Prosochē - Stoic Version of Mindfulness

Prosochē (προσοχή) [pro-soh-KHAY]—the attitude and practice of attention—is the fundamental Stoic spiritual attitude.1 It is a state of continuous, vigilant, and unrelenting attentiveness to oneself—the present impressions, present desires, and present actions which shape one's moral character (prohairesis).2

When you relax your attention for a while, do not fancy you will recover it whenever you please; but remember this, that because of your fault of today your affairs must necessarily be in a worse condition in future occasions. (Discourses 4.12.1)

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As Pierre Hadot points out, Marcus Aurelius' prescription for the practice of the Stoic disciplines is distinct from the teachings of Epictetus in one way—Marcus Aurelius focuses on the present. Throughout his Meditations, he teaches us to narrow the focus of our attention to the present—our present representations, present impulses, and present actions. Hadot refers to this practice as, “circumscribing the present.”15 We find within the Meditations that only our present thoughts and actions are within our control (2.14), and the past and future are indifferents (6.32). As Epictetus would say, “Things outside the sphere of choice are nothing to me” (Discourses 1.30.3). Yet, most people struggle to relinquish their compulsion to fret over the past and worry about the future. Donald Robertson, psychologist, offers this advise,

Modern CBT [Cognitive Behavioral Therapy] has attempted to dispute irrational self-blame or unhealthy obsessions with past events in a similar manner, by drawing attention to our inability to change the past. If guilt serves a purpose, it is surely to motivate us to change today, in order to prepare for tomorrow, but not to condemn ourselves to endless complaining about yesterday... The true locus of our control, and therefore our primary concern, is the here and now, from moment to moment. It is in the present moment that lessons are learned from the past, and preparation is made for the future.16

Thus, the prokoptōn benefits by relinquishing his concern about the past and future, over which he has no control, and focusing his attention (prosochē) exclusively on the present. Hadot suggests that circumscribing the present has two additional benefits. First, by facing difficulties and hardships one moment at a time, they become more bearable. Second, it clears our mind of unnecessary concerns and increases our attention (prosochē) on present thoughts and actions.17

The scattered, constantly distracted, and transient attention most of us give to the events of our lives epitomizes the attitude of mindlessness—not prosochē. The prokoptôn must constantly apply the fundamental rule of life— the distinction between what is in our control and what is not—to determine what to pay attention to. By doing so she limits her attention to that which is within her control at the present moment:

• present representations—proper discernment of the impressions which press themselves on our psyche.
• present impulses—the desires and aversions which define our moral will (prohairesis).
• present actions—the present acts inspired by one's moral will.

Vigilant focus on the present moment, often referred to as mindfulness, is most frequently associated with Buddhism in contemporary times. This is due primarily to the popularization of Eastern mindfulness practices in the West during later part of the twentieth century. However, as Donald Robertson suggests, the Buddhist concept of mindfulness “bears comparison to certain European philosophical concepts.” The practice of mindfulness is not unique to Buddhism or even to Eastern thought. The “here and now” aspect of Stoicism was “common to many different schools of thought throughout the ages...”