Deck 12: Meditation and Psychotherapy Roger Walsh

Question 1

Which stage of contemplative practice involves recognizing habitual patterns?

A) First stage
B) Second stage
C) Fourth stage
D) Sixth stage

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In which developmental phase do we establish a more coherent sense of self and largely accept the conventional cultural assumptions about ourselves and the world?

A) Prepersonal
B) Personal
C) Transpersonal
D) Postconventional

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Vipassana or insight meditation is a Buddhist practice also known as which of the following?

A) Yoga
B) Contemplation
C) Mindfulness
D) Prayer

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In contemplative psychologies, overlooking which of the following produces several kinds of pain and pathology?

A) Metamotives
B) Self-fulfilling prophecies
C) Peak experiences
D) None of these choices are correct

Question 5

Researchers consistently find that most therapeutic benefits come from so-called nonspecific factors. Which of the following is NOT a nonspecific factor?

A) Therapist's personal qualities
B) Quality of the relationship
C) Specific elements of the therapeutic model
D) Client's personal qualities

Question 6

Which practice begins by directing attention to a repetitive inner sound that settles the mind into a clear, peaceful state?

A) Yogic breathing
B) Mantra
C) Mindfulness
D) Meditation

Question 7

Contemplatives regard which of the following as both a means to and an expression of psychological well-being and maturity?

A) Altruism
B) Wisdom
C) Beneficence
D) Sacrifice

Question 8

When an object of awareness becomes the subject of awareness, the self becomes identified with or fused with the thought. Which of the following terms describes this process?

A) Disidentification
B) Defusion
C) Rigidity
D) Experiencing

Question 9

The largest benefit of meditation was shown to be in which of the following domains?

A) Emotional transformation
B) Quality of relationships
C) Somatic arousal
D) Cognitive capacity

Question 10

Meditation has been shown to improve which of the following capacities?

A) Perceptual sensitivity
B) Concentration
C) Short-term memory
D) All of these choices are correct

Question 11

Which of the following is an empirically supported eight-week group program that offers mindfulness meditation and yoga posture training, individual and group support, education, and daily practices?

A) MBSR
B) ACT
C) Hakomi therapy
D) Yoga

Question 12

The origins of meditative and yogic practices can be traced back at least ______ years.

A) 500
B) 1,000
C) 2,000
D) 3,000

Question 13

From a contemplative perspective, which of the following can be described as enlightened self-interest?

A) Emotional transformation
B) Ethics
C) Refining awareness
D) Wisdom

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a higher state of consciousness?

A) Unwavering concentration
B) Perceptual clarity
C) Deep compassion
D) All of these choices are correct

Question 15

Which type of meditation aims to cultivate clear sensitive awareness and use it to explore the nature of mind and experience?

A) Concentration meditation
B) Mindfulness meditation
C) Sustained energy meditation
D) Awareness meditation

Question 16

Contemplative therapies include seven central kinds of practices to cultivate corresponding qualities of mind and behavior. Which of the following is NOT one of those practices?

A) Emotional transformation
B) Wisdom
C) Refining awareness
D) Karma

Question 17

The most encompassing explanation of the mechanism that accounts for the positive effects of meditation is which of the following?

A) Learning and insight
B) Desensitization to formerly stressful stimuli
C) Deautomatization of habits
D) Restarting developmental processes

Question 18

According to Western psychology, which state of consciousness is optimal?

A) Dream state
B) Fantasy state
C) Nirvana
D) Waking state

Question 19

Our "deep nature" is thought to be which of the following?

A) Contents of the mind
B) Pure awareness
C) Feelings with which we identify
D) Sense of self

Question 20

In which stage of contemplative practice do transpersonal experiences emerge?

A) First stage
B) Fourth stage
C) Fifth stage
D) Sixth stage

Question 21

The highest stage of moral development is considered to be which of the following?

A) Egocentric
B) Ethnocentric
C) Worldcentric
D) None of these choices are correct

Question 22

_____________________ is a multimodal approach that addresses multiple psychological and somatic dimensions, as well as prepersonal, personal, and transpersonal levels.

Question 23

Advanced meditators have demonstrated unique abilities, including all of the following EXCEPT

A) control of the autonomic nervous system.
B) inhibition of startle response.
C) areas of decreased cortical thickness.
D) ability to detect fleeting facial expressions.

Question 24

Meditation combination therapies include which of the following?

A) DBT
B) ACT
C) Neither of these are correct
D) Both of these are correct

Question 25

We are born into the ________________ stage in which we have no coherent sense of self or of social conventions.

Question 26

A ________________ is an approach in which one recognizes the unity underlying diversity and focusses on one or another as the situation requires, using a fluid appropriateness that is a hallmark of both effective psychotherapy and practical wisdom.

Question 27

The classic ends of contemplation have been less researched, as deeper transformations, existential openings, and postconventional growth are difficult to measure. Research on these would be considered which of the following?

A) Means oriented
B) Goal oriented
C) Qualitative
D) None of these choices are correct

Question 28

Contemplative disciplines claim to facilitate development of enhanced psychological well-being, development, and abilities beyond normal levels. What is the Buddhist term of a state of sustained attention and concentration?

A) Singular focus
B) Calm abiding
C) Contemplative bliss
D) Essential attention

Question 29

At which stage do people increasingly question their own assumptions and recognize that all beliefs and values are largely personal and cultural constructions?

A) Conventional ethnocentric
B) Postconventional pluralistic
C) Postconventional integral
D) Cultural relativism

Question 30

_________ are inclusive disciplines that, in addition to meditation, can encompass ethics, lifestyle, body postures, diet, breath control, study, and intellectual analysis.

Question 31

The ability to know one is dreaming while still asleep is known as which of the following?

A) Empathic joy
B) Lucid dreaming
C) Hallucination
D) Supreme consciousness

Question 32

___________________ assumes that all values and beliefs are equally valid and evaluating or ranking them amounts to judgmental cultural imperialism.

Question 33

Which of the following is the capacity for maintaining calm, tolerance, serenity, and mental equilibrium in the face of provocative stimuli?

A) Equanimity
B) Moral maturity
C) Emotional maturity
D) Provocative balance

Question 34

_____________ refers to a family of introspective self-regulation practices that train attention and perception in order to bring mental processes under greater voluntary control and foster beneficial mental capacities, well-being, and maturation.

Question 35

Contemplative traditions claim to be able to enhance ethical motivation and behavior through which of the following?

A) Incentivizing altruism
B) Punishing unethical acts
C) Strengthening emotions of love and compassion
D) Reflecting on guilt and forgiveness

Question 36

_________________ actually reduces efficiency and creativity, while at the same time inflicting anxiety and agitation.

Question 37

Which of the following is an unintended consequence of diversity sensitivity?

A) Underreporting microaggressions
B) Minimizing sensitivities
C) Problematizing differences
D) Promoting biases

Question 38

_______________ cultures derive their view of reality from multiple states such as dreams, meditations, and yogas.

Question 39

______________ is the process by which awareness precisely observes and therefore ceases to unconsciously identify with mental content such as thoughts, feelings, and fantasies.

Question 40

_____________ is happiness at the happiness of others, which is a superb antidote to jealousy.

Question 41

Generosity, service, and altruism play a significant role in contemplative psychotherapies. Discuss the role of compassion and service to others, and how it is seen as advancing psychological maturity and well-being.

Question 42

A person's developmental stage will influence attitudes and responses to diversity. Discuss the differences between a conventional ethnocentric perspective and a postconventional pluralistic perspective.

Question 43

Discuss three of the five central assumptions underlying contemplative psychotherapies. Address how these assumptions are related to psychological suffering, as well as emotional well-being.

Question 44

Contemplative therapies regard the notion of identity differently than Western traditions. Discuss the three aspects of deep identity or True Nature.

Question 45

Contemplative therapies have become tremendously successful, as judged by public popularity, research support, use by therapists, and their array of benefits. Discuss three potential misunderstandings and challenges that have arisen from the popularity of contemplative practices.