Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness

Dr. Dean Ornish is an American doctor whose research has included the role of meditation in patient recovery in diseases such as prostate cancer and coronary heart disease. Jon Kabat-Zinn cites Dr. Ornish’s work numerous times in his work to demonstrate the potential physical health benefits of meditation. Dr. Ornish’s study on heart disease patients showed that by switching to a healthier diet and regularly meditating patients successfully lowered their blood pressure. In another example of his work, Dr. Ornish proved that when men with prostate cancer adopted healthy lifestyle changes, including meditation, they were able to limit the effects of genes which made them more vulnerable to cancer and inflammation.

Kabat-Zinn lauds “The Ornish approach” because it requires “the ongoing practice of yoga, and meditation” as well as “the cultivation of love and intimacy in one’s relationships” (523). He cites studies which have shown that Dr. Ornish’s methods have helped cancer and heart patients lower their cholesterol without using medication. The author uses this evidence to remind the reader of the benefits of incorporating meditation into their life, as well as being mindful of their food choices, which is another important component of Dr. Ornish’s philosophy. The author claims that Dr. Ornish’s research shows that patients’ lifestyle choices can be a crucial aspect of their healing. He writes, “Dr. Ornish’s work with patients with coronary artery disease demonstrated for the first time that changing the way you live can improve the functioning of your heart…You might say that these men and women were able to induce their hearts to heal by changing the way they lived” (525).

Dr. Martin Seligman is an American psychologist who studies positive psychology, exploring the mental and physical differences between people with different worldviews, namely optimists and pessimists. Dr. Seligman’s research has found that people who are pessimistic and tend to “catastrophize” their perceptions of negative events are much more likely to become depressed or suffer physical illness, compared to optimists. Indeed, his work has demonstrated that the more pessimistic someone’s attitude and worldview is, the earlier they would die of disease.

Kabat-Zinn refers to Dr. Seligman’s work to persuade the reader that thinking patterns and one’s general outlook has an impact on their physical health. He says of Dr. Seligman’s work, “Dr. Seligman’s overall conclusion from these and other studies is that it is not the world per se that puts us at increased risk of illness so much as how we see and think about what is happening to us” (245). Citing this research allows the author to warn the reader about the “toxic consequences” of hostility and pessimism while simultaneously expressing hope and excitement that, “A pattern of optimistic thinking in response to stressful events, on the other hand, appears to have a protective effect against depression, illness, and premature death” (245).

One of Kabat-Zinn’s patients at his Stress Reduction Clinic, Phil is described as a “French Canadian truck driver” and referred to only by his first name. Phil attended the clinic’s eight-week MBSR program to address his chronic low-back pain and the emotional stress which he suffers due to his injury and inability to work. Kabat-Zinn uses Phil as an example of someone who had doubts about the efficacy of meditation but had an open mind and tried it anyway. Despite his significant back pain, Phil committed himself to completing even the longer meditative exercises, such as the Body Scan, and eventually experienced significant improvements in his pain. Kabat-Zinn explains, “When he ceased fighting with his pain, he was able to concentrate and be a lot calmer during the body scan. He discovered that his pain would diminish as his concentration deepened” (195). By sharing Phil’s experience with chronic pain and first impressions of meditation, Kabat-Zinn shows that meditation can become more impactful with practice and dedication.

While the author refers to many patient anecdotes throughout his work, Phil is the only patient who he quotes extensively, calling him the group’s “storyteller” (573). In one of Phil’s longer quotations, he concludes that he has learned that meditation is one way to take care of his brain and body and requires dedication to be effective. Kabat-Zinn quotes, “‘You have to give something, you have to really work at it, you have to give thanks to your body…You have to practice your brain to get it to work, in other words, so you’ll get something out of it, ya know” (573). By communicating this lesson in Phil’s words rather than his own, the author makes the point more impactful, persuading the reader that regular people with no previous experience of meditation can develop a rewarding regular practice.