Exploring The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Mindfulness: A Thoughtful Perspective
- Chloe Mepham BSc
- May 8
- 12 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Table of Contents
Introduction
New artificial intelligence (AI) applications are being released on an astronomical trajectory. They are now the foundation of many daily tasks. These releases do not show signs of slowing. If anything, their rate of release is accelerating. Overall, how helpful are these applications for our personal growth and well-being?
Once you are no longer required to write, will you lose that ability? You will likely not progress your skillset beyond your current level. Once you are no longer obligated to consider your time management, will this affect your punctuality and commitments? I believe you can get out of the practice of having to pay due attention. If your alerts do not sound due to human or AI error, where will that leave you? If you are no longer required to perform housework, will you become less invested in the upkeep of your home?
When so many tasks are replaced with convenient AI applications, will you become less active? What effect will these convenient replacements have on your physical fitness, internal functions, and cognitive capacity? Physical self-care can be a foundation for many other fundamental elements of holistic health, such as mental and emotional well-being.
If you no longer need to communicate, will you lose that skill? If you are no longer required to form relationships, how will this impact your social skills? What will be the effect on your support systems? Relationships and communication skills are valuable and fundamental to humanity and self-care.
If everything is prompted, corrected, and even formed for you on command, where will that leave you and your abilities? Everyone has abilities. You have acquired and developed these over time. You may have decided to develop and expand upon your strengths. Or, you may have chosen to develop your areas of weakness. Alternatively, you could have selected to combine both efforts. Everyone has this potential. Is this potential in danger of becoming obsolete? Or will it adapt and change beyond our current recognition?
What of the next generations maturing within this environment of artificial intelligence? Will they still learn the same or similar skills? How will this affect their inspiration, motivation, and the focus for their life’s purpose? What impact will all of this have on who we all become?
I believe AI is most appropriately employed as a guide. It can valuably contribute to your work, recreation, and rest activities. However, I also think that becoming overly reliant on AI could hinder your abilities and potential. For me, it will be a balancing act. Where do you draw the line?
AI is dominating hard, logical, and softer, creative skills arenas. It is already programming, adjusting images, and written applications on command. I believe nurturing your inspiration and creativity will be more relevant than ever in AI’s accelerating trajectory.
So, how do you ignite your inspiration? How do you spark your creativity? I believe that developing skills such as mindfulness will be fundamental to nurturing these skills. This prompts the question: can such skills be replicated by AI?
I have so many questions about this proliferating industry. It is so functional, convenient, and positive in so many ways. However, I can also envision negatives and have some concerns. I am intrigued by your take on this. What do you believe about AI and its applications? Please share your perspectives and thoughts in the comments, if you are comfortable doing so.
What is Awareness?
Awareness is an innate state everyone shares. How would you classify AI’s comprehension of stimuli such as prompts, reference text, and rules? It does not appear to share the level of awareness afforded to humans. Yet.
However, at its existing trajectory, which appears to be picking up pace, this could change as I write this. What do you believe? There are many references to the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Some propose that this could eventually match or supersede human cognition.
You become aware either in the womb or as an infant, and develop this awareness as you mature. You become aware of objects, your environment, and yourself. This process then becomes automatic. You don’t have to activate it. It will be a constant in your waking state.
Your awareness is stimulated through your senses. This includes your visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and somatosensory sensory receptors. Some even believe in extrasensory perception. Your senses deliver information that you then make sense of in your own unique way. You perceive this information subjectively. This subjective perception will be heavily influenced by factors such as culture, learning experiences, and socialisation.
You can store your subjective awareness in the form of memories. Your memories can change over time as your recollection becomes more influenced by your evolving perception. You can project your awareness into the future by assessing what you believe may happen. This is influenced by your historical experiences. A risk assessment of your current circumstances, if you will. All of this will be subject to your unique perception of yourself, the world, and whatever it is at the time you are perceiving. I do not believe any two people will be precisely aware of the same perception due to this. Everyone is wonderfully different. It is what makes you the unique individual that you are. This has its benefits and its disadvantages.
On one side, as you are unique, you will be blessed with your own interpretation of the world. An interpretation only you are privy to unless you choose to share it. You will have the capacity for unique ideas, expressions, and creations. On the other side, you will be influenced by your own unique interpretation of the world. This comprehension differs between individuals and can cause misunderstandings and conflict.
Awareness is a reactive state. A state influenced by your experiences, what you think, and how you feel. These could be positive, negative, or neutral. Thus, your subjective awareness will be impacted accordingly. It will determine what you think, how you feel, and your behaviour.
What is Mindfulness?
A mindfulness definition could include a heightened state of non-judgmental awareness. Unlike your innate, automatic, reactive awareness, mindfulness is an intentional practice. Mindfulness compassionately focuses on the present moment. It can heighten awareness of yourself, your environment, and others. This has numerous benefits I will address later in this article.
This mindful state can be cultivated using a variety of mindfulness techniques. Mindfulness exercises could include keeping a mindfulness journal where you document your heightened awareness of yourself, your environment, and others you interact with. This can elevate your self-awareness as you document your thoughts and actions, or when you reflect on it. You can perform a mindfulness meditation where you will focus on your thoughts and emotions. It could also include you scanning your body to locate points of tension. These meditations also focus on mindfulness of breathing, increasing your awareness of your body and breath. There are even mindfulness colouring exercises that you can use to immerse yourself in the task and focus your attention.
When you perform such mindfulness practices regularly over prolonged periods of time, you will begin to notice this heightened sense of awareness. Research indicates that mindfulness can reduce stress. It is also reported to improve focus, memory, attention, and emotional regulation, among other benefits. This is probably why many believe mindfulness is a superpower.
Mindfulness focuses on the present moment. This can deter you from dwelling on regret for past mistakes and worrying about the future. It encourages immersing yourself in the present by focusing on your senses. Thus, heightening your awareness of your present state. The past is the past, and it cannot be changed. You can learn valuable lessons for personal development from it. The future has not happened yet. What you do in the present can determine your future.
Mindful or non-violent communication can enhance your awareness of others. This involves being mindfully present in your communications. It includes actively listening to the other person or people. Active listening is a state where you will fully immerse yourself in the interaction, this can minimise any disruptive influence from your subjective awareness. You will acknowledge the other person’s contributions. To clarify your understanding, you will reflect what the person has said or summarise your understanding of their perspective. If you are unsure of their message, you will ask open questions to gain clarity. As with other mindful activities, this will commence from a non-judgmental stance.
There is an increasing number of mindfulness apps available on the market to train people in the skill or art of mindfulness. AI is already cornering the market of coaching mindful living. However, there is much to learn and implement. It is a challenging practice.
Everyone is individual and unique and will bring their own circumstances, characteristics, and history to the practice. Mindfulness is not suitable for everyone all the time. It may be suitable for everyone at different times. If you have ever experienced trauma or have difficult circumstances, immersing yourself in mindful practices could prove more challenging. In this instance, I would encourage you to exercise caution and seek professional advice and guidance in developing this practice.
Mindfulness vs Awareness: The Differences
While awareness and mindfulness are closely linked and overlap in many ways, there are distinct differences. Comprehending the differences between the two can help elevate your understanding. This understanding can support you in developing your practice.
Primarily, awareness is innate. Some research reports that awareness can occur prenatally. You cultivate it in infancy, and you develop your perception as you mature. Mindfulness is a choice. You can choose to develop a state of mindful awareness. You have to intend to be mindful.
Secondly, awareness is constant. After cultivating awareness in infancy and developing it as you mature, you will be aware. Even when you are not necessarily paying attention, you can still be aware. It is automatic. Mindfulness is an intentional practice of awareness. You have to intend to practice mindfulness. You have to intend to non-judgmentally evaluate yourself, your environment, and your interactions.
Thirdly, mindfulness is rooted in the present moment. When you are practicing mindfulness, you will be focused compassionately on the present. If your mind wanders, you can ground yourself back to the present. You can ground yourself by focusing internally on functions such as your breath. Alternatively, heightening your sensory experience of your environment can also ground you. Awareness can include memories of the past or projections into the future. In a state of awareness, you can perceive events spanning across time.
Finally, mindfulness involves compassionately and non-judgmentally assessing yourself and your surroundings. Your innate, automatic awareness can be reactive depending on your subjective perception. Awareness can be volatile, whereas mindful awareness may be considered more stable.
Understanding these differences can support you in developing your practice. It can support you in developing mindful awareness. While this may seem contradictory, I will outline my definition of mindful awareness next.
Mindful Awareness Meaning
When I reference mindful awareness, I refer to an enhanced state of non-judgmental awareness. For me, mindful awareness means to transcend your innate, automatic, and reactive awareness to a more objective, inclusive, and compassionate form of awareness. I believe it is a transcendent state of awareness where you can derive enhanced meaning, information, and objectivity. This can promote elevated levels of inspiration, gratitude, and compassion. Often, these are considered transcendent emotional states.
How to Practice Mindful Awareness
Mindful awareness examples include enhancing your awareness of your internal self. This can involve scanning your body for areas of tension. Once you have identified any tension, if you choose, you can practice breathing into these areas for relaxation. Uniting your awareness with your body in this way can strengthen your connection to your inner self. Expressing appreciation for your body and all that it does can also reinforce this connection. I believe connecting to your inner self can prompt inspiration.
It could also involve enhanced mindful awareness of your external environment. Try focusing on as many of your senses as possible. With your senses focused compassionately on the present, you can absorb more information, gain greater clarity, and connection to your surroundings. I believe this, too, can promote inspiration.
The non-judgmental stance of mindfulness also encourages gratitude and compassion. When you are focused outside of yourself and appreciate different perspectives, you can elevate your understanding and appreciation. When the world is no longer locked under your subjective perception, you open yourself up beyond your own interpretation. I believe this practice in itself could be considered transcendental.
However, mindful meditation, meditation, and transcendental meditation are distinct forms of meditation. Often, the verbiage used can be misconstrued. There is an overlap in the aims and methods for achieving similar results.
Can AI Replicate Mindful Awareness?
At present, the general consensus is that AI is not even aware. It is a trained system that relays information and performs specific tasks. I wonder whether the comprehension of prompts, references, and rules is an awareness of stimuli. I am curious as to your opinion of this. Please share any perspectives in the comments.
Concerning mindful awareness, I do not believe it is even close at this stage. I do not even believe it could really replicate such an advanced, transcendental state of awareness. However, it is certainly objective and non-judgmental. I have been wrong before. I am only human. I do not know enough about the structure, composition, or training of AI to comment with certainty.
I read an interesting article about asking ChatGPT philosophical questions, Caddy, B. (March 3, 2025) I asked ChatGPT to work through some of the biggest philosophical debates of all time – here’s what happened. For me, this was sufficient to ponder the possibility of where AI will progress to next.
While AI is perceived as incapable of awareness, there is much discussion about working towards AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). AGI is proposed to potentially match or exceed human cognitive capabilities. As this is still in the proposal or developmental stages, I could not comment on what it could be able to achieve. Would there be an advancement beyond this? Who would develop it? Human minds or AI? It is potentially conceivable that this new advancement of technology could indeed achieve an agreed state of awareness, at the least.
Without addressing what has not even been manufactured yet, to the best of my knowledge, what are the current costs of AI? I have read posts on social media warning of the costs to the environment. Climate change and preservation are currently influential topics. So too is AI. Every time you use it for its awesome advantages, do you consider the costs of its production, maintenance, and development? Then there is the consideration of costs to the global population’s well-being, as well as the planet’s. Where would you find the balance?
What Are the Benefits of Mindful Awareness?
The benefits of mindfulness are well-researched and documented. Here, I will use the terms mindfulness and mindful awareness interchangeably. For example, developing a mindful awareness of emotions can improve self-awareness, develop emotional intelligence, and improve your relationships. All of these skills are connected at their core. When you develop your self-awareness, you will evolve your emotional intelligence. Both can improve your relationships.
The mindful awareness technique for identifying emotions is to name them. Take some of your power back from the emotion and identify it. It is not necessarily about changing the emotion but recognising it, and appreciating it for what it is. It is information about yourself. Information about your perspective. Information about how you feel in response to a stimulus. When you can identify the source of your emotion, you can address it if you choose to. This has the potential to release stress, manage anxiety, and improve sleep as a result.
The following benefits of mindful practices are again interconnected. Once you develop one, this can improve your performance in another, which then affects another, and so on. These benefits can be, but are not limited to:
Releasing stress
Managing anxiety
Improving sleep
Upgrading physical health
Lowering your blood pressure
Helping you manage pain
Enhancing self-awareness
Evolving emotional intelligence
Improving perspective taking
Refining communication skills
Enhancing relationships
Improving memory and focus
Conclusion
The world could be who knows how far away from AGI developing a widely agreed-upon form of awareness. AI’s technological trajectory is advancing. It is not slowing. If anything, it may be accelerating.
There are numerous advantages to the applications it is being integrated with. However, I have ethical concerns about where this may lead. The sources I have seen have varied opinions on its level of awareness and capabilities. There are opposing views on what this means for societies.
Science fiction has been addressing this issue for decades, if not longer. It has projected ideas with dramatic consequences. All beginning with where we are now.
The topic has certainly sparked international interest. Some view this with fear, and others are beyond excited. Many of us share mixed feelings about this unknown trajectory and what it will mean. I am curious what feelings AI prompts in you? Please share your perspective in the comments if you are comfortable doing so.
What I do believe is that it will alter, if not radically change the landscape of the future. I believe we will be increasingly reliant on inspiration, motivation, and innovation to mould this landscape to our preferences. The time is now to determine how you want your future to look. How do you want your skills, potential, and self to progress?
While I still offer limited life coaching services, I am focusing on content writing and creation. If you want support with either of these services, please message me or visit my website, Home | Chloe Mepham BSc Certified Life Coach, for more information. If you like what you have read here, I have a blog here, Blog | Chloe Mepham BSc Certified Life Coach, where you can read more about personal development. I wish you an innovative moment, month, and lifetime.
References
Blain, T. MA (May 8, 2023) The Importance of Mindful Communication for Mental Health VeryWellMind.com Mindful Communication: Benefits and How to Do It
Caddy, B. (March 3, 2025) I asked ChatGPT to work through some of the biggest philosophical debates of all time – here’s what happened MSN I asked ChatGPT to work through some of the biggest philosophical debates of all time – here’s what happened.
Dep, K. (March 20, 2025) The Modular Machine Mind LinkedIn (3) The Modular Machine Mind | LinkedIn
Mindful Staff (January 11, 2017) Jon Kabat-Zinn: Defining Mindfulness – Mindful Jon Kabat-Zinn: Defining Mindfulness - Mindful
Mosher, R. F. (April 8, 2024) When Does A Child Develop Consciousness? StoyChanges.Com When Does A Child Develop Consciousness
Sutton, J. Ph.D. (April 9, 2019) What is Mindfulness? Meaning, Definition & Benefits PositivePsychology.com What Is Mindfulness? Meaning, Definition & Benefits
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