Coal and diamonds are made of the same internal molecules, but couldn’t be more different on the outside. This serves as a useful metaphor. Mindfulness is about seeing things as they are. It doesn’t try to eliminate our emotional states, it tries to alter how we perceive and react to them.
Emotional alchemy can turn turmoil from a distraction into an object of attention. It can turn enemies into friends, so to speak. Mindfulness has roots in Buddhist psychology, which holds a positive view of human nature.
It focuses on what is right with us, while Western psychology too often focuses on what’s wrong. That being said, mindfulness and its capacity for self-observation enhances psychotherapy.
Key Takeaways:
- The metaphor is with coal and diamonds, which are made of the same molecules but couldn’t be more different on the outside.
- Mindfulness doesn’t eliminate our emotional states, it alters how we relate to them.
- Mindfulness complements nearly all psychotherapy approaches, including Dr. Jeffrey Young’s Schema therapy.
“What intrigues me about the metaphor of alchemy is the importance it places on the process of transformation.”
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