y . S T I L L , E V E N T H O U G H A N N A S T A T E D T H A T S H E U N D E R S T O O D I T M U C H B E T T E R , H E R B O D Y S H O W E D N O

R E L I E F . S H E K E P T O N W A L K I N G W I T H H E R H E A D L O W A N D S H O U L D E R S T E N S E .

TRANSFORMING QUALITY OF AWARENESS

THE STORY OF ANNAW H E N I G A V E H E R T H I S O B S E R V A T I O N , S H E W A S S U R P R I S E D A N D C O N F U S E D . S H E T R I E D T O C O R R E C T H E R P O S T U R E A N D A P A I N F U L

E X P R E S S I O N C A M E T O H E R F A C E . A T T H E E N D O F T H E G R O U P

S E S S I O N T H A T M O R N I N G , W H I L E I G A V E S O M E F I N A L R E M A R K S F O R T H E R E M A I N D E R O F T H E P R O G R A M , A N N A S T A R T E D T O C R Y A N D

S A I D T H A T I T H U R T V E R Y M U C H . I A S K E D H E R T O S T A Y W H I L E T H E R E S T O F T H E G R O U P W E N T F O R L U N C H .

S I T T I N G T O G E T H E R I A S K E D A N N A T O O B S E R V E T H E P A I N A N D K E E P H E R F O C U S O N T H E P A I N B Y J U S T O B S E R V I N G T H E P A I N H E R E A N D

N O W . W E B O T H S A T T H E R E F O R A B O U T H A L F A N H O U R A N D R E M A I N E D F U L L Y A W A R E O F T H E P A I N . A N N A K E P T O N S A Y I N G

H O W M U C H I T H U R T A N D I S U P P O R T E D H E R B Y I N V I T I N G H E R T O

S T A Y I N T H E M O M E N T A N D A L L O W T H E P A I N T O B E J U S T A S I T I S .

I N T H I S S T A T E O F F U L L P R E S E N C E A N D A W A R E N E S S A S H I F T O C C U R R E D . A N N A B E C A M E F U L L Y A W A R E A N D C L E A R M I N D E D . T H I S

S T A T E R E M A I N E D F O R T H E R E S T O F T H E D A Y A N D L A T E R A N N A

D E S C R I B E D T H I S A S R E A L B R E A K T H R O U G H A N D R E L I E F O F H E R S U F F E R I N G F R O M A N A B U S I V E C H I L D H O O D .

U S I N G T H E B O D Y A S A M I R R O R F O R T H O U G H T S : A P S Y C H O T H E R A P E U T I C A P P R O A C H

W IL L E M F O N T E I J N

CIRCLE OF AWARENESS

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I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E & E X P O O N C L I N I C A L P S Y C H O L O G Y - O C T O B E R 1 8 - 2 0 , 2 0 1 8