How Meditation Can Increase Good Judgment

Recently, I have been excited by the work of Norman Rosenthal, a Georgetown University psychiatrist (who pioneered the use of light therapy for seasonal affective disorder), who argues that meditation can increase what psychologists call “field independence.” In short, this is the ability to follow our compass and trust our judgment. It is in contrast to “field dependence,” where we rely on information, judgments, and beliefs from the outside world, which happens when we rely so heavily on social media.

I’ve been intrigued by the implications of this finding, as a clinician, a meditation teacher, and a researcher. As someone who sees patients across life, I’ve found this concept to have multiple applications. For example, I see many teenagers and their parents. One common complaint is how much time the teens spend on their phones and how dependent they are on social media.

Research tells us that we can become dependent on the dopamine “hits” of people liking what we have posted on social media. This may develop to the point where families get into heated (often physical) battles about the use of screens. A family that I worked with, whose son was struggling with social anxiety, found that after taking a meditation class, he spent less time on social media, needed it less, and more time pursuing activities that he enjoyed with his friends.

Sydney, a patient who was in recovery and practicing meditation, commented that one of the things she appreciated about her twelve-step group was that everyone was “anonymous.” She smiled when she was telling the story. “It is so freeing to be in the program. No one says, “follow me” on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Please like me, approve of me.”

I resonated with what she said. As someone who has had a meditation practice since childhood, I have found that it helps me stay grounded even during difficult times. Meditation has helped me develop an inner compass that mediates against peer pressure. Decades of research show that meditation can increase the executive function of the brain and reduce anxiety, addictions, depression, as well as many other ailments.

Mindfulness can also contribute to resilience and equanimity. One of the basic skills we develop is learning to begin again without self-loathing. For example, in the process of meditation, we attempt to anchor the mind on the breath, sound, or sensations. However, our minds can be like a playful puppy jumping from one thing to another.

We learn to accept this wandering as the nature of the mind, without the need to add drama or self-hatred. This means that we are likely to be less devastated if things don’t go the way we want or we get rejected.

One meditation teacher joked, “Failure is just fine. You learn from it. No big deal.”

One of my favorite cognitive reframes is from Sylvia Plath, who wrote, “I love rejection slips. They show me that I try.”

Field independence can also be an ally in the process of aging. Many of my patients (and friends and colleagues) are dealing with retirement, loss, illness, and death. It can be challenging as we let go of external ways of measuring our success and worth. We are so used to defining ourselves regarding our accomplishments and what we can do.

Resilience, or finding our North Star, can contribute to becoming less depressed as we age. One woman I work with has lost her sight as she ages. A long-term meditator, she said to me the other day, “as my sight decreases, I think about what I can still do, and what I can still enjoy, rather than what I can’t do. I find this is more helpful than thinking about all that I have lost.”

Meditation Essential Reads

The Ever-Elusive Present: Attending to It via Breathwork

What Can We Learn From the Indus Seals?

This woman, now in her late 90s, can still find joy in the days she has, rather than living in anger and resentment. She has become an inspiration for me as I watch her move through difficult times with grace, generosity, and humor.