Mindfulness

by Ellen J. Langer

The revolutionary book that showed how mindfulness can be applied to every aspect of our lives

The highly innovative findings of social psychologist Dr. Ellen J. Langer and her team of researchers at Harvard introduced a unique concept of mindfulness, adapted to contemporary life in the West. Langer's theory has been applied to a wide number of fields, including health, business, aging, social justice, and learning. There is now a new psychological assessment based on her work (called the Langer Mindfulness Scale). In her introduction to this 25th anniversary edition, Dr. Langer (now known as "the Mother of Mindfulness") outlines some of these exciting applications and suggests those still to come.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Philosophy, Science, Spirituality, Health

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1989

About the author

Ellen Langer, Yale PhD, Harvard Professor of Psychology, artist. Among other honors, she is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and three Distinguished Scientist Awards, the World Congress Award, the NYU Alumni Achievement Award, and the Staats award for Unifying Psychology, and has authored eleven books and over 200 research articles on the illusion of control, perceived control, successful aging, decision-making, to name a few of the topics. Each of these is examined through the lens of her theory of mindfulness. Her research has demonstrated that by actively noticing new things—the essence of mindfulness—health, well being, and competence follow. Her best selling books include Mindfulness; The Power of Mindful Learning; On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity; and her most recent book, Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility.

In addition to other honors, she has been a guest lecturer in Japan, Malaysia, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Switzerland, and Argentina.

The citation for the APA distinguished contributions award reads, in part, “…her pioneering work revealed the profound effects of increasing mindful behavior…and offers new hope to millions whose problems were previously seen as unalterable and inevitable. Ellen Langer has demonstrated repeatedly how our limits are of our own making.”

Reviews

[stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am acutely disappointed by the end of this book. i am even more disappointed by ellen langer herself. yet this does not stop me from wanting to get her second book in her mindfulness series, Mindful Learning.

however, i have now realized why all the other literature on mindfulness does NOT reference her work.

the book is very good in the beginning in describing what exactly mindlessness is. however, her idea of what mindful living is is NOT the same as basically all the other research out there. which is good in a way, and bad in another. she seems to suggest that simply by being open to new ideas you are being mindful - i would have to argue against this, as i think it's entirely possible to acquire new information in a mindless way. also, she brings up the conception of creativity, and how anything creative is mindful - and yet, i have to say, most of the things i "create" are NOT really done mindfully. often when i am writing i just write, and only later realize what came out and what made sense and what didn't. i do believe also in "accidental" art.

still, it's a decent book. i would recommend it for people who don't understand how pervasive mindlessness is, and what exactly it entails, but i would not recommend it for actually knowing what mindfulness is.

[David Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellen Langer is a psychologist from Harvard University who has spent much of her career researching the differences between mindfulness and mindlessness. In Langer's view, mindfulness is the ability to create new categories, welcoming new information, openness to different points of view, control over context, and emphasizing process over outcome. In other words, mindfulness is the ability to consider things in new and thoughtful ways. Mindlessness is a product of our tendency to view our world in an unquestioning manner, leading to automatic responses that may have been learned long before we were able to make choices. Through her accounts of her research projects (described in everyday language) and anecdotal examples, Langer makes the case that mindfulness can make a significant difference in many parts of our lives. I am someone who is comfortable with ambiguity, and feel that perception plays an important role in our understanding of the world. Langer's descriptions of mindfulness help me explain how the same experience can be viewed from multiple individual perspectives. Langer's views also help explain why many of the traditional methods of education -- delivering content and testing for "right" answers -- may not be as effective as methods that allow discovery, questioning, experimentation, and willingness to explore ideas from multiple perspectives. Yet I have chosen to skip over her book, "The Power of Mindful Learning," and instead next on my list is "On Becoming an Artist," where Langer discusses the ways that evaluation (external or internal) can inhibit creativity. I am hopeful this will give me some perspective on the enormous mind-blocks I experience when doing academic writing. Langer's web site is at http://www.ellenlanger.com/.

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main gist of this book is that it's better to be aware of what you're doing and avoid the automatic categorizing of situations and people that your mind naturally does when making decisions for yourself or when dealing with others. There are also sections on learned helplessness, especially in the context of old age, creativity and workplace efficiency.

While it's interesting how many of her original studies have gone on to be included in other books over the years, the content of this book lacks a certain oomph. The content is solid, but the presentation is not nearly as compelling as other, more broad-reaching, books on positive psychology.

One interesting study she includes in her section on the placebo affect, that I had never heard of, is the use of hypnosis for wart removal. Apparently it works... you're hypnotized, told that you should cure yourself of warts and 9 times out of 14 the warts go away. Not that I would ever need it, of course.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In today’s hectic world it’s not uncommon to find your mind drifting throughout the day, to get lost in thought.

Mindfulness is a book about how and why mindlessness develops and the affects mindlessness has on our body and quality of life.

The book is broken into two parts.

Part one is about mindlessness: how the categories and rules we learn when we’re young affect our mindlessness by creating automatic behaviors and limiting our perspective. There are many negative affects associated with mindlessness like stunted potential, loss of control, and unintended cruelty.

Part two is about mindfulness. Langer starts this section by providing different ways to combat mindlessness, and she discusses the benefits of being mindful. Langer explores how mindfulness can affect things like aging, creativity, and prejudice.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was informative. I liked the many experiments that were referenced and the scientific process that was used to prove or disprove hypotheses. My only complaint was that the book was wordy. Overall, a good read and I highly recommend.

[Bruno · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the introduction quite promising as the author explains how we could get more from our lives if we look at things from different perspectives and all. But I lost interest as it became too repetitive and felt more like a Psychology conference's brochure of abstracts. Two hundred pages could be summed up as "you'll be happier if you consciously think out of the box".

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

 

Mindfulness by Ellen Langer illustrates how we often mindlessly go about our lives. Ellen Langer presents her case by using the research that has been done in psychology (many of which were partly conducted by her). There are many insights I could list, but here are a three of my favorite ones

We tend to categorize things

Ellen Langer proposes a situation in which somebody asks you for a three by seven feet piece of wood in exchange for a significant sum of money. You look around your house and find nothing resembling the specific item. Only later do you notice that your own door is about a three by seven feet piece of wood. Why didn’t you think of this? According to Langer, this is because we create categories to understand the world. For you, the door has been categorized as only a door, and not a piece of wood. Thus, we should be mindful in creating categories.

Premature Cognitive Commitments

Imagine spitting a little bit of your saliva into a clean cup. Now drink it. Your mind will probably tell you that drinking saliva is disgusting. But think again: wasn’t that saliva already in your mouth? Our reaction is due to something called the premature cognitive commitment. This is basically when we take a fact for granted without thinking carefully about it. It’s probably something we were told when we were younger and have never closely thought about.

Creativity and Mindfulness

Often, we are told that some things are just true. Period. Langer argues that this can actually hinder our creativity. According to experiments, when a subject is told that something could be something (this might be a book) opposed to being introduced to an object with certainty (this is a book), they could think of more creative ways to use that specific object.

Conclusion

Overall, this was a very short yet eye-opening read. To think that much of our days are gone about on “autopilot” is certainly intriguing. As a side note, the way Ellen Langer demostrated a few psychology tricks by sneaking them upon you in the book made it that much more delightful. 

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mindful..wha? In my ever continuing quest to become sane (some dreams die hard), I thought I'd pick up this little psychology/self-help book that is supposed to help one undertand the importance of being present and mindful. Yawn (Sorry, Buddha).

Admittedly, there were a few interesting anecdotes, and Langer's style is far from academic and dry, but it lacks a certain punch. Instead I just wanted to punch myself for purchasing the book in the first place. Waste of fifteen bucks...

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many interesting ideas about how different perspectives limit us (premature cognitive commitments, expectations, education for outcome, a belief in linear time, CONTEXT!) and how challenging those perspectives (directly and indirectly) can effect our aging, struggles with addiction, health, and quality of life in general. I liked the insight that Langer gave into the way she developed her experiments.

Though she didn't provide many practical "exercises" for increasing mindfulness, her designs give some insight into how people can challenge their own mindlessness. The quotes below are included here for my reference - most of her assertions are buttressed by very eye-opening research that she describes in some detail in the book, but I can't paste everything!

Bullet-point style highlights to remember:
"Entrapment by category" - categories can be limiting, but the creation of new categories is mindful.
"Automatic Behavior" - routine can lead to greater (negative) compliance
"Acting from a single perspective" - highly specific instructions encourage mindlessness - ie, following the instructions exactly even if a better solution exists.


Freud - the act of learning about the world involves falsifying it by creating categories, especially related to change.

Mindlessness of "Experts" - highly skilled people become less capable when they break down the skill to explain it to someone. When a novel technique is introduced, novices at a discipline may have an edge over experts because repetition leads to mindlessness.

"Another way that we become mindless is by forming a mindset when we first encounter something and then clinging to it when we reencounter that same thing. Because such mindsets form before we do much reflection, we call them premature cognitive commitments."

Belief in Limited Resources:
"As long as people cling to a narrow belief in limited resources, those who are fortunate enough to win by the arbitrary (but rigid) rules that are set up, such as SAT scores, have a stake in maintaining the status quo. Those who are not getting what they want, however, might pause to consider that they may be part of someone else's costly construction of reality."

"We may push ourselves to what we believe are our limits, in swimming, public speaking, or mathematics. However, whether they are true limits is not determinable. It may be in our best interest to proceed as though these and other abilities might be improved upon, so that at least we will not be deterred by false limits."

If a task seems unmanageable, break it down to whatever unit seems manageable and start from there. Look for examples of success.

What you expect to happen determines what you do now:
"The future may be as capable of 'causing' the present as is the past. What should I study now for the exam I'm taking later? St. Augustine said, 'The present, therefore, has several dimensions . . . the present of things past, the present of things present, and the present of things future.'"

Process vs. Outcome oriented learning - latter can be overcome by asking "how" rather than "can":
"Provisional goals are subject to continual revision. The process-oriented person is less likely to be caught off-guard if circumstances change. The style of education that concentrates on outcomes generally also presents facts unconditionally. This approach encourages mindlessness."

The expectation that comes with a label changes how we react to experiences:
"The same situation or stimulus called by a different name is a different stimulus. Roller coasters are fun but bumpy plane rides are not."

Be aware of roles contained within roles to stay flexible.

"Our tendency to focus on outcome, which we discussed in the last chapter, also narrows our self-image. When we envy other people's assets, accomplishments, or characteristics, it is often because we are making a faulty comparison. We may be looking at the results of their efforts rather than at the process they went through on the way... Keeping an eye on process, on the steps anyone must take to become expert, keeps us from disparaging ourselves."

"A self image based on past performance may also inhibit us... Past experience determines present reactions and robs the individual of control. If we looked for new aspects of the situations in which we find ourselves, we probably could prevent learned helplessness."

self-induced dependence: "Though they began participating with equal competence, the labels that they had assumed undermined their performance."

Each step is as important as the first, each offers a new choice:
"What seems to happen when we take small steps is that, after the first step, we do not think to question our behavior until, by looking back, we can see how far we've unwittingly come."

"If we fall into a routine rather than make decisions anew each time, we can get mindlessly seduced into activities we wouldn't engage in otherwise."

"alcoholics who see the cause of their problem as purely genetic seem to give up the control that could help their recovery. When we have a single-minded explanation, we typically don't pay attention to information that runs counter to it."

"Einstellung, or mental set, psychologists Abraham Luchins and Edith Hirsch Luchins found that after subjects could perform a mathematical task without thinking, the vast majority kept using the same solutions even when a simpler one became available."

Part II: Mindfulness
"the key qualities of a mindful state of being: (1) creation of new categories; (2) openness to new information; and (3) awareness of more than one perspective."

"By investigating how someone got somewhere, we are more likely to see the achievement as hard-won and our own chances as more plausible."

"the proper meditation techniques are said to result in a state that has been called de-automatization. In this state, old categories break down and the individual is no longer trapped by stereotypes."

"is such a potent marker that whatever happens to our minds and bodies in later life, we assume it to be the result of advancing years. If older people do anything the least bit unusual, we label it eccentricity or senility, even if they have been doing the same thing all their lives. Within such constricting mindsets, tight as an undersized suit of armor, growth, flexibility, and new enterprise become impossible. Not only the quality but the length of our lives may be affected."

"Among other effects, increased mindfulness appears to reduce the depression associated with old age...This technique, in which subjects take note of the choices they make in daily activities, had already been shown to be an effective way to increase mind- fulness.3 It rests on an assumption about the nature of choice: The opportunity to make choices increases our motivation. In most of our ordinary activities, however, the potential choices that once existed are long forgotten. If I have orange juice for breakfast every day, even though there are many alternatives available, chances are I am not making a meaningful choice. Meaningful choice involves some awareness of the other alternatives that have not been selected. Through this awareness we learn something about ourselves, our tastes and preferences. For instance, if I stop to ask myself why I'm not having grapefruit or tomato juice, I would know it was not just that I wanted something cold, since all of them are cold; and not that I wanted a citrus flavor, since both grapefruit and orange offer that. Perhaps I wanted something sweet and citrusy. Distinctions like this, in such minor but also in more important ways, make us aware of how we are. shaping our days"

"Well-meant protectiveness gradually undermines any autonomy. And more coercive interference, such as tying residents into their chairs all day to keep them from "hurting themselves," defeats any shred of initiative. Watching someone else do things that we used to do ourselves leads us to feel that we are now incapable of doing them. This is true even when the only reason for our inaction is outside ourselves (institutional policy, for example)."

"When there is one ready explanation for something-being old-we rarely search for other possible causes. Since no one bothers to find out just what the old person can or can't do, a lowest-common-denominator level of care is administered. When the will to act is thwarted, it atrophies into a wish to be taken care of."

"A full 90 percent of the elderly subjects felt that there was a good chance they would become senile, even though, according to medical accounts, only 4 percent of those over 64 suffer from a severe form of senility, and only another 10 percent suffer from a milder version."

"When our minds are set on one thing or on one way of doing things, mindlessly determined in the past, we blot out intuition and miss much of the present world around us."

"Bach also spoke of the effortless flow of musical ideas. Asked how he found his melodies, he said, 'The problem is not finding them, it's-when getting up in the morning and getting out of bed-not stepping on them.'"

"people create uses for objects. A use is not inherent in an object, independent of the people using it. The successful use of an object depends on the context of its use."

"choice makes us feel more responsible for what we are doing; the children given the choice might have cared more and tried harder. Choosing materials-making comparisons-also forces us to draw mindful distinctions. It encourages a conditional view, a sense of possibility."

"The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play." - ARNOLD TOYNBEE

"Avert the danger not yet arisen." - Vedic proverb

"mental and physical exhaustion may be determined by premature cognitive commitments; in other words, unquestioned expectations dictate when our energy will run out."

"the change of context brought renewed energy. When Karsten had subjects read poems aloud, after a while they became hoarse. When they complained to her how they hated the task, however, the hoarseness disappeared. Similarly, another subject, who claimed to be so fatigued that she could no longer lift her arm to make even one more hatch mark, was then seen casually lifting her arm to fix her hair."

"Another kind of mindset that can lead to fatigue is the way we define a task. When we begin any undertaking, we have a mental picture of its beginning, middle, and end. In the beginning we tend to be energetic and mindful. In the middle phase, we may perform the task mindlessly or mindfully. If we are performing it mindfully, we are involved in creating new distinctions while we do it. We do not have a sense of ourselves as separate from the task. The task may seem effortless as long as we are involved in process and distinctions are being created. If we do the task mindlessly, we rely on distinctions already made. As the task nears its end, we typically become focused on outcome and also expect fatigue to occur. We now notice the task as separate from ourselves as we evaluate the outcome. When we near the end of activities that we expect to be tiring, fatigue arrives. This mental picture of the end of a task is a self-imposed context and makes fatigue almost inevitable. Changing contexts before reaching this point may prevent fatigue."

"If a new physical exercise, for example, is still seen as exercise, the expectation of fatigue in that context may remain."

"Creating the position of outsider in a company, regardless of the characteristics of the person hired to fill it, can keep important questions flowing. Just as a traveler to a foreign culture notices what people indigenous to that culture take for granted, an outsider in a company may notice when the corporate natives are following what may now be irrational traditions or destructive myths."

"play is almost always mindful. People take risks and involve themselves in their play. Imagine making play feel routine; it would not be playful. In play, there is no reason not to take some risks. In fact, without risk, the pleasures of mastery would disappear."

"Burnout sets in when two conditions prevail: Certainties start to characterize the workday, and demands of the job make workers lose a sense of control."

"An understanding of the nature of mindfulness suggests a different approach to combating prejudice-one in which we learn to make more, rather than fewer, distinctions among people. If we keep in mind the importance of context and the existence of multiple perspectives, we see that the perception of skills and handicaps changes constantly, depending on the situation and the vantage point of the observer. Such awareness prevents us from regarding a handicap as a person's identity. Instead of a "cripple" or a "diabetic" or an "epileptic," we would see a man with a lame leg, a woman with diabetes, or an adolescent with seizures. These distinctions become more useful when further refined, for example: a person with 70 percent hearing instead of a deaf person, someone with non-insulin-dependent diabetes instead of diabetes."

"attributes are relative and not absolute, that whether or not something is a disability depends on the context."

"Without looking closely and noticing that the same stimulus in different contexts is a different stimulus, we become victims of the associations we ourselves constructed. When we are tormented by unwanted emotions, we assume it could be no other way."

"Any stimulus can be seen as simultaneously many stimuli. Our perceptions and interpretations influence the way our bodies respond. When the "mind" is in a context, the "body" is necessarily also in that context. To achieve a different physiological state, sometimes what we need to do is to place the mind in another context."

"A more mindful approach would be to look carefully at all these pleasures and to find other ways of obtaining them. If the needs served by an addiction can be served in other ways, it should be easier to shake."

"In one recent experiment we gave arthritis sufferers various interesting word problems to increase their mental activity. For example, subjects in this group were given slightly doctored sayings such as "a bird in the bush is worth two in the hand," and were asked to explain them. Comparison subjects were given the old familiar versions. In the mindful group, not only did subjective measures of comfort and enjoyment change, but some of the chemistry of the disease (sedimentation rates of the blood in this case) was affected as well.31 There were no significant changes in the comparison group."

"Corin: And how like you this shepherd's life, Master Touchstone?

Touchstone: Truly, shepherd, in respect of itself, it is a good life; but in respect that it is a shepherd's life, it is naught. In respect that it is solitary, I like it very well; but in respect that it is private, it is a very vile life. Now in respect it is in the fields, it pleaseth me well; but in respect it is not in the court, it is tedious. As it is a spare life, look you, it fits my humour well; but as there is no more plenty in it, it goes much against my stomach. Hast any philosophy in thee shepherd?" - WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE As You Like It, act 3, scene 2

[Kimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep. Another really good book. This is my kind of topic too. I'm going to go out on a limb and conclude that Mindfulness is equivalent to Self-Awareness. It was interesting when I started this book two weeks ago they used the example of the 1982 flight that crashed by Florida because the pilots weren't mindful. They were just going through the motions. Anyone that has flown a plane knows the 50,000 things that are all happening simultaneously while flying. As I listened to that part I was actually driving to my own pilot's lesson...

Rated R.

This book was neat because a part of it discusses the effects of old age and how they (old people) don't have to suffer those effects that we enable a lot on them. What goes through your head when you think of getting old? You're going to be less mobile, more forgetful, weaker, a shut-in, etc. Did you know those are just purely self-fulfilling prophecies? Kinda like my grandma. Everyone tells her she is losing her memory and what does she do? She accepts it. Why? Because that's what happens when you get old. I'm not saying that one should never lose their memory at all but I can guarantee if all her relatives did what I do when I visit her (tell her she's doing great and not losing her memory instead of commenting on how forgetful she is, you know just positive reinforcement) then she'd be in much better shape. Imagine if all of us relatives said that. She wouldn't be losing her memory half as bad. "Oh you look wonderful grandma and you're doing so well!" She would believe that herself. I blame it on the women. Since they tend to be more self-deprecating anyways and in turn project it on others. Queue: Outrage.

If you ask old people hard questions that they need to find out or think about or if you motivate them to achieve something that will help them live longer. If you give people more of a reason to remember it can reverse memory loss. Example, when young teachers or students don't know what day it is in the summer. They don't have a reason to remember them because they are enjoying their summer where everyday is a Saturday, it's not because they are losing their memory. Let's think about this for a moment. Elderly people in the Olden Days were looked up to as wise and noble. Some cultures even today still do that, thankfully. They were given mindfulness training. They were looked up to for guidance and support. But what do we do with our old people today? Sit them in front of a TV, send them to a retirement home, and don't include them in important matters. We retire them from life which only sets them up for failure. No wonder the majority are in the state that they are in.

Much of what older people experience could be the result of negative stereotypes internalized in childhood. We do not know how many of the infirmities of old age are genetically programmed into our body. Positive mindsets about old age result in richer aging. If you have an optimistic mindset of old age you will be more alert and active in old age.

Again, this is just The Secret manifesting itself. How many times do I have to link that "silly" book to all these other great books?


But my real question is: Is it possible to be 100% mindful? Is that what some of the Tibetan Monks are? Or the Dalai Lama or that guy that made a hand print into solid stone in China? (See The Power of Your Subconscious Mind for more info.)

This book had so many good experiments included in it. Just study after study. I loved it. One of these studies was about satisfying your curiosity and staring at someone different than you (like a cripple or someone with Down's Syndrome). Usually when that happens it's awkward. But when there is an outlet either by being allowed to look at it (like a bright pink cast on a leg) then you no longer feel uncomfortable around that person or thing and you can treat them normally. But haters are gunna hate and say you can't do that cuz you need to have empathy and treat them equally. Stupid because empathy has nothing to do with it. In fact, by being allowed to look at something different you are able to get control of yourself and be more Mindful instead of reacting because something unexpected caught you off your guard. I hate that people overplay the empathy card these days as if it is the magical solution to everything.


OK. I'm just going to jot down quotes and paraphrases that I thought were neat.


Emotions rest upon premature cognitive commitments. We think because they feel right they are true. We fail to remember that we had learned that emotion even if it was passively. You are taught that snakes are scary and sunsets are peaceful. A tune first heard a certain way sounds wrong if played differently later.

Our thoughts create context which determines our feelings. A different state of mind means a different state of body. When one can take ones mind off pain, It seems to go away.

The creation of new categories is a mindful activity. Mindlessness sets in when we rely too rigidly on categories and distinctions in the past. A narrow perspective can dominate our thinking. I guess it's kind of like labeling things/people (even though I'm a big supporter of labeling).

I have an outcome orientation instead of the process orientation. The process orientation asks how do I do it, instead of can I do it? An outcome orientation induces mindlessness. It reminded me of having a Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Keeping an eye on Process of the steps anyone must take to become an expert at something keeps us from disparaging ourselves.

There are no failures only ineffective solutions.

"As observers we judge behavior according to, whether as actors, we could or would do the same thing. Virtually all behavior can be cast as a negative or a more tolerable or justifiable light." The sentence structure was weird with this one but read it a few times, you'll get it.

The consequences of trying out different perspectives of people or environment are important 1) you gain more choice in how to respond. A single minded label produces an automatic response which reduces our options (this also increases our empathy). 2) When we apply this open minded attitude to our own behavior change becomes possible. One reason why people have a hard time changing behavior is because they really value that behavior but under a different name. However, that behavior has been spun in a negative light (rigid vs consistency, serious vs trust) so they don't really want to change it. A person thinks they are really consistent but another person says they are too rigid and need to lighten up. The person values consistency and doesn't think he should change, even if in reality he's blinded to his rigidity.

Boredom is just another Construct of the Mind no more certain than Freedom. There is always something new to notice. Maybe that's why Christopher Knight was OK with being alone in The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit. So mindfulness has greatest power.

A preoccupation with outcome makes you mindless. Dang it. I love outcomes, though.

If we fall into a routine rather than make decisions a new, we can get mindlessly seduced into activities that we would normally not engage in otherwise.

Divorced people who blame the failure of their marriages on their ex-spouses suffer longer than those who see many possible explanations for their situation.

We should never have a single-minded explanation of things. Awareness of the process of making real choices along the way makes it less likely that we will feel guilty in retrospect.

The opportunity to make choices increases our motivation - Although I would add only to a certain extent because then we reach The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less.

The opportunity to make choices increase our motivation (and mindfulness). But after a while choices start to get routine (picking the same thing to eat everyday) they need to be a meaningful choice. A way to be more mindful is to simply be aware of the other alternatives that were not selected (Oh, I didn't choose the bacon and eggs today and ate my crappy cereal like I do everyday because I'm a Millennial and I have to have it).

Well meant protectiveness gradually undermines any autonomy. That's why helicopter parents are the worst.

Sometimes at work someone may suggest an idea and it is quickly shot down. For example, one of our many bosses won't let us normally take early/late lunches and we can't switch our 8-5 schedule. Why? Because then everyone would do it. Should unanimous desires for change lead to a new policy (Dumb bosses say no because if we let that happen then everyone would do it). Well, why not? Apparently there needs to be a change. It could even save the company money. I wish more people would consider that option instead of brushing it off.

Mindlessness is the application to yesterdays business solutions to today's problems. Mindfulness is atunement (sp?) to today's demands to avoid tomorrow's difficulties.

[Cav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mindfulness was a super-interesting read.

Author Ellen J. Langer is the author of more than two hundred research articles and eleven books, including this one, which became an international bestseller and has been translated into fifteen languages.
She is known as "the mother of positive psychology". She is also a member of the psychology department at Harvard University and a painter, she lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ellen J. Langer:


In a theme that Langer explores in her other work; mindsets play a central role to this book. Specifically (as its title implies), she examines the dichotomy between "mindful" and "mindless" mindsets here.

[A note to potential readers of this book: The book is a mainly science-driven look into the topic, and does not place a central focus on how one cultivates mindfulness practices.]

The book is my third from the author, after her 1997 book The Power of Mindful Learning, and her 2009 book Counter Clockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility; both of which I really enjoyed.
To be honest; I love the work of Ellen Langer. Her experiments and razor-sharp analysis are a breath of fresh air...

Langer is a super thoughtful and intelligent mind. She brings a sharp set of analytical tools to bear in addressing many stories and assumptions that those in the public, as well as academic and medical fields hold.
She writes with a natural easy style, and the book has a great flow. She also narrates the audiobook, which is always a nice touch.

In the earlier portion of the book, she covers many different examples of mindfulness, as well as mindless behaviours; pulling from historical and other famous figures, including literary works, as well as movies.

Some more of what she talks about early on includes:
• Napolean's winter invasion of Russia.
• Psychologist Martin E. P. Seligman's concept of "learned helplessness."
• Assumptions about aging; her "counterclockwise" study.

Langer also dives into the the problems of generalizations, "globalization", and labeling. For example, the problem inherent with labeling someone a "patient" vs "participant," or even removing the label completely.

She also talks about the importance of mindset in medical diagnosis, as well as addictions. This talk dovetails into the extremely strange concept of "psychogenic death," and the inherent power of the placebo, as well as nocebo effect:

"Another method of harnessing the healing powers of the body in an indirect or passive way is the use of placebos. As commonly used a placebo is an inert substance, prepared to resemble an active drug and given to patients in experiments so as to have a basis of comparison for the results of that drug. Most such experiments are "double-blind," meaning that neither the investigator nor the patient knows who is receiving the drug and who is receiving the placebo. Usually the placebos have an effect as well, and the difference in degree between this effect and that of the drug is taken as a measure of the drug's effectiveness. For a drug to be marketed, it must outperform the placebo. If the investigators find no difference between real pills and placebos, they are led to believe that the physical medication was ineffective. There is room for question here, however, because placebos can have powerful effects. In fact, a considerable part of the effect of most prescriptions is considered to be a placebo effect.
A well-known quip about new drugs warns doctors to use them as soon and as often as possible, while they still have the power to heal.
When patients are given a placebo and then get well, the illness is considered to be "only psychological." (Here we see the old mind/body dualism, alive and well.) It is interesting that no one tests the effectiveness of active drugs by telling patients that "this is only a placebo." (Is this implicit recognition of the power of the mind to change the effect of the drug?)

...Placebo effects are real and powerful. Who is doing the healing when one takes a placebo? Why can't we just say to our minds, "repair this ailing body"? Why must we fool our minds in order to enlist our own powers of self-healing?
Placebos, hypnosis, autosuggestion, faith healing, visualization, positive thinking, biofeedback are among the many ways we have learned to invoke these powers. Each can be seen as a device for changing mindsets, enabling us to move from an unhealthy to a healthy context. The more we can learn about how to accomplish this mindfully and deliberately, rather than having to rely on these elaborate, indirect strategies, the more control we will gain over our own health."

She expands further on the topic of placebos, as well as the power of mindset in this quote:

"I've implicitly described two ways in which we have learned to influence health: exchanging unhealthy mindsets for healthy ones and increasing a generally mindful state. The latter is more lasting and results in more personal control. The real value of "active placebos" will come when people put them to work for themselves.
Consider how you learned to ride a bike. Someone older and taller held on to the seat to keep you from falling, until you found your balance. Then, without your knowledge, that strong hand let go and you were on your own. You controlled the bicycle even without knowing it. The same is true for all of us most of our lives. We control our health, or the course of our diseases, without really knowing that we do. On the bike, however, at some point you realized that you were in control. Now may be the time to learn how to recognize and use our control over illness.
In a sense, we should be able to "take" a placebo instead of a pill. Conceiving of the mind and body as one means that wherever we put the mind, we may be able to put our bodies. For most of us, at present at least, the mind may have to be fooled to reach a healthy place.
Once we learn how to put it there consciously, the evidence suggests that the body may well follow..."

************************

I really enjoyed Mindfulness. Ellen Langer is someone who should be on the radar of anyone interested in mindset and the power of the mind.
5 stars.

[Danu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
Definitely not another book on the "oriental wellness hype called mindfulness." A great read and luckily not what I was expecting/afraid of.
I was positively surprised about the "Western" take on the subject and the concepts of creating new categories, importance of context, ways of looking at prejudice sound very novel even today. Packed with anecdotes and scientific research. It could have been three times thicker and still a fascinating read, I think.

"Don't try to make the right decision, make the decision right."

[Rob Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts of it were pretty interesting, but the book was mostly anecdotes about mindlessness and the author's own academic research. In the end it was mostly self-congratulating personal stories rather than anything that readers could personally use to practice greater mindfulness. A wasted opportunity to make a real difference in the world!

[Chandana Watagodakumbura · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Mindlessness is the application of yesterday’s business solutions to today’s problems”

“Mindfulness is attunement to today’s demands to avoid tomorrow’s difficulties”

In the book “Mindfulness”, the author Ellen Langer (a Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and also the author of “The Power of Mindful Learning”) brilliantly highlights the notion of mindfulness as a day-to-day life practice in a very compelling manner. The book recently celebrated the 25th year anniversary, and it is interesting to see the author’s initial wisdom and research outcomes are being reaffirmed by many similar works in more recent times. She starts the book by giving examples of how widespread mindless behaviours and operations present in our societies bring about distorted/narrow self-images, unintended cruelty, stunned potential, loss of control and negative health and wellbeing issues to name a few of the negativities. With mindlessness, stereotyping or sticking to rigid/inflexible/unconditional categorisation/generalisation is clearly visible. Even in many learning environments, knowledge is presented as unconditional hard facts, and all that is expected from learners is to memorise them and use them identically in any future situations. Such learning environments inadvertently produce or promote producing mindless experts or persons with single dimension/perspective views.

It is indeed enlightening to come to know what decades of Professor Langer’s research has revealed in an evidence-based manner (though unsurprising in a way):

“Mindlessness is pervasive. In fact I believe virtually all of our problems – personal, interpersonal, professional, and societal – either directly or indirectly stem from mindlessness.”

In contrast, when mindfulness is used and practiced, individuals develop the abilities to see many perspectives of the same problem/matter, receive and approach knowledge in a conditional and/or contextual manner that is subject to change over time or seen from a different context as opposed to receiving them as hard facts irrespective of the underlying contexts. In a learning environment, learners will be benefited in their human development process to be more creative, productive and resilient beings when additional time is used to introduce learners to many contexts and perspectives of a single concept or piece of knowledge (possibly without restricting to a single domain/disciplinary area) in a conditional manner. In other words, learners are presented with high-level/generalised concepts/knowledge (contextually and conditionally) that can be readily re-categorised and re-contextualised in future situations/problem-solving efforts. Further, in learning and development, what matters is the mindful process that the learner undergoes rather than any outcome, a notion that is at odds with many contemporary educational systems that purely focus on the outcomes (in many instances outcomes do not necessarily reflect the process undertaken) irrespective of how (positive or negative ways) they are achieved.

In mindless learning, individuals attempt to use past learning done in a rigid/hard-facts/unconditional manner inappropriately to current situations/problem-solving exercises while in mindful learning, they become open, alert in an ongoing manner and are flexible when receiving/grasping knowledge in a conditional/contextual manner as well as re-contextualise/modify them in a manner that is appropriate to current, future or new situations. Consequently, a mindful person becomes open to new information/knowledge and ideas and can see a problem/matter from multiple perspectives. This is essentially a creative approach to life and day-to-day matters. In other words, the abilities/skills in mindfulness lead to the development of better psychological health and resilience (as defined relation to the notion of emotional intelligence) in facing challenging situations in life. For instance, in the psychological/counselling practice of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), individual get exposed to multiple perspectives of depressing/negative life circumstances or presented with a reinterpretation of the same. Such notions are implicitly embedded as part of practices of mindfulness. In essence, mindfulness promotes the overall well-being of individuals especially in the areas of ageing where, in general, there is a negative perception of the notion. Many research assignments conducted by Professor Langer have produced positive results on healthy ageing and enhanced immunity systems enhancements for those who are engaging in activities mindfully. Further, as Professor Langer points out, due to the highly receptive to information/knowledge nature of mindful individuals, they tend to be highly intuitive (possessing gut feelings on mattes) as well (possibly as a result of implicit learning that takes place in an unconscious manner through openness/non-judgemental to information received).

As pinpointed by Professor Langer, many have questioned her about real practical possibilities/difficulties of becoming mindful in a constant/ongoing manner. They even raised the issue of developing a situation of indecision or tarnishing the skill/ability to make quick and firm decisions when one becomes highly mindful. In fact, the strength of mindfulness lies in the ability to make optimal decisions by considering as many perspectives/dimensions as possible. It contrasts with producing less optimal/substandard decisions/results rapidly by neglecting some important perspectives/contexts. Consequently, we see that if the leaders of our societies possess the skills/abilities of mindfulness, our world will thrive towards sustainability. Further, mindfulness is not a tool in possession by everyone all the time so that an individual can make use of it when he/she desires. Instead, it is skill/ability that needs to be learned and practised over time (possibly from very young age) to get to a level that makes it part of an individual’s everyday life.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about the western idea of being mindful.

[Giulio Ciacchini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your typical new age psychology book, full of fluff and motivational quotes.
This is the work of a Yale PhD and Professor of Psychology at Harvard, who made significant contributions to the concept of mindfulness.
"Ellen Langer's unique contribution lies in her emphasis on "mindfulness without meditation" and her exploration of mindfulness as an active, engaged process in daily life. While she did not invent the concept, her research and ideas have helped expand and reshape the understanding of mindfulness, particularly in terms of how it can be practiced and integrated into various aspects of life beyond formal meditation settings."

Of course the essay suffers the weight of the years: it is basically a collection of research studies, which inevitably are a bit outdated.
Also, we need to factor into the equation that research studies had different publication rules 30 years ago, so I would take some of these findings with a grain of salt.
Nevertheless, this is a good book with many interesting ideas on how our mind works.
It is essentially a reminder that our mind is very very powerful.
We realize this when we think about the negative aspects, how the mind can influence our mood, even the sensations of the body, but we forget that this also applies in the opposite direction: the thought can have a huge positive impact on our soul.
I know it sounds like magic, but it works and science and showed it time and time again.

Mindfulness involves two key strategies for improving health: attention to context and attention to variability. Context can make a dramatic difference. As we have seen in the counterclockwise studies, by re-creating a time when we felt vital and healthy, we come to see that we can be vital once again. The second strategy involves paying attention to variability. When we observe changes in our symptoms, we may be able to gain more control over chronic illnesses for which we currently assume no control. By noticing when our symptoms are better or worse, then asking why that may be the case, two things happen. First, we go from thinking we have the symptoms all the time to realizing we don't, and second, when we ask why symptoms are greater or less under any given circumstances, we may be able to control those circumstances. The search for underlying causes in itself is mindful and as such helps us feel better whether or not it yields a solution.
A mindful approach to our health is particularly effective for "chronic" conditions. For example, consider depression. When people are depressed they tend to believe they are depressed all the time. Mindful attention to variability shows this is not the case, which itself is reassuring. By noticing specific moments or situations in which we feel worse or better, we can make changes in our lives. If every time that I speak on the telephone to Bob I feel worthless, for example, the solution may be obvious.

Langer's concept of mindfulness emphasizes the importance of actively noticing and engaging with the present moment in a flexible and open manner. She argues that mindfulness doesn't necessarily require meditation but can be cultivated through a heightened awareness of one's surroundings and a willingness to approach situations with a fresh perspective.
These days some of the concepts that she emphasised 25 years ago are well known, but still they are relevant and useful.
For instance the importance of paying attention to the details of our experiences. By actively noticing and questioning assumptions, individuals can break free from automatic and habitual thought patterns.
She encourages individuals to approach situations with a "beginner's mind," fostering a mindset of openness and curiosity. This involves seeing the world with a fresh perspective, even in familiar contexts.
Understanding that the meaning of a situation can change based on context, Langer advocates for an awareness of the situational factors that shape our experiences. This involves recognizing the fluid and dynamic nature of reality.
Most notably she has also explored the concept of "mindful aging," challenging stereotypes and beliefs about the aging process. She suggests that adopting a mindful mindset can lead to greater vitality and well-being as individuals age.
She proposes that a mindful approach can enhance creativity by encouraging individuals to question assumptions, break away from conventional thinking, and explore new possibilities.

For instance we all experience these sensations:

We found that subjects who were given information about a disease that was apparently irrelevant to them became more vulnerable to the symptoms. Once they discovered that they had the disorder they performed poorly. On the follow-up tests they performed only half as well as those comparison subjects who had assumed all along that they might have the disorder and thus had reason to reflect on how to compensate for it. These results confirmed our hypothesis: The way we first take in information (that is, mindfully or mindlessly) determines how we will use it later. In later chapters we will explore this kind of premature cognitive commitment as it relates to aging and such conditions as alcoholism.

Another well known, but still relevant concept revolves around the imprinting that children experience in their first year of life

Premature cognitive commitments are like photographs in which meaning rather than motion is frozen. When a child hears about stiff, testy old people, the snapshot is processed as is. The child has little stake in the issue. Later, in old age, the grown-up child question the image. The original picture can become the may not foundation for everything learned about old age. Even when corrected, so much else has been built on this foundation that a new attitude is difficult to form.

At last, she focuses a lot on the ageing process and how we perceive it

On a macroscopic level there appears to be gradual dissolution from organization to disorganization, a "growing older" if you will, at least in a closed system. But when we look at the atoms that make up a person (old or young), a tree, or a pillow, they stay the same over time. The behavioral and social sciences, however, are still largely entrenched in a linear conception of time and an associated image of universal entropy.
Cognitive skills and psychological and physical health are presumed to be curvilinearly related to age. In this view, the individual grows to maturity and then lives out the adult years of life adjusting to diminishing capacities. Some cultures incorporate the growth of wisdom into their accounts of human aging. However, this continuing growth of wisdom is usually seen as a stream of development that is either independent of, or occurs in reaction to, a process of decline that is taking place in other areas.
In one possible alternative view of the life cycle, the path that we traverse from birth to death is a series of goal-directed mini-trajectories, relatively independent of one another. In this view, the past has less overall influence on behavior. Within any one of these separate trajectories, the mind may be more powerful in shaping development.

On this very topic one of Ellen Langer's most famous experiments is commonly referred to as the "counterclockwise study." This study took place in the late 1970s and is a landmark in the field of psychology, particularly in the exploration of the impact of mindset and perception on the aging process.
In the counterclockwise study, Langer and her colleagues took a group of elderly men to a retreat that was transformed to resemble a setting from two decades earlier. The environment was designed to evoke the cultural and physical conditions of the 1950s. The participants were asked to immerse themselves in this environment and to behave as if they were actually living in the past.
The study found that after just one week of living in this "retro" environment and engaging in activities and discussions from the 1950s, the participants showed significant improvements in various measures of well-being, physical health, and cognitive function. For example, they exhibited improvements in physical strength, dexterity, memory, and overall vitality.
This experiment supported Langer's hypothesis that the mindset and perceptions of individuals can have a profound impact on their physical and mental well-being. It suggested that by adopting a more active and engaged mindset—by behaving as if they were younger—participants experienced positive changes in their health.
While this study is often cited and discussed, it's important to note that subsequent research in psychology has explored the nuances and limitations of such interventions. Nevertheless, Langer's work has been influential in challenging conventional beliefs about aging and highlighting the potential role of mindfulness and perception in shaping our experiences of health and aging.

[Phaedon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book after hearing Krista Tippet interview Ellen Langer on the On Being Podcast which is part of NPR. I didn't realise at the time that Langer's work had been around for so long. As someone who has done a fair bit of reading on the topic of mindfulness, it seemed odd that I'd never heard of her.

A little bit of investigation and reading does clarify the reason for her name's absence in my research though. While there is plenty of overlap in the subjects, Langer is writing about mindfulness from an entirely Western perspective. She doesn't engage (at least in this book) in any discussion of Eastern spirituality or meditation. This different starting point actually intrigued me and made me more excited to read this book.

Langer's research actually started on the topic of mindlessness rather than mindfulness, but research on one naturally led to insights about the other. She has participated in some very interesting research, and cites a lot of other experiments. She does a commendable job of convincing the reader that mindlessness is problematic and that mindfulness is important. She also defines the terms and explains how they manifest in the real world quite well.

Unfortunately the one thing Langer stops short of, in this book, is any guidance on how to become more mindful. There may be some implicit suggestions, but there is very little explicit instruction. That seems a shame to me; on the interview with Krista Tippet, she actually alluded to some techniques (such as noticing details) so I fully expected them to appear in this work. I was hoping perhaps that her recommendations appear in some other title, but I've struggled to find any written for the general audience; her other books seem to be very theme specific (learning, ageing, creativity, etc.)

The lack of practical guidance makes this book a three star one for me, but still well worth a read. Hopefully I'll track down Langer's practical suggestions somewhere!

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mom gave me this book to read while I'm home visiting and it is a quick read. It was entertaining and informative and I reconsidered many preconceived ideas about old age and really nailed home that your perspective creates your reality. If you think old people are helpless and treat them as such then they will be more likely to act the way they are treated. I have never had a fear of growing old because the majority of the people I respect and view as role models are old people. Everyone is constantly changing and developing and if you fit yourself into a mold and an identity you may just pigeon hold yourself from what you have the potential to become. I believe in the teleological suspension of reality.

[John Martindale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how this book touched on various observations I've had, that other books have not. It is a book I want to return to and next time I hope to be a little more mindful as I go through it, so I have something more to post on this review. But yeah, I will note here that people who are into eastern religion and all, will likely be disappointed by this book. For its totally a western view, of being thoughtful, thinking outside of the books, thinking creatively, etc... rather than being mindless. Also, the book is about the power of the man over the body, how the two are quite entangled with each other. This book was published over 22 years ago and yeah, it seems, lately a lot of other researchers are confirming many of Langer's findings.

[Alecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I MINDLESSLY put this book down somewhere and it took me two days to find it again, on the dryer under a clean towel I hadn't folded. Talk about a need for mindfulness. I must've walked away mid-task, zombie style.
Interesting collection of research experiments pertaining to parenting, teaching, aging, creativity, all in the quest for mindfulness. I like reading about science experiments, but if that's not your thing, not for you.

[Chuck · Rating 1 out of 5]

Be aware that this book offers no actual guidance on developing a mindfulness practice., only the results of various psychology experiments.


Since this book came out over 25 years ago, many other titles on the subject have come out that are far better, offering more current research AND practices for developing mindfulness.

[Mikedariano · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a rare book that combines empirical research and self-help and a rarer one that does it well. This book even goes beyond any self help the reader may be looking for and offers concepts to be applied on the micro and macro levels of organizations of all sizes.

[Shelly Lefkoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved the book; came away with numerous insights

Opened my eyes to so many possibilities. I plan to reread it immediately. Applying the material in this book will make a profound difference in your life. Morty

[Arvind Kandhare · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of the many mindfulness books I will be reading this year :).
I think it does pretty well to stay very close to the experimentally provable part of it. I think it will be more bulletproof if it could have avoided the "Universe" and "energy" generalizations !!!

[Alissa Koewler · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is not a good description of mindfulness. It’s filled with poorly designed experiments that draw illogical conclusions. I couldn’t finish this, which is rare for me. There are many other resources on this subject that are superior.

[Ahanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important read for anyone who cares about the future of learning in their own lives and the lives of our children. A must read for educators.

[Dave Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

An illuminating read on mindfulness and roots of mindlessness.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating...her studies about mindfulness and aging were so interesting.

[Yossi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mindfulness - look at everything in context. There. Saved you from reading the whole repetitive book. Should have been a short essay, got turned into an extra long and repetitive book.

[Davood Torabzadeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

So academic and data-driven book, I like it because she shared her knowledge and data and led us to decide, And the new point of view about getting old was mind-blowing. I highly recommend

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was included as required reading for a of a post-graduate course I'm enrolled in, which is called, "Creating a Mindful Environment." I was so happy to find that when I logged onto Goodreads, I'd already had it on my to-read list! I had seen it on a list of books to read regarding mental health and creating healthy habits, so I was super pumped that the stars aligned and I *had* to read it.

The book is not at all what I thought it would be, which is why I gave it a single, lonely star.

I was under the impression when I added it to my list, and when I signed up for this course, that I'd be learning about how the brain works under stress and how that can affect our behavior and interaction with others. Mostly I was hoping to read about some mental exercises I could use myself and share with my students to ease stress. That is not at all what this book is about.

This is a very science-y text. Each chapter is chock-full of experiment after experiment of experimental groups and control groups and stimuli and placebos. It got repetitive very quickly and around chapter 6 I just started skimming for the key words in my assignment questions.

I think part of the reason my experience with the book wasn't so great is that the majority of the 92 questions I had to answer as part of the class were basically asking me to type out the experiment and results of said experiment that Langer describes in painful detail over and over again. By the end I felt like I'd just written out the entire book, page for page. I realize this is more a critique on the class than the text, but had I been writing about something more fun or interesting, I probably wouldn't have minded as much.

I did learn a few interesting things, like patients in nursing homes tend to live longer, healthier lives if they're allowed to make decisions for themselves, and that children are able to be taught that a disabled person's worth is not directly related to their handicap, but what stuck with me the most is that warts can be treated via hypnosis. You can literally think your warts away. In case you were wondering.