How Does “Mindfulness” Conflict with Christian Spirituality?

Mindfulness–a subject of much public discussion over the previous two decades–is a point of contention among Christians. With rampant levels of stress, anxiety, and doubt plaguing our society, some, such as Catholic author Dr. Gregory Bottaro, who defines mindfulness as “paying attention to the present moment without judgement or criticism,” argues such practices can help us trust in God that all will be well. As he explains, directly facing the uncomfortable struggles before us rather than mentally fleeing from the present moment enables us to view ourselves as God sees us. In turn, we can approach anything that comes our way with confidence, knowing God’s love transcends our hardships (Bottaro 15). However, others, such as fellow Catholic author Susan Brinkman, highlight the ways mindfulness deviates from Christian tradition. As she stresses, those who engage these practices, which largely stem from Buddhism, rather than emphasizing their identity as creatures loved by God, seek to remain in the present merely to achieve a state of enlightened self-awareness (Brinkman 5).

As a 1989 letter to the bishops of the Catholic Church describes the differences between Christian prayer and mindfulness, the former focuses on the communion between ourselves as redeemed creatures and God Himself. This distinction is continually emphasized; whereas, eastern forms of mindfulness are less personal and communitarian, focusing solely on the self instead of our relationship to the Creator (The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, para. 3). It is certainly a concern that if Christians practice mindfulness, they may lose sight of the purpose of authentic prayer as a dialogue with the infinite God. In all forms of prayer, Our Lord must remain at the center. However, if a disciple wishes to remain present in the current moment because it helps raise his heart and mind to God, I think this should be encouraged. In my opinion, practices like taking deep breaths and trying one’s hardest to appreciate the surrounding beauty of Creation should not immediately be written off as unChristian. Although, if one chooses to do so purely for the sake of “enlightenment” or “self awareness,” this can diminish his proper understanding of himself as a creature of God.

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