Mindfulness: a political agenda

The boundaries between mental health and education are becoming less clear with the introduction of Curriculum for Excellence and GIRFEC into schools in Scotland. It should be no surprise, therefore, to read the heading on the above website: `Mindfulness as a foundation for the Values of Curriculum for Excellence.` Whether or not one agrees with the principle of integrating wellbeing with education, it should be noted that the introduction of mindfulness training (meditation) into schools is now widespread and global.

Within the UK, the Oxford Mindfulness In Education Project has been responsible for most of the UK research and implementation in schools in England over the last 10 years...

In Scotland, Mindfulness training has taken place in schools with pupils predominantly informally within religious studies departments or in Personal and Social Education. It is only in the last 3 year that Mindfulness has begun to be the focus for research in Scottish schools.

http://heartfulness.co.uk/index.php/mindfulness-in-education

What might be less well known is that there is a political agenda behind the notions of wellbeing and mindfulness. For a straightforward account see the article: `Happiness and Wellbeing: Defining a New Economic Paradigm...`

The evolution of the economy is the evolution of consciousness. We live in an age of profound disruptions. Global crises in finance, food, fuel, water, resource scarcity and poverty challenge every aspect of our societies. These disruptions also open up the possibilities for personal and societal renewal. . . . So what will it take to wake up from our collective sleepwalking? It will require applying the power of mindfulness, both individually and collectively, to the evolution of business, democracy, and society.

http://www.mindfulnessfoundation.org.uk/paradigm/new-economic-scientific-paradigms/

If practised over time, meditation can produce the `oceanic` feeling or sense of `oneness with the universe` where the boundary between self and others, or self and the universe can dissipate. For those interested in engineering a new global consciousness in which global citizenship and reduced consumption are the orders of the day, it is a very useful technique. Should we be surprised that world leaders are interested in it?

However, when mindfulness is introduced into schools it is dressed up as a technique to improve the wellbeing of children and the other implications of the practice are ignored. Whatever our views about global economics and ecology are, manipulating children in schools for political reasons, in such an underhanded way, is the antithesis of education.  

There are also health risks:

(P)sychiatrists have now sounded a warning that as well as bringing benefits, mindfulness meditation can have troubling side-effects. Evidence is also emerging of underqualified teachers presenting themselves as mindfulness experts, including through the NHS.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/25/mental-health-meditation