By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Buddhism began by encouraging its practitioners to engage in smrti (sati) or mindfulness, that is, developing a full consciousness of all about you and within you — whether seated in a special posture, or simply going about one’s life. This is the kind of meditation that Buddha himself […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The Fourfold Right Diligence is nourished by joy and interest. If your practice does not bring you joy, you are not practicing correctly.” – Thich Nhat Hahn In order to progress on the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path, effort must be exerted. One cannot simply sit back and […]
Kick Opioid Dependence with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Ultimately, mindfulness drives at the root of compulsive behaviors by undermining the assumption that inner experience is intolerable and therefore requires immediate relief through substance use.” – Jennifer Talley Substance abuse and addiction is a terrible problem. It isn’t just illicit […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Silent retreats are a kind of crucible that reveal the workings of the mind in a unique and illuminating way.” James Baraz This essay is the 6th of a continuing series of essays about the experience of silent meditation retreat. Click on the numbers to follow the […]
Improve Psychological Health of Veterans with a Mantra By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Asking for clarity provides a way to begin to see a path out of the pain of personal issues. With spiritual support the pain begins to be released, the path becomes clearer and the next step to create the […]
“Speak only if it improves upon the silence.” ― Mahatma Gandhi “silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation.” ― Rumi We spent all of last week at a silent meditation retreat. It is a powerful experience that I highly recommend. First off it is liberating from the mundane chores. Everything […]
Aging the Brain Healthily with Mindfulness “He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition, youth and age are equally a burden.” – Plato (427-346 B.C.) If we are lucky enough to survive long enough we’ll all […]
Spiritual experiences, be they called awakenings, mystical experiences, or enlightenments, involve a shift in how the individual perceives reality. This could be viewed as a spiritual revelation. But it could also be viewed as a change in the neural systems integrating and interpreting experiences. So, are spiritual awakenings revelations of a reality beyond physical […]
“The autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic system, which is often identified with the fight-or-flight response, and the parasympathetic, which is identified with what’s been called the relaxation response. When you do yoga – the deep breathing, the stretching, the movements that release muscle tension, the relaxed focus on being present in your […]
“That’s the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it’s impossible to ever see the end. The fog is like a cage without a key.” – Elizabeth Wurtzel Depression is challenging and […]