David Nichtern has an interesting piece at Huffpost about mindfulness as a practice which recommends being present to the here and now, even when it has its unpleasant aspects. Thus, the mind attains and maintains a sharp edge instead of sliding into a dreamlike state where we cease to be aware.
...there is a regular and recurring invitation to bring our attention back to the present moment and relate to what is right in front of us. Practicing mindfulness is simply recognizing this invitation to be present, and being willing to accept the invitation when it comes.
In the Buddhist tradition, one recommendation for practicing mindfulness is to lean into its sharp edge -- so that we're not seduced into going back to sleep, back into our daydream. It's like the movie "The Matrix" -- the red pill or the blue pill -- one will wake us up and the other will let us continue in the dream world. Do we want to go back into that daydream, or do we want to wake up? When we become aware it doesn't necessarily mean we're waking up into a paradise.
Awakening is thus a process, a daily practice, that we consciously engage in. It takes effort, and it has its unpleasant aspects, but is definitely worthwhile.
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