Mindfulness approach to working with the inner critic

Buddhism has leapt out of the terrain of religion and into the domain of cognitive science. Mindfulness is a central Buddhist concept and practice, especially in the Theravadan school. The essence of Buddhist meditation, mindfulness entails the deceptively simple act of observing one's thoughts dispassionately. Mindfulness can be used to monitor destructive thought habits, which lead to destructive behaviors. Instead of addressing the behavior, cognitive scientists aim to work at the level of thought. Behaviors are the symptoms of ineffective thoughts: the byproducts of an undisciplined mind. Cognitions are the root causes of undesirable behaviors. Cognitive scientists and therapists have naturally incorporated mindfulness into their research and practice. Organizations like Mindfulness Therapy Associates build upon core principles of both cognitive science and Buddhism. In the late 1970s, Jon Kabat-Zinn developed a mindfulness-based stress reduction program that has since become the cornerstone of further research and clinical practice.

One of the goals of weaving mindfulness into cognitive therapy is to help the client become more aware of what is known as the inner critic. The inner critic is characterized by cognitions of self-blame (Elliot 1999) and "I should/should not" (Elliot 1993). From a psychotherapeutic standpoint, the inner critic resembles the superego and its parental character. Regardless of where the inner critic originates, the inner voice of self-criticism, self-blame, and self-hatred can become a tremendous stumbling block for persons working through mental illness.

Mindfulness is a technique that can help the client become more aware of the inner critic. By becoming more conscious of the inner critic's language, the mindfulness practitioner learns why he or she perpetuates undesirable behaviors or feels unwelcome emotions. From a Buddhist perspective, the inner critic is simply a collection of thoughts that have etched themselves so deeply into the individual's mind as to become a part of his or her identity. Mindfulness reveals the inner critic for what it really is: a destructive conglomerate of cognitive, emotional, and most likely physiological responses. The inner critic is what censors creative people and prevents them from manifesting their full potential as artists or actors. The inner critic is what fuels stage fright or social anxiety. The inner critic is what creates self-sabotage: "You were never good at playing basketball and you never will be -- so why bother!"

The goal of mindfulness is not so much to destroy the inner critic as it is to make it vanish on its own accord. By simply accepting its illusory nature, the individual can learn how to act in spite of the inner critic. Observing the inner critic is the goal of mindfulness. Using mindfulness, a person can learn to discern the voice of the inner critic and distinguish that voice from reality. Once the individual can see how the inner critic works, when it is most vocal, and how to ignore it, self-destructive behaviors are likely to change naturally and without the use of pharmaceutical interventions or lengthy therapy sessions. Mindfulness is a personal practice and requires a great degree of self-discipline, which is why the technique is not suitable for all clients. Only those who are willing to meditate and to assume responsibility for their own role in their problems would benefit from the practice.

Cognitive scientists can help therapists design programs of healing that address the inner critic. The inner critic might become internalized deeply into a client's mind so that he or she does not even realize the voice is there. Mindfulness helps bring the inner critic to the surface of conscious awareness. Once the inner critic is recognized for what it is, the client then learns when the inner critic manifests and can see how it functions as self-sabotage.

The inner critic rarely offers constructive criticism. Almost by definition, the inner critic is like an abusive parent. Nothing the person does is good enough; the inner critic is never satisfied. Therefore, working with the inner critic means deconstructing the thought processes and emotional habits that comprise it. Becoming aware of the inner critic is the first step in the deconstructive process. Cognitive scientists can work with their clients to help them become more aware of the power their inner critics have over them and then minimize that power. Using the nonjudgmental approach that mindfulness entails, the client observes the inner critic's thought processes. Any self-criticism that arises during meditation is observed and only observed. The key to mindfulness is to allow thoughts to arise and dissipate and to resist latching onto any of them. The inner critic must also in a sense be loved and embraced as part of the Self.

Mindfulness means developing a continual conscious awareness, one that replaces the inner critic with an impersonal, detached observer. Instead of criticism, the observer offers nothing but an objective narrative of the person's thought processes. The observer in fact notices the inner critic and comments on its cognitions. Instead of responding to the inner critic with fear, anger, hatred or -- criticism -- the observer responds with compassion, love, and detachment. From a Buddhist perspective, the inner critic is just another subject for the observer to watch but not to dwell upon.

Detachment is essential to an effective mindfulness practice. Emotional attachment is what fuels the inner critic; the inner critic feeds on attention. Instead of reacting to the inner critic, the practitioner of mindfulness watches it as if the inner critic were a car speeding down the road. At first, the client would need to work regularly with therapists to learn how to become more detached from the inner critic. As the client's mindfulness practice deepens, he or she becomes more able to observe the inner critic throughout the day. Daily mindfulness then becomes the solution to encroaching thoughts of self-hatred.

During the practice of mindfulness, the client might want to discover where his or her inner critic originates. By observing the inner critic with detachment, the client may recognize his or her mother or father in their inner critic. Understanding the origins of the inner critic may encourage the client to develop compassion and forgiveness for abusive parents and to overcome the residual effects of abuse. Cognitive therapists who incorporate mindfulness into their clinical practice might need to provide extra support to a person who suffered from abuse, to work through the feelings of anger and resentment that accompany self-criticism. Elliot (1993) refers to releasing the tendency to blame oneself for external problems, especially those that arose during the client's childhood. Mindfulness therefore serves as a particularly effective therapy for clients suffering from deep-rooted psychological problems.

Mindfulness helps the client recognize the inner critic as an internalized version of the abusive parent. The process of healing begins first with observing the thoughts. Meditation practice involves watching thoughts arise, not dwelling on any one of them. Second, the client may want to keep a log of the thoughts that arise during the meditation session. Keeping a journal or log of thoughts helps the client recognize the language the inner critic uses and the sensations that arise in the body when the inner critic is most vocal. The information gleaned from the meditation session is then brought into conscious awareness. As the person learns to recognize the bodily sensations and cognitions associated with the inner critic, he or she can more easily ignore the critic's voice of admonishment. Finally, the therapist must work with the client to help him or her develop new modes of thinking, acting, and being.