Me Mind Wandering and the CASE Method

The C.A.S.E. method is the name for a Jurisight exercise that moves from Concentrated Attention to Sensory Expansion--a basic mindfulness practice. Neuroscientist Richard Davidson and his colleagues research these two complementary contemplative practices, referring to them as Focused Attention and Open Monitoring.

Research exploring mind wandering finds that we spend about half our time with our mind's meandering and that as it wanders a state of brain activity known as the "default" network is activated. This state tends to be associated with a lot of thoughts about "me" and a ruminatory style that is emotionally flat, depressed or anxious.

Default mode activation drops off when we focus our attention on a task (think concentrated awareness) or expand our awareness and notice moment to moment experience (think sensory expansion). As we make this deliberate shift and default network activity subsides, we

"Workshop on Mindfulness in Legal Education" Video Available on Berkeley Initiative's You Tube Channel

Video are available on YouTube from the "Workshop on Mindfulness in Legal Education" held at Berkeley Law here more than 50 law professors, deans, staff and students, from over 30 law schools around the country, discussed the development of mindfulness in legal education and shared ways to bring the benefits of mindfulness to law students, faculty and staff. The event was hosted by the Berkeley Initiative on Mindfulness in Law.