OfPonderingWandering

Why should we consider combining Buddhism and Cognitive Reframing?

Buddhism provides us with the philosophical drive behind understanding our suffering; much like an engine. On the other hand, cognitive reframing provides us with the tools to shape our relationship with our suffering (much like a car body). Through integration of these two means, we have a great potential for inner peace and growth. 

This blog is inspired by this video on Buddhism and this video on Cognitive reframing. The first two parts of this blog will briefly go over the content of these videos (Buddhism and Cognitive reframing, respectively) before diving into combining them. Feel free to skip to the last section if you wish. 

Firstly, to better understand how this system works, we will start with Buddhism. 

The First Noble Truth – Dukkha

Dukkha states that we ‘Suffer’ throughout life. It is simply a part of being alive- we must learn to accept this.It is essential to note that Buddhism does not claim life is inherently suffering but rather that suffering is an inevitable part of life. 

This is an important distinction to draw; Buddhism does not intend to depress us but rather to reveal the true nature of reality. Furthermore, we need to keep the original translation in mind, ‘Dukkha’ does not exactly translate to what the term ‘Suffering’ brings to our minds. As mentioned in the video, the concept of Dukkha is like a misaligned wheel on a chariot. Something that is slightly off, ever so steering you in the wrong direction. This is what Dukkha is. A brief aside, Dukkha can also be thought of as a baseline dissatisfaction with one’s present-day condition or experience. 

The First Noble Truth simply states that Dukkha is a part of life. When we learn to accept this, we may wonder, where does our suffering come from?

The Second Noble Truth – Samudaya

The Second Noble Truth states that within life, we experience Dukkha through our Thirst and attachment. Here, we will explore these terms. 

Thirst: The video breaks down Thirst into three essential components, sensual pleasure, becoming, and non-becoming. 

Sensual pleasure: Be it alcohol, food, entertainment, sex, overwork, etc. Are considered to be sensual pleasures, yet, the pleasure itself is not the sin, but our attachment to it. Everything in life is transient. Yet, we act as though pleasure is not transient. We keep chasing pleasure with the hopes that it will cure us of our ailments, that it will cause permanent fulfillment. This is where the sin comes in, our ‘permanent’ attachment to transient pleasures. 

Becoming and Non-Becoming: 

Becoming refers to our desire for self-improvement or control over life, while Non-Becoming refers to our desire to cease feeling suffering and uncomfortable feelings all together. Both of these strip us away from the present moment. It is not that we should stray away from improvement and the wish to feel better; it is that we must notice how these urges take us away from the present moment and instill that present dissatisfaction (Dukkha) within us. We spend so much mental energy on the future and the past that we forget to attend to the present, the gateway to both!

Attachment:

Attachment can be seen as greed or, more literally, attachment to transient worldly possessions and affairs. It is latching onto objects and possessing them, we claim that these objects are ours, when in reality, they belong to the universe. And much like us, they exist for a finite time. When we are attached to something, and if we do not practice letting go, when things inevitably change, we will suffer and surround ourselves in Dukkha. 

Next, we will briefly go over the third and fourth Noble Truths. One day, I hope to go into much deeper depth about them. 

The Third Noble Truth – Nirodha

The Third Noble Truth states that suffering can be ended by letting go of it. This is completed through acknowledging the root of our suffering, then working with non-attachment, compassion, and loving kindness to slowly let go of it (One day I will write about this). 

The Fourth Noble Truth Marga

The Fourth Noble Truth states that there is a pathway to liberation from suffering. In Buddhism, this is achieved through following the Noble Eightfold path, which contains eight guidelines to direct your life in a wholesome way. 

In conclusion, the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism can be thought of as, ‘Suffering exists’, ‘There is a cause of suffering’, ‘We can let go of suffering’, ‘There is a path of liberation from suffering.’ Now, I would like us to keep in mind the First and Second Noble Truth as we continue to move onto Cognitive reframing. 

Cognitive Reframing

The second video focuses on various coping methods. In order from worst to best, there are… (Once more, much more credit is due to each point, but we are here for cognitive reframing).

Emotion-focused coping: 

Seeking to replace one emotion with another (fire with fire). Quite literally, it’s only a band-aid solution, keeping us in a cycle.

Problem-solving: 

Eliminating the source of one’s discomfort. This is often done by getting to the root of the issue and doing what you can (little by little) to try to reduce or eliminate your problems. Although, as brought up in the video, some issues cannot be solved. There are a few objective truths in this world which bring us suffering (such as the notions of Dukkha). Thus, we must turn inward…

Cognitive reframing: 

This is one of the best strategies we can employ. Yet what is Cognitive reframing? Simply a change in perspective. Many external things in life are uncontrollable; be it death or Dukkha, we can’t always go around problem-solving. Hence, we must turn inward and begin to change our relationship with our suffering. We can do this by changing our perspective.

As outlined in the video, cognitive reframing follows a few simple steps:

Firstly, write down all of your feelings and thoughts about what is causing you to suffer. Secondly, step outside of yourself and write down what someone else (who is wise) would say to comfort you. Thirdly, note any conflicts that arise between the first and second stages and record them. Lastly, out of all the wise sayings you have written down, choose one that you can accept right here, right now, and carry it forward with you. 

Additionally, another valuable practice is reflecting on your life history. By writing down your experiences (negative, neutral, positive), relationships, and ‘highlights’, you can gain a much better sense of who you are as a person, and you can even gain insight into where and/or how your suffering came about. 

Furthermore, the goal of Cognitive reframing is not to remove our suffering altogether. Rather, its goal is to provide awareness of the suffering within us, and to allow us to reside in conflicting emotions that healing brings. As pain does not go away, nor can we be happy or in positive emotions all the time. Therefore, we must learn to be aware of all the emotions that arise, and find peace within the conflict of rising emotions. 

Ultimately, through repetition of Cognitive reframing, the positive target thoughts end up becoming second nature. Thinking occurs in patterns, in the wiring of neurons together, which takes time to ‘fuse.’ By repeating reframing exercises time and time again, we end up rewiring our brain, for the better. 

Now, we will learn about combining the philosophical drive of Buddhism with the tools of Cognitive reframing. 

Mixing Buddhism and Cognitive Reframing 

Buddhism encompasses numerous essential concepts that should be considered during cognitive reframing. In this section, I will draw on each of the Noble Truths and explore how they can contribute to cognitive reframing. 

The First Noble Truth is a quick comparison to make. Once again, as we navigate life, we inevitably face suffering. And sometimes, our Dukkha cannot be (easily) solved; it can be a constant source of pain in our lives.

Even in the cause of suffering, we see how deeply Buddhism delves. Cognitive reframing is somewhat limited in its ability to describe what causes suffering, as it primarily relies on a life history account. While Buddhism seeks to get to the root of all suffering as we know it.

The Second Noble Truth is the most applicable here. Reframing is most effective when we understand precisely where and how our suffering originated. I like to think about yardsticks; there is some constant source of pain in our lives. Through finding and accepting it, we can grow around it- much like plants in a garden do.

This is where the Buddhist idea of Thirst comes in. The three parameters of Thirst -becoming, non-becoming, and sensual pleasure, along with attachment -support cognitive reframing by providing us with existential means to investigate where else our suffering could come from.

For example, let’s take loneliness. Cognitive reframing is limited by explanations based on feelings and life history alone. While this is quite empowering in itself, it lacks the insightful philosophical flavour that Samudaya adds. I think it is fair to analyse the feeling of loneliness through the lens of non-becoming. In the context of non-becoming while experiencing loneliness, we usually try our best to distract ourselves and/or replace our suffering with vice. We try to escape our feelings in the hope that they will go away. Through recognition of our aversion to our feelings, we can start to slowly shift our attention to the present moment, and to the tending of our suffering. Thereby, setting ourselves up for healing. The added safety check of Samudaya will help us catch this human tendency. Allowing us the mental space which encompasses Nirodha and enables cognitive reframing to occur.

Nirodha states that there is an end to suffering. Rather than a complete end, I argue for a meta-aware reduction in the sensation of pain. Whereby it is only through the recognition and awareness of our natural tendencies (to be in aversion to pain) and the residing in conflict, i.e., living in the coexisting conflict between negative and positive emotions. Only through this, we can begin to work towards Nirodha- a notable reduction but not cessation in our suffering. 

To drive the point home, there will be no end to our pain; it is continuous. Within life, there are objective truths of pain. Be it change, death, etc. And subjective truths of pain, be it chronic illness, etc. These forces are remarkably constant throughout our lives. They are like yardsticks within a garden; it is our duty and responsibility to acknowledge their presence, integrate them into our lives, and grow with them. Not against them. It is through this process that we can begin to build a relationship with our pain, hence reducing it in the long run. 

Marga states there is a pathway to liberation. While the Noble Eightfold Path will undoubtedly support us during cognitive reframing, I would like to discuss another path. For cognitive reframing to be successful, we must practice it repeatedly. Until our ‘new’ thoughts become second nature. This is due to the neural pathways within our brain. In the past, the ‘unhealthy’ ways we would cope were literally a wired present in our minds. This means that it takes a lot less to fire the neurons in terms of both activation and sensitivity. Unfortunately for us, this means unhealthy ways to cope with suffering are much easier (from a biological standpoint) than pushing through the resistance to bring about healthy coping mechanisms. However, there is still hope. Our brains remain plastic (changeable) for our entire lives; it is just going to be an uphill battle, albeit a possible and rewarding one. 

In conclusion, Buddhism and Cognitive reframing are highly compatible and effective (speaking from experience). Buddhism provides us with the ability to sit with, understand, and dignify our suffering. While Cognitive reframing gives us the tools to transform our suffering. Together, these two forces become an unstoppable force, against the immovable object that is suffering.