Name: Mindfulness
ISBN: 9780738217994

Mindfulness

In the years since it was first published, this influential book based on the highly innovative findings of social psychologist Dr. Ellen J. Langer and her team of researchers at Harvard made its mark for its unique concept of mindfulness, thoroughly adapted to contemporary life in the West. Langeŕ??s theory has been applied to a wide number of fields, including health, business, aging, prejudice, and learning. There is now a new psychological assessment based on her work (called the Langer Mindfulness Scale) as well as an institute in Mexico founded to apply the concepts of mindfulness to health and wellness. In her introduction to this 25th anniversary edition, Dr. Langer outlines some of these exciting applications and suggests those still to come.

What Hacker News says

alfonsodevMay 2018

This book called Mindfulness[1], was gifted to me, is very short and easy to read, it has nothing to do about spirituality (which I though it was), and has real life and practical examples. So because it changed my view then I could benefit from a lot of other good materials and talks that before this book I'd not even consider. Long term it also gave me a rational reason to meditate.

I think the saying "the master appears when the student is ready" kind of applies to books, it the depends the moment of your life the book will tell you something or not.

[1]https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-25th-anniversary-Merloyd-...

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malingoFeb 2018

I also like the mindfulness approach of Ellen Langer, who recommends active observation of surroundings, which has a side effect of quieting the mind and providing the same benefits (for me at least) of breathing-focused mindfulness meditation. Almost like a shortcut right to your point B.

"Mindfulness, she tells the medical school audience, is the process of actively noticing new things, relinquishing preconceived mindsets, and then acting on the new observations. Much of the time, she says, our behavior is mindless."

https://harvardmagazine.com/2010/09/the-mindfulness-chronicl...

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submetaOct 2017

There is no need for scientific proof. I observe that being mindful changes things for me: The way I listen to people, the way I eat, the way I handle rejection or anger or any other feeling. I realize that being mindful (vs mindlessly and blindly doing things) sharpens my senses, makes me think clearer, makes me change perspectives, create more categories or realize that I think within categories.

I got in touch with mindfulness by reading one of Jon Kabat-Zinn's books ("Wherever you go, there you are"). That was almost twenty years ago. Shortly after that I read Ellen Langer's book "Mindfulness", which is more about the negative effects of mindlessness.

I think that the pure process of observing something (mindfully) has the potential to positively influence the results. Whether I sit down quietly and observe my feelings and thoughts (things that happened in the past or things that'll happen in the future) as they come and go. Or as I interact with people, or as I walk, travel or engage in any type of activity.

I don't need scientific evidence that all of this has a measurable positive effect. My own observation is enough evidence for me.

Edit: typo

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bytematicJul 2018

https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-25th-anniversary-Merloyd-...

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