Using the he words mindfulness and meditation interchangeably is wrong. Not all mindfulness involves meditation. And yet there is plenty of objective scientific evidence evidence that mindfulness has benefits, outcomes and works. MRI scans don't lie. We are not dumb masses incapable of critical analysis. Just because something becomes popular does not mean it's without merit. The Harvard business school comments come on the back of a large research project the Harvard business students volunteered for. And yes it proved outcomes.
I didn't notice any interchangable use of the words mindfulness and meditation, but the author does use the term "mindfulness meditation" rather than just mindfulness. The article was admittedly snarky, but not offensively so, IMHO. I don't think it was implied that anyone is dumb or incapable of critical analysis, or that something being popular means it's without merit. Popular things do deserve a bit more scrutiny simply because they affect more people. As for brain scans proving outcomes, the author remains unconvinced for reasons he states in the article thusly:
If people doubt your mind cure, show them brain scans to make it seem more “scientific.” Decades ago, researchers trying to defend psychotherapy against the encroachment of psychopharmacology used this brain-scan tactic. Today, meditation researchers (and advocates) such as Richard Davidson and Sara Lazar are reporting changes in meditators’ brains.
These findings are hardly surprising. All experiences cause neural changes, and the changes are surely more pronounced if you repeat an activity over and over again—whether checking Facebook or chanting “Om.” Meditation may indeed cause changes in your brain, but that finding in itself doesn’t makes meditation’s alleged medical benefits more credible.
The author isn't even against meditation, and plans to try it again. He seems to be wary of overstating benifit without proper evidence, and is unconvinced so far. Meditation is a difficult thing to assess for many reasons. It's totally fine if you find meditation helpful, and I don't think the author meant any offence.
Using the he words mindfulness and meditation interchangeably is wrong. Not all mindfulness involves meditation. And yet there is plenty of objective scientific evidence evidence that mindfulness has benefits, outcomes and works. MRI scans don't lie. We are not dumb masses incapable of critical analysis. Just because something becomes popular does not mean it's without merit. The Harvard business school comments come on the back of a large research project the Harvard business students volunteered for. And yes it proved outcomes.
I didn't notice any interchangable use of the words mindfulness and meditation, but the author does use the term "mindfulness meditation" rather than just mindfulness. The article was admittedly snarky, but not offensively so, IMHO. I don't think it was implied that anyone is dumb or incapable of critical analysis, or that something being popular means it's without merit. Popular things do deserve a bit more scrutiny simply because they affect more people. As for brain scans proving outcomes, the author remains unconvinced for reasons he states in the article thusly:
The author isn't even against meditation, and plans to try it again. He seems to be wary of overstating benifit without proper evidence, and is unconvinced so far. Meditation is a difficult thing to assess for many reasons. It's totally fine if you find meditation helpful, and I don't think the author meant any offence.
(edit: typos)