**5. Towards a new perception of the self: the contribution of mindfulness to the well-being of oneself, others and the environment**

Thus far, we have reviewed various concepts in order to explore the links between meditative practice and the perception of beauty. Specifically, we have considered the aesthetic experience, the contemplative experience and their relationship with the practice of mindfulness. Now, we would like to summarise all these elements into the following questions: how can we understand the relationship between meditative practice and the perception of beauty? And what are the implications of this for the person, his or her relationships and the environment?

We live in a culture that bombards us with endless stimuli and external demands to which we are compelled to respond with urgency. This maelstrom makes it difficult to find moments of silence in which to be with oneself and to be aware of one's surroundings. Specifically, this lifestyle has made us more likely to favour responding to external stimuli over our own internal processes. In general, westerners do not receive any kind of formal learning about practices that allow us to be with ourselves or that explicitly develop socioemotional abilities from childhood [42]. This impacts our perception of the things that happen to us, to others and to our environment.

As has already been pointed out, perception is intimately related to attention (for a review, see Ref. [43]). Previously in this text, we have stated that beauty is something to which attention can be paid, that is to say that it requires the development of a certain degree of attention and one of the central elements within mindfulness is attentional control. This is the first element to be considered; in order to perceive beauty, we must train our capacity for attention, which is something that mindfulness does. By strengthening our attention, the practice of mindfulness allows us to stop in the middle of our daily business, to focus our attention and to leave aside other emerging stimuli.

Another element that has been considered in this chapter is the question of beauty; that is to say, how do we understand beauty? In this sense, we identify with the Kantian idea that beauty is not related to goodness or pleasantness nor with that which is good or perfect, as Plato suggested. To this end, Kant separates from the dominion of beauty the idea of goodness as something that is desired. This element is central from two perspectives. From mindfulness, there is the goal that the person should develop greater psychological flexibility by deidentifying with their own mental events as absolute experiential realities, thus empowering an equanimous posture in the face of what is observed [18]. Following this line, the essence of Buddhist psychology lies in the teaching that there is no such thing as an immutable and permanent self but that the perception of the self is a product of an ongoing mental process [44]. Understanding this allows us to transcend the 'psychological materialism' that is dominant in the west and which pushes us to attempt to improve ourselves by enhancing our self-esteem, self-confidence and self-control [25], in exchange for a new form of being with ourselves and others, releasing control and gaining awareness of what we feel from one moment to another, which requires that we become able to tolerate emptiness. On the other hand, Heidegger's view of Aesthetics tells us that through the process of observing beauty from a nonintellectual perspective—known as *alétheia*—it is possible to gain access to the very essence of things. This shares a central idea with mindfulness that its practice favours the capacity for seeing things as they are, to perceive their essence without the ornaments of fantasy, desire or rejection; it allows access to the very centre of reality.

**5. Towards a new perception of the self: the contribution of mindfulness** 

Thus far, we have reviewed various concepts in order to explore the links between meditative practice and the perception of beauty. Specifically, we have considered the aesthetic experience, the contemplative experience and their relationship with the practice of mindfulness. Now, we would like to summarise all these elements into the following questions: how can we understand the relationship between meditative practice and the perception of beauty? And what are the implications of this for the person, his or her relationships and the environment?

We live in a culture that bombards us with endless stimuli and external demands to which we are compelled to respond with urgency. This maelstrom makes it difficult to find moments of silence in which to be with oneself and to be aware of one's surroundings. Specifically, this lifestyle has made us more likely to favour responding to external stimuli over our own internal processes. In general, westerners do not receive any kind of formal learning about practices that allow us to be with ourselves or that explicitly develop socioemotional abilities from childhood [42]. This impacts our perception of the things that happen to us, to others

As has already been pointed out, perception is intimately related to attention (for a review, see Ref. [43]). Previously in this text, we have stated that beauty is something to which attention can be paid, that is to say that it requires the development of a certain degree of attention and one of the central elements within mindfulness is attentional control. This is the first element to be considered; in order to perceive beauty, we must train our capacity for attention, which is something that mindfulness does. By strengthening our attention, the practice of mindfulness allows us to stop in the middle of our daily business, to focus our attention and to leave

Another element that has been considered in this chapter is the question of beauty; that is to say, how do we understand beauty? In this sense, we identify with the Kantian idea that beauty is not related to goodness or pleasantness nor with that which is good or perfect, as Plato suggested. To this end, Kant separates from the dominion of beauty the idea of goodness as something that is desired. This element is central from two perspectives. From mindfulness, there is the goal that the person should develop greater psychological flexibility by deidentifying with their own mental events as absolute experiential realities, thus empowering an equanimous posture in the face of what is observed [18]. Following this line, the essence of Buddhist psychology lies in the teaching that there is no such thing as an immutable and permanent self but that the perception of the self is a product of an ongoing mental process [44]. Understanding this allows us to transcend the 'psychological materialism' that is dominant in the west and which pushes us to attempt to improve ourselves by enhancing our self-esteem, self-confidence and self-control [25], in exchange for a new form of being with ourselves and others, releasing control and gaining awareness of what we feel from one moment to another, which requires that we become able to tolerate emptiness. On the other hand, Heidegger's view of Aesthetics tells us that through the process of observing beauty from a nonintellectual

**to the well-being of oneself, others and the environment**

and to our environment.

216 Perception of Beauty

aside other emerging stimuli.

From the subjective point of view, the psychological experience of avoiding those mental contents that we do not wish to have, and for which we actively develop strategies to help us avoid contact with, is what has become known in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as experiential avoidance disorder [45], a pattern that becomes pathological in the measure that it distances people from the things that they consider to be valuable in their lives. Nonetheless, the presence of mental events that are considered either positive or negative, desirable or not desirable or, in broader terms, beautiful or not beautiful is to a great extent what we consider in order to define or evaluate ourselves. Thus, the invitation is to avoid becoming trapped in an idea of the self as an immutable entity, to let go of the habit of constantly evaluating whether or not our wishes or yearnings are being fulfilled and to understand that no experience or idea of oneself provides an absolute definition of who I am or how the world is.

Amongst the various contributions that the Buddhist tradition has given to the perception of beauty, the vision of the impermanence of things and the transitory nature of that which we perceive from moment to moment are worth highlighting. We have already discussed how Buddhist practice teaches us to accept change, to adapt and to learn to feel comfortable with transience, along with ceasing to hold on to an illusory solidity of things. This truth of the transience of things brings us to the perception that beauty is not sustainable nor entirely perdurable in time, and, therefore, if we insist in holding onto that which pleases us or causes pleasure, we end up frustrated by the disappearance of the pleasing experience. Accepting this condition, according to Olendzki [44], 'is achieved by cultivating equanimity, which is a way of being present without attachment when there is pleasure, and without resistance when there is pain'.

In this sense, both models argue—albeit with different terminologies—for a specific manner or attitude with which to approach what is perceived. From Kant, perception must be selfless, and, in mindfulness terms, the observation of mental events brings with it a beginner's mental attitude as a curious and non-judgemental observer of what is observed. In other words, it is to be equanimous in the face of what is perceived.

The process of the practice of mindfulness brings us to a broader vision of the self and thus to encounter a beauty that is not defined by cultural patterns or canons that dictate how it should be or that reject anything that does not fit within the pattern. It is an intimate encounter with a particular beauty that is not copied or imposed from outside, but that surges from a personal experience, and is thus unique, advancing from a critical position towards one that is kinder with oneself.

This is why we say that mindfulness permits an encounter with a beauty of the self that becomes revealed in different ways with practice. And what is revealed? A self that is able to change the relationship with its emotions, thoughts or sensations. This fact gives a greater degree of control back to the person—not control over other things, as such—but the control to respond to things that happen. In other words, one is able to achieve personal empowerment and stability in life. It is interesting to note that this quality has been observed in people both with and without mental illness, which emphasises that mindfulness is a skill that can be trained in all individuals [46].

This beauty is not limited to a new relationship with thoughts, emotions and feelings. To the contrary, the body is constituted as the source of knowledge of the mental and physical state but also as a mechanism to modify that state, for example, through breathing. This is of great relevance to the well-being of people where, on the one hand, there is a greater acceptance of the body, and, on the other hand, the body is not seen as something foreign to oneself. As was pointed out by a participant in one of our groups:

'I had never felt my body, how my lungs and heart work. I experienced my breathing'.

The practice of mindfulness does not only have an impact at the individual level; it also allows one to appreciate the other from a place that is free from judgement and evaluation. Specifically, it has been demonstrated how children, after training in mindfulness, demonstrate more pro-social and empathic behaviours. This aspect is central in programmes that actively involve compassion towards oneself and others as central elements in practice. One of the key elements is recognising the shared humanity or the interconnected nature of our lives [47]. A number of studies have shown how the practice of mindfulness increases the development of positive emotions and behaviours related to compassion, gratitude and generosity, in children, adolescents, adults and senior citizens alike [42, 48–50]. The following account of an adolescent who participated in a mindfulness workshop in school serves as an example of the above:

'I am very good at getting upset and fighting, but now, when I'm getting into a fight, I can calm myself down; I breathe, close my eyes, and that has helped me to get along better with others'.

The perception of beauty through mindfulness also influences the way in which we perceive the environment. Recent studies have argued for the effect that the practice of mindfulness could have on care for the environment [51]. Specifically, it has been suggested that improved psychological well-being, centred here and now, promotes the satisfaction of non-material needs, which impacts directly and indirectly on the adoption of sustainable behaviours. In fact, being more aware of how my behaviour impacts on others and on the environment could help self-regulation. Nonetheless, there is another element that has received less attention in the relationship between mindfulness and sustainable behaviours [52, 53], which is that the contemplation of nature itself can reveal both things: a new point of view on what is perceived and potentially an insight into the self through what is observed. This aspect recalls the practice of nembutsu, as discussed previously.

For instance, it is not infrequent that participants, after mindfulness training, report how a tree that was always present near their place of residence, had never really been seen by them before and how they were surprised by its beauty. Thus, the contemplation of beauty could be a means of getting to know oneself, as much as it could appreciate its beauty.

In short, we argue that the practice of mindfulness develops the capacity for inner contemplation and also for contemplating the world, by focussing one's attention on what is being experienced in the moment and being aware of it with equanimity, curiosity and openness whilst momentarily suspending conceptual evaluation of what is observed in favour of direct perception. This allows us to perceive the intrinsic beauty in ourselves, in others and in the environment that surrounds us.
