Clinical vs. traditional mindfulness

Operational definition: intentional and non-judgmental mindfulness

In the context of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, mindfulness is stripped of its mystical connotations to become a precise technical and psychological tool.

It is operationally defined as the act of paying attention in a specific way: with deliberate intention, focused on the present moment and free of value judgments. This definition involves several critical components.

First, "deliberate intention" means that we get off autopilot; we do not look for the sake of looking, but rather we voluntarily direct our awareness toward an object or sensation.

Second, the focus is on the "present," which cuts off the flow of rumination about the past or worry about the future.

The third component, "no judgment," is perhaps the most challenging. It means observing the experience as it is, without labeling it as "good" or "bad," "fair" or "unfair."

If we feel tension in our neck, mindfulness invites us to notice the tension ("there's pressure here"), rather than eva luate it ("I hate this tension, it's bound to give me a headache").

It is about adopting the posture of an impartial witness to one's own experience, allowing internal events to exist without adding an eva luative narrative to them.

This capacity for pure observation is the basis for breaking the automatic reactivity to our own thoughts and emotions.

Demystification: it is neither relaxation nor blank mind

There is widespread confusion, fueled by popular culture, that the goal of mindfulness is to relax, "blank the mind," or achieve a state of Zen bliss.

From the clinical perspective of ACT, this is incorrect. Mindfulness is a tool for connection, not avoidance.

If you are experiencing intense anxiety, practicing mindfulness will lead you to feel that anxiety with greater clarity and detail, not eliminate it.

Although relaxation can occur as a pleasant side effect, seeking it as a primary goal turns the practice into an exercise in experiential avoidance, which is counterproductive. It is also not about emptying the mind.

It is the nature of the mind to generate thoughts, just as it is the nature of the heart to beat. Trying to stop thinking is a losing battle.

The goal is to notice that the mind is thinking, observe the content of those thoughts and let them pass without getting hooked on them, returning again and again to the anchor of attention. It is a training in "noticing and returning".

Thus, it is not a practice designed to feel good, but to "feel good" (with precision and openness) whatever is present, be it pain or pleasure, allowing full participation in life as it presents itself in the now.

Summary

In the context of ACT, mindfulness is stripped of mystical connotations to be technically defined as intentional attention to the present moment, free of judgments and eva luations.

This practice involves adopting the posture of an impartial witness. It does not seek to label the experience as good or bad, but to observe it as it is, breaking the automatic reactivity.

It is crucial to understand that the goal is not relaxation or to leave the mind blank. It is about accurately connecting with what is happening, be it pain or pleasure.