Interest in meditation, mindfulness, and contemplation has grown exponentially in recent years. Rather than being seen as mystical practices from ancient Buddhism or esoteric philosophy, they are increasingly seen as technologies rooted in evidence from psychology and neuroscience. Mindfulness has become the basis for numerous therapeutic interventions, both as a treatment in healthcare and as a means of enhancing well-being and happiness. For millions around the world, mindfulness has become a life-style choice, enhancing and enriching everyday experience. Mindfulness is big business.
But, what actually is mindfulness? Is it really good for you? Can anyone learn it? How can you recognize charlatans? Would you want to live in a mindful society, and would it smell like sandalwood? What does it feel like to be mindful? Are you mindful already, and how would you know?
Evolving from the popular Honours Academy course at Leiden University, this innovative course combines conventional scholarly inquiry from multiple disciplines (ranging from psychology, through philosophy, to politics) with experiential learning (including specially designed ‘meditation labs,’ in which you’ll get chance to practice and analyze mindfulness on yourself). In the end, the course aims to provide a responsible, comprehensive, and inclusive education about (and in) mindfulness as a contemporary phenomenon.
During the production of this course, we have been supported by Willem Kuyken, Director of the University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre, and Stephen Batchelor, co-founder of Bodhi College. And we gratefully acknowledge the contributions made by Mark Williams, co-developer of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Rebecca Crane, Director of the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at the University of Bangor.
De-Mystifying Mindfulness
Offered By
Universiteit Leiden
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
12 hours to complete
Welcome to the course
People come to the study of Mindfulness for all kinds of reasons; I’m curious to know what brings you here. Perhaps you’re someone who already has a Mindfulness practice and you’re keen to know more about it? Perhaps you’re someone who has heard a lot about this mysterious thing called ‘Mindfulness,’ but you’re suspicious or skeptical about it, so you want to see what all the fuss is about? Is it really something real? Just a fad or fashion? Does it really cure all our ills? Perhaps you’re a student of psychology, or philosophy, or politics, or you’re an entrepreneur or a therapist? Whoever you are, and whyever you’re here, you’re very welcome. I look forward to learning about and from you as we embark on this adventure together.
1 video (Total 6 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
1 video
5 readings
Meet the instructor & the team5m
Welcome to Leiden University5m
Complete our short survey10m
Study tips for studying online5m
Community Guidelines & Academic Toolkit10m
1 practice exercise
How mindful are you?2m
5 hours to complete
Introduction to Mindfulness
In this fist module, we’re going to explore the foundational question of what Mindfulness actually is! This module has been designed to approach this question by considering a series of preconceptions about Mindfulness in contemporary societies. Hence, here we meet the characters who will help and guide us through the rest of the course: the scientist, the monk, the ninja, the zombie, and the hippie. I hope you find these to be worthwhile companions on our journey. In the end, we’ll discover that these preconceptions are not without merit, but that they are only partial pictures of the whole. We’ll also engage in our first Meditation Labs so that we can begin to weigh these preconceptions against our own experiences.
11 videos (Total 68 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
11 videos
Preconception - enlightenment8m
Preconception - martial magic7m
Preconception - mindlessness8m
Summary8m
Meditation lab l part 15m
Meditation Lab l part 26m
Kuyken: why mindfulness?2m
Kuyken: representation of mindfulness4m
Batchelor: coming to mindfulness3m
Batchelor: what draws others to mindfulness?2m
2 readings
Med Lab 1: Exercises10m
What is this thing called Mindfulness?10m
2 practice exercises
Check your knowledge8m
Journal after Meditation Lab 120m
Week
25 hours to complete
Psychology of/& Mindfulness
One of the most significant developments in the field of Mindfulness in recent years has been the development of ‘construct Mindfulness’ as a therapeutic tool and as a scientific technology. Both of these rest upon (and produce) bodies of scientific evidence about the effects and correlates of Mindfulness practice, both in terms of therapy and neurophysiology. In this second module, then, we’re going to explore some of implications and elaborations of these approaches. We’ll see what happens to the idea of Mindfulness when we make it into something that can be measured, and then we’ll investigate some of the most popular (and effective) Mindfulness-based Interventions, such as MBSR and MBCT. In the end, we’ll also ask whether this operationalized approach to Mindfulness actually hides deeper philosophical, religious, and existential questions, to which we’ll turn in the next module.
16 videos (Total 116 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
16 videos
Operationalizing mindfulness10m
Measuring mindfulness11m
The problem of dis-ease11m
Mindfulness-based stress reduction10m
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy12m
Common principles in mindfulness interventions9m
Summary6m
Meditation lab II7m
Kuyken: encountering difficulty4m
Kuyken: assessing teaching2m
Kuyken: science and Buddhism3m
Kuyken: who should teach?5m
Kuyken: 8 weeks later?4m
Batchelor: mindfulness teachers3m
Batchelor: mindfulness qualifications3m
2 readings
Med Lab 2: Exercises10m
Psychology of/& Mindfulness10m
3 practice exercises
How stressed are you?2m
Check your knowledge20m
Journal after Meditation Lab 22m
Week
36 hours to complete
Philosophy of/& Mindfulness
One of the great debates in the field of Mindfulness revolves around the question of the nature of its relationship with Buddhism. In this module, we consider some of the ways in which this relationship can be understood, including by paying attention to the fact that Buddhism is a diverse and multivocal tradition. Going even further, we explore the possibility that traditions of thought other than Buddhism might provide valuable insights into Mindfulness, ranging from Daoism through Stoicism to contemporary American philosophy.
16 videos (Total 126 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
16 videos
Buddhism and sati10m
Vipassana and samatha11m
Zen8m
Daoism10m
Stoicism11m
Modernity and mindfulness12m
Summary6m
Meditation lab III8m
Kuyken: Buddhism and other traditions3m
Batchelor: was Buddha a therapist?6m
Batchelor: secular dharma5m
Batchelor: Pali canon3m
Batchelor: is dharma always Buddhism?3m
Batchelor: dharma needn't be Buddhist2m
Batchelor: towards modern dharma4m
2 readings
Med Lab 3: Exercises10m
Philosophy of/& Mindfulness10m
1 practice exercise
Journal after Meditation Lab 32m
Week
45 hours to complete
Politics of/& Mindfulness
It is commonly assumed that Mindfulness is a solitary pursuit, and yet there is also often talk of a ‘Mindfulness Revolution,’ as though Mindfulness is also a social movement. In this module we’ll explore some of the ways in which the practice of Mindfulness might impact on ethical, social, and political issues today. We’ll ask questions about whether a Mindful society would really be a utopia, or whether it would be a nightmare. We’ll investigate the significance of Mindfulness in the military and in education, and finally we’ll attempt to engage with the meaning and significance of the commercialization of Mindfulness in capitalist societies.
10 videos (Total 80 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
10 videos
Mindful utopias and distopias11m
Martial mindfulness10m
Mindfulness in education10m
The mindfulness industry10m
Summary9m
Meditation lab IV4m
Kuyken: mindfulness in society3m
Batchelor: mindfulness in society5m
Batchelor: commercialism and mindfulness3m
2 readings
Med Lab 4: Exercises10m
Politics of/& Mindfulness10m
1 practice exercise
Journal after Meditation Lab 42m
4.8
285 Reviews38%
started a new career after completing these courses
24%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top Reviews
Awesome!\n\nLots of valuable theory, which includes uncovering fears and doubts. And the most important: practice. You can learn meditation here, and truly understand why the hell it's so important.
An excellent MOOC course with in-depth exploration of the mindfulness concept, with interviews of experts in the field and critical appraisal of the subject matter. I loved the course !
Instructor
Chris Goto-Jones
Prof. dr.Honours Academy
About Universiteit Leiden
Leiden University is one of Europe's foremost research universities. This prominent position gives our graduates a leading edge in applying for academic posts and for functions outside academia.
Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands. It was founded in February 1575, as a gift from William of Orange to the citizens of Leiden after they had withstood a long siege by the Spanish. Our motto is: Praesidium Libertatis — Bastion of Liberty.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
Is this course safe? Do I need support?
It is very wise to consider whether you need support for your participation in this course. You will spend quite a lot of time working on yourself, so it is possible that issues will emerge that disturb you. So, before you start the course, consider telling a good friend or family member that you intend to take this course and ask them to be available for you if you need some support during the course. Perhaps they will even want to take the course with you. You can also make use of the community of students and teachers around this course to seek support and answers to your questions. You will probably discover very quickly that many of us share similar issues, and that talking with your peers about them will help. Finally though, do not be afraid to seek more professional help if issues arise with which you feel unable to cope. Remember, this course is not itself a programme of therapy. In the end, if it feels too much, you should be willing to reconsider whether this is the right time for you to take this course -- do not feel pressured or obliged to continue it. You can leave and rejoin at any time, as feels comfortable to you.
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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