Imagine a world where organizations practiced mindfulness, in which they were acutely aware of the impact of their actions with a desire to not only make a positive, ethical impact on others but on all the stakeholders involved. My intention in this article touches lightly on the current state of mindfulness study, its implementation in organizations and its known impacts. This article is the beginning of my thesis research for my graduate degree.
Mindfulness Defined
A basic understanding of mindfulness is the ability of being mindful of events, bringing oneself back to the present moment, intentionally monitoring ones thoughts. (Bishop, et al., 2004) There can be many intentions or reasons for creating a mindfulness practice, with the result effecting one either physically and/or mentally. Much of the interest in clinical application is in the pursuit of a reduction in stress, depression or physical pain. (Katat-Zinn & Burney, 1985) In medicine, mindfulness can help a patient to overcome or treat a medical condition such as high blood pressure. (Dhiman, 2009) While there appears to be no one agreed definition of mindfulness, and no one expert, it is generally believed that mindfulness originated from Buddhist traditions as a path leading to the cessation of personal suffering. (Bishop, et al., 2004)
Mindfulness and Medicine
The medical field has found that effectiveness of treatments by a doctor increased when the patient incorporates a mindfulness practice. (Fosnaugh, Geers, & Wellman, 2009) The power of the mind has been captured in many scientific studies and is known to be basis for the effectiveness of a placebo effect. (Geers, Helfer, Weiland, & Kosbab, 2006) When a person believes in a desired result, then the probability of that result increases substantially. (Benedetti, Carlino, & Pollo, 2010) A classic trial was performed by a Dr. Bruce J. Moseley in which he performed arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee on 180 patients. Some of those patients received a placebo surgery in which he went through the motion of doing the surgery, putting the patient under, making the incision and talking through the procedure, but did not actually perform the procedure. The results were that the placebo group reported no less pain or better function than the non-placebo group. (Moseley, O’Malley, Petersen, & Menke, 2002)
In a more recent study, it was found that when a patient believed and had faith in the wisdom of their doctor, they had a greater success in their treatment. (Bensing & Verheul, 2010) (Beebe, 2010) In this study, it was found that when the doctor engaged in a conversation with the patient, taking the time to assure the patient of the outcome of the treatment, it had a significant impact on the patients’ experience. In a similar study, it was shown that when a patient was more optimistic (i.e. engaged in a mindful practice which incorporated optimism) about their treatment program and participated in setting treatment goals, they too tended to experience more successful results. (Geers, Wellman, Seligman, Wuyek, & Neff, 2010)
Mindfulness and Psychology
Psychologists have been successfully using various mindfulness practices with their patients to help them reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is used widely to reduce psychological morbidity associated with chronic illnesses and to treat emotional and behavioural disorders. (Bishop, et al., 2004) Psychologist and Psychiatrists find that a mindfulness practice helps their patients become less stressed, anxious, and depressed. These patients engaged in a mindfulness practice that consisted of some type of ritual or routine in which they would capture their thoughts, through journaling, talking with others, or meditation, determine if those thoughts served them, and then choose their desired thoughts. (Bishop, et al., 2004) (Carmody, Baer, Lykins, & Olendzki, 2009) By doing this, they were able to create a Balanced State of Mind (BSOM), creating more automatic positive thoughts versus automatic negative thoughts. One study done by Shin Wong Shyh showed how achieving a BSOM increased overall well-being, while decreasing depression and stress. (Shyh, 2010)
Mindfulness and Neuroscience
What neuroscientists have found is that by engaging in a mindful practice, a person’s physical, biological disposition changes. In the case of placebo effect, like the knee surgery, the body was able to “heal” itself. Neuroscientists have determined that the success of a placebo effect is achieved through different stimuli, such as words and rituals of the therapeutic act, which changes the chemistry and circuitry of the patient’s brain. (Benedetti, Carlino, & Pollo, 2010) In addition, the research done on mirror neurons of the brain show that observational social learning produced placebo responses that were similar to those induced by directly experiencing the benefit. (Benedetti, Carlino, & Pollo, 2010) In other words, even just by watching someone else’s experience triggers the same neurons in their brain as the person actually having the experience. Thus, ones environment may have an impact on an individual’s well-being.
With psychiatric patients, studies have shown that meditation can produce increases in relative left-sided anterior activation that are associated with reductions in anxiety and stress. And that mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) has demonstrable effects on brain and immune functions. (Davidson, et al., 2003) As more is discovered about the placebo effects, neuroscientists are finding that there are many mechanisms that contribute to placebo effects such as MBSR, communication, observation, belief. (Finniss, Kaptchuk, Miller, & Benedetti, 2010) In fact, it is proposed that placebo effects can exist in clinical practice, even if no placebo is given. (Finniss, Kaptchuk, Miller, & Benedetti, 2010)
Mindfulness and Organizations / Culture
The medical world has proven that the mind/body correlation is real and that the mind does have a tremendous impact on a person’s well-being. Now, lets translate this impact into the organization. More and more studies have analysed the effects of mindfulness – being aware of ones thoughts, actions and impact – and its effect on the organization or culture. (Dhiman, 2009) These positive values and beliefs in a sense can be shared subconsciously through an organization, which are termed “memes”. Memes are a unit of cultural ideas, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, or other phenomena. (Blackmore, 2000) (Henrich, Boyd, & Richerson, 2008) (Plotkin, 2000) (Satterwhite, Feldman, Catrambone, & Dai, 2000)
A study done by Pipe shows that many highly effective leaders are also grounded by internal personal work of self-reflection and growth – a mindfulness practice. (Pipe, 2008) Thus, not only can a mindfulness practice impact the effectiveness of a leader but it can also effect the entire organization. (Leung, Ip, & Leung, 2010)
Conclusion
The studies done on the mind/body connection and the power of the mind believing in an outcome has significant results on the actual outcome. (Aunger, 2002) A mindfulness practice can help one to develop this belief. In addition, when a person practices mindfulness, not only is there an increase in ones well-being (Shapiro, Oman, Thoresen, Plante, & Flinders, 2008), they also become more authentic to themselves and their values, which then is positively reflected in their external relationships. (Fosnaugh, Geers, & Wellman, 2009) When a group of mindful individuals come together (i.e. in an organization) and share in a collective vision, they too positively impact not only the collective body of the organization but the external relationships of that organization as well. (Borgogni, Petitta, & Mastrorilli, 2010) (Peters & Kashima, 2003)
I believe an opportunity exists to explore the effects of teaching mindfulness as a practice throughout organizations. As a result, I hypothesize that not only will individuals improve their well-being through a mindfulness practice, but that the organization as a whole will experience a higher state of mindfulness, resulting in more consciously aware and compassionate, empathetic organization in which the values of the organization will turn from profit driven greed and short sightedness to a more holistic systemic living systems view.
In order to create a world where individuals and organizations are conscious of their impact on humanity and the environment requires empathy and compassion. I believe that leaders and individuals who practice mindfulness will also naturally be more empathetic, which will then spread throughout the rest of humanity.
Works Cited
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