Advice Not Given audiobook cover - A Guide to Getting Over Yourself

Advice Not Given

A Guide to Getting Over Yourself

Mark Epstein

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Categories:
Mindfulness & HappinessReligion & SpiritualityPsychology

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Advice Not Given
Meditation as Psychotherapy+
Purpose and Mindset+
The Brain's Resistance+
Meditation Techniques+
Practical Life Applications+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9
What is the primary similarity between meditation and psychotherapy highlighted by the author?
  • A. Both require a licensed professional to guide the process.
  • B. Both take the power of thoughts seriously and help identify recurring patterns.
  • C. Both focus entirely on uncovering repressed childhood memories.
  • D. Both encourage patients to completely detach from their physical surroundings.
Question 2 of 9
Why does the author argue that meditating with a strict goal, such as becoming happier, is the wrong approach?
  • A. It creates unrealistic expectations that lead to depression.
  • B. It requires too much mental energy and causes fatigue.
  • C. It fixates the mind on the future rather than bringing it into the present.
  • D. It prevents the brain from processing past traumas effectively.
Question 3 of 9
What lesson did Guru Munindra intend to teach Jack Engler by only discussing bowel movements for his first two weeks in India?
  • A. That physical health and diet are the foundation of spiritual enlightenment.
  • B. That meditation is not an escape from mundane reality, but a way to engage fully with the present.
  • C. That American students must be humbled before they can learn advanced meditation techniques.
  • D. That the physical body must be completely ignored to achieve true mindfulness.
Question 4 of 9
In the context of mindfulness, what does the Buddhist parable of the raft illustrate?
  • A. Mindfulness is a tool to help you cross a difficult phase, but you shouldn't obsessively cling to it afterward.
  • B. You must build your mindfulness practice slowly, piece by piece, like building a raft.
  • C. Mindfulness protects you from the turbulent waters of modern life and stress.
  • D. Without mindfulness, you will inevitably drown in your own obsessive thoughts.
Question 5 of 9
How did Buddha describe the calming effect of concentration meditation?
  • A. Like a calm ocean after a violent storm.
  • B. Like the smelting process of gold, which removes impurities and leaves the metal shiny.
  • C. Like a deep sleep that rejuvenates the weary traveler.
  • D. Like planting a seed that eventually grows into a massive, unshakeable tree.
Question 6 of 9
According to the book, what is the primary benefit of the 'meditative gap'?
  • A. It separates your conscious mind from your unconscious desires.
  • B. It provides a space between a negative emotion and your habitual reaction to it.
  • C. It allows you to completely block out physical pain and discomfort.
  • D. It creates a boundary between your own problems and the problems of others.
Question 7 of 9
How did Epstein advise his elderly male client to handle his obsessive, violent sexual thoughts about women?
  • A. By actively repressing the thoughts whenever they entered his mind.
  • B. By visualizing the thoughts as clouds passing harmlessly through the sky.
  • C. By avoiding women completely until the thoughts naturally subsided.
  • D. By stopping his avoidance of women and interacting with them in the real physical world.
Question 8 of 9
How did meditation specifically help Martha overcome her lifelong shame regarding her father's distance?
  • A. It allowed her to confront her cousin and demand an apology for his past actions.
  • B. It taught her to completely erase the traumatic memory from her consciousness.
  • C. It helped her objectively re-evaluate a past event and realize her father's distance wasn't because she did something wrong.
  • D. It gave her the confidence to openly discuss her sexual history with her current partner.
Question 9 of 9
What actionable advice does the author give regarding a wandering mind during meditation?
  • A. Punish the wandering mind by adding five minutes to your meditation session.
  • B. Force your mind back to the focal point immediately and aggressively.
  • C. Bring the mind back to the focal point as gently and effortlessly as you can.
  • D. Allow the mind to wander freely for the rest of the session without returning to the breath.

Advice Not Given — Full Chapter Overview

Advice Not Given Summary & Overview

Advice Not Given (2018) provides a fresh perspective on the practice of meditation from author Mark Epstein, an experienced psychiatrist who can attest to its therapeutic benefits. Epstein provides newcomers with a practical approach to meditation as he dispels the common misconceptions about the practice while offering clinical examples of how helpful it can be to our mental health.

Who Should Listen to Advice Not Given?

  • Meditation newcomers
  • Students of mental health
  • Anyone interested in Buddhism

About the Author: Mark Epstein

Mark Epstein is a New York City psychiatrist whose experiences have provided him with a unique interest in the connections between psychotherapy and Buddhist meditation practices. He has written several books exploring this connection, including The Trauma of Everyday Life (2013).

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