Observing things as they are is a fundamental tenet of both mindfulness and science. Getting started with mindfulness requires honing the subjective ability in inquiry, which is a skill that is complementary to science in terms of information acquisition. These two paths of investigation have a lot in common.
Both research and mindfulness depend on perception, with the former employing a third-person viewpoint and the latter employing a first-person viewpoint. Both expect the practitioner to observe objectively, without being influenced by specific values or attitudes. Both science and mindfulness begin with observations and the formation of testable theories or assertions about the universe at large (both external and internal).
A theory in medicine is something like this: “Stress causes heart disease.” You learn to explore first-person encounters in mindfulness practice by creating "hypotheses" like "When I am nervous, my stomach tightens."
Data collection is used in both research and mindfulness meditation to assess the theory in question. A scientist may devise an experiment that subjects people to stressful situations, during which he or she studies improvements in heart rates or other physiological measures linked to heart disease. When practicing mindfulness in everyday life, you might pay attention to the situation if your stomach tightens and see if this happens when you are nervous. Science and mindfulness will contribute to assumptions regarding their theories and open the way to further questions based on data collection.
Mindfulness as an internal discovery method, like science inquiry as an external exploration tool, is an ongoing operation.
With each new insight comes a greater level of comprehension and, in turn, a new set of questions. This phase of exploration has been characterized by Alan Watts as a never-ending game of hide-and-seek in which we keep discovering ourselves.
It's Like Taking a Bath in Mindfulness
One way to think of mindfulness's receptive nature is to compare it to taking a bath—another receptive activity, albeit one that requires some work to appreciate.
Fill a tub with water, apply bath oils or salts, set the mood by playing calming music, and place your phone on vibrate or take other precautions to prevent being disturbed while taking a relaxing bath.
You get ready to take a bath in the same way you get ready to meditate.
When you first step into the pool, you ease into the warmth and calmness of the water, and you are responsive and attentive to the experience.
In meditation, you plan the room (much as you would for a bath), then sit (or lie down, or exercise in some other way) and become receptively mindful of your experience.
In meditation, you focus your mind on your breath, similar to how you focus your attention on calming while swimming.
Both interactions necessitate planning, and both are receptive in nature. While meditation necessitates some initial effort, its sensitive nature is likely to take hold over time.
Remember the bath analogy and let the mediation mechanism guide you more than you guide it to promote this effect.
