Existential mindfulness is a technique and discipline that I have taught for many years. I developed it to bring a sense of immediacy and urgency to your mindfulness practice.

Mindfulness is a mental state that allows you to be intentionally aware of the present moment.  The task appears to be exceedingly simple: pay attention to where you are and what you are doing right now. What’s more, this simple exercise has profound proven mental and physical health benefits. In addition, I routinely recommend it to bring meaning and purpose to your life. (As I alluded to here and here).  

You may be thinking, “Great! If I just think about what’s going on right now, I can be healthier? I’m in!” But while the concept is simple, the practice of mindfulness is anything but.

Was and Will

The problem lies – especially in the Western world – in our increasingly short attention spans. We are conditioned to seek out dopamine hits in the form of social media posts and 10-second videos. As a result, when we try to focus on the present our minds wander to Was and Will.

Try it for yourself: See how long you can concentrate on the present. Try to experience only what is happening, second by second, right now. Unless you are an experienced meditator, you will find that you begin to think about something that happened in the past. This is the Was. It is even more likely that your focus will turn to something you need to do in the immediate future. (This includes thoughts of, “What time is it?” and “How long have I been doing this?”) This is the Will.

In my psychology classes, I challenge students to focus on the present for the duration of a specific task, such as brushing their teeth. “Easy,” they say, “That only takes a couple of minutes.” I have yet to find a single person that passed that challenge. Myriad intrusive thoughts derail their untrained minds: “Wait, did I feed the dog?” or the ever popular, “Oh crap, am I thinking about something else?”

When they report in, crest-fallen and astonished, we move to a shorter task, such as unlocking the door or starting the car. When that also proves to be nearly impossible, we work on mindfulness for the duration of a single breath. At this point, many of the students succeed, as evidenced by wide eyes and big grins.

Existential Mindfulness

It is impossible to use sheer will to extend the length of time you can focus. The way to improve is to employ a series of gentle, non-judgmental redirections when your mind drifts. An effective way to start is to focus on your breathing. “I’m breathing in; I’m breathing out; I’m pausing between breaths.” When your mind strays from the present (“Is it lunch time yet?”), don’t think, “Oh no, I did it again!” Just let it go and switch your thoughts back to, “I’m breathing in…”

While a focus on breathing is a good way to start, it quickly becomes boring and therefore unlikely to help develop a discipline of mindfulness. Enter existential mindfulness.

Existential mindfulness combines mindfulness practice with the most fundamental of existential concerns. Memento Mori (“Remember you must die”) has been a creed of existentialists for thousands of years, more battle cry than warning. The combination of these unlikely bedfellows results in a powerful and immediate ability to focus – and refocus – your attention.

The next time you drive to work, think, “This may be the last time I ever see these houses; this road.” “This could be the last time I ever see anything.”

When you keep Memento Mori in the back of your mind, it is easier to refocus your attention on the present. “I may never again see the amazing colors of these fall leaves – let me just enjoy them for a second, right now.” “What if I never smell the new rain in the desert again? I’m going to let myself experience that smell – and nothing else – for a few minutes.”

When you become intentionally aware of the ineffable miracle of consciousness, the most mundane experiences become wonderful gifts in a short and rapidly evolving play. It is much easier to exist in the present moment when you realize that the present is truly all you have.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. You can reach me through the comments section on my Substack or Medium accounts or the blog section on my website. If this article as of value to you, please follow my Instagram and Twitter accounts. And be sure to subscribe to my River Of Creation podcast – The Podcast for Creators! – coming later this year.

Be well; do good!

- JWW