Jo Gardner shares her thinking
‘Improve your health – learn about mindfulness’ says a card put through my door.
A growing use of mindfulness can be found in government, healthcare, hospices, banks, retailers, charities, businesses, education – and now eating! It is advertised as helping people cope with stress, reducing blood pressure and other issues encountered through our busy modern lives.
Buddhist background
Some might remember the earlier attempts to encourage schools to teach Transcendental Meditation. Mindfulness developed in the 70s from these same Buddhist practices. A principle founder of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn, defines it as ‘paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally’. That is, stepping back from mental busyness and focusing on our inner thoughts and bodily sensations in an accepting way. How attractive! Often breathing exercises are suggested for developing awareness of these self-centred activities. However, whether these exercises do have good effects on mental health lacks real proof, and there is evidence of possible harm. [CMF: files 64 – see www.cmf.org.uk]
Root and fruit
Some practitioners are promoting mindfulness as a tool for Christians. Could it be helpful? The root of any technique matters, as it determines the fruit: ‘if the root is holy, so are the branches’ (Romans 11.16). We saw it in the ‘Toronto Blessing’, the root of which was in Prosperity Gospel teachings, which developed from Christian Science, which came from Theosophy/the occult. The fruit was animal noises and antics: a degradation of the image of God in man.
Whereas much of mindfulness is based on secularised Buddhist practice and is possibly fairly innocuous, some promoted practices are not. When writing The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You?, academic psychologists Farias and Wikholm concluded that silent focusing on breathing patterns sounded harmless enough, but observed that ‘…Buddhist meditation was designed not to make us happier, but to radically change our sense of self and perception of the world’. Techniques which start with emptying the mind can lead to being duped by Satan – he is good at faking a sense of the presence of ‘love/God’ – to the entrance of evil spirits and demonic control (Luke 11.24f). Our minds are God-given as a guard against demonic intrusion: ‘… we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10.5).
Why we don’t need it
Why, anyway, would a Christian want to use a technique to meet with God? We have a relationship with him which deepens as we meet him in daily meditation on his Word, in prayer, and in walking with him in obedience. What mindfulness purports to offer is what is already our Christian birthright, an awareness of God which is ours when we live humbly at the foot of the cross, finding acceptance, peace and wholeness as we repent of sin and accept forgiveness.
However, it is sadly the case that many Christians live below par. Fellowship with God is described biblically in the same way as the marriage relationship, the most intimate bond between human beings. Brother Lawrence describes this in his book: The Practice of the Presence of God. True, fellowship with the holy God brings with it an increasing consciousness and confession of sin (1 John 1.5-10), but also a growing of likeness in character. Obedience is joyful when based on love. But mindfulness does not deal with sin and so no real relationship with a holy God is possible (1 John 2.1f).
Early Gnosticism
John wrote his first letter to counteract the teachings of the Gnostics, who were suggesting new ideas to enhance his readers’ experience of God. He says there is no new truth and encourages them to give themselves to deeper learning and fuller practice of gospel truth, as the Scriptures are the only adequate foundation for fellowship with God – giving understanding of his character, his love displayed through the cross, the work of the Holy Spirit, our sinfulness and God’s grace. Six times he uses the word ‘remain’ or ‘continue’ (1 John 2.24f; John 15.5). Feeding on God’s truth should be an essential daily practice. It is also our primary weapon against Satan (Ephesians 6.10f).
Breathing deeply
Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) is also suggested for mindfulness. It is used by Catholics, Gnostics and the Emergent Church, but it is superfluous and damaging to a true experience of God. The method of breathing deeply and repeating a chosen phrase or word produces a passive mind. The meaning of the passage or word is not as important as savouring the feeling engendered, and being open to whatever spirit speaks. Besides this, reading a verse out of context usually leads to misunderstanding. Scripture must be interpreted by Scripture for truth to be understood. Lectio Divina is a form of transcendental meditation which can lead to ungodly mystical experience, to delusion and demonic activity. We must never forget that Satan is ever on the prowl, seeking to devour (1 Peter 5.8f; 2 Corinthians 11.14).
Discernment
How does one distinguish the difference between the felt presence of God’s love and of Satan’s counterfeit? Only a good knowledge of God through his Word enables discernment. But Lectio Divina denies the sufficiency of Scripture, despite the Bible claiming to be all we need to live the Christian life (2 Timothy 3.16,17). Psalm 19.7-14 speaks of Scripture as ‘perfect, reviving the soul’; as ‘right, rejoicing the heart’; ‘pure, enlightening the eyes’; ‘true and righteous altogether’; and ‘more desirable than gold’.
Bible meditation as biblically practised focuses on the character, the deeds and the revealed Word of God for the knowledge and the objective truth they contain. We meditate to enjoy and deepen our relationship with God, not for any mystical experience or feeling of personal power. Scripture gives us guidelines for assessing spiritual experiences and a framework for comprehending them without compromising our communion with God.
Christian meditation therefore contrasts with cosmic meditation in that it is grounded in God`s truth, is a response to God`s revelation and stimulates thought and deep meaning. It is a response to the love of God which heightens our relationship and the growing awareness of God`s love quickens our loving response (1 John 4.19), which leads to worship. Its glory is not in being lifted up ourselves, but in the lifting up of the name of God.
Dangers
Awareness of identity is linked with rational understanding. To shut off rational thought gradually produces a consciousness that lacks this: a widening sense of unreal-ity, a loss of touch with immediate issues and, on a spiritual level, an inability to distinguish important issues from peripheral ones. Mystical meditation dehumanises. In Christian meditation we do not escape our problems by sliding into euphoria but, by reflecting on the goodness of God, we learn to live life as pleasing him in loving fellowship (Colossians 1.9-10f).
Mindfulness is self-centred: attention is concentrated on one’s own self, abilities and problems to the neglect of others.
Mindfulness encourages non-judgmental-ism, which is a denial of moral values and of God’s holiness and sovereignty in creation.
Mindfulness deceives, even in what it suggests it effects and in what it actually does; Christian meditation is based on truth, leading to speaking the truth in love and living it: ‘If the Son makes you free, you are free indeed’ (John 8.36).
Mindfulness is rooted in occultic mysticism; Christian meditation is based in history and reality. Mindfulness is irrational. Christian meditation is a rational use of the mind guided by the Holy Spirit that is appropriate to revealed mystery; to discernment of good and evil and to learning wisdom through God’s Word, the sword of the spirit. Anything new or strange God tells us to ‘enquire, probe, and investigate it thoroughly’ (Deuteronomy13.14).
