We’ve Hit Peak Mindfulness! 🌋

We probably hit peak mindfulness in the United States sometime in 2015. Mindfulness meditation cures all problems, was the story we were hearing almost constantly! It’s what us stressed out knowledge workers need in the new attention economy. It soothes all pains. Peak mindfulness is driven by the understanding of mindfulness as a panacea to our modern ailments. We ❤️ cure-alls don’t we?

But for those of us who’d been behind the scenes and seeing the formation of mindfulness and it’s slow differentiation from modern Buddhism, many of us reached peak mindfulness further back still. While most people were peaking we were well into the trough of disillusionment.

The Trough of Disillusionment 💀

I remember hearing the term “McMindfulness” for the 1st time at an LA-based conference I helped host in 2011, called The Buddhist Geeks Conference.

At that event, and over 3 others, we collectively explored the shadow sides of mindfulness and it’s powerful entry into global life. We talked not just about the positive, but also the blind sides of the emerging science around mindfulness. We looked at the downsides of not sharing the full range of potential side effects that could impact mindfulness practitioners, as well as the lack of well-trained teachers in a quickly growing field. We also considered the socioeconomic pitfalls of mindfulness melding with global capitalism.

Fast forward to 2017 and we can see the blow-back of peak mindfulness (see here, here, here, here, & here) starting to pick up. Mindfulness is on the defensive — a key indicator that it has entered the trough! People who believe in the good word of mindfulness are staking out their positions and digging in. And those people who are sick and tired of mindfulness —many of whom are jealous that their ideas aren’t getting nearly as much attention — are coming out in droves to tear it apart.

And while many people have yet to Yo-Yo through the peak & trough of mindfulness it’s interesting to note that for those of us who have become disillusioned with mindfulness already, many of us are starting to reimagine mindfulness as an imperfect tradition which can incorporate its criticisms and evolve in response to the most valid points. We are The Second Generation of Mindfulness, slowly climbing the slope of enlightenment. We aren’t close to there yet, but it’s good not to be at rock bottom anymore!