"Mindfulness" seems to come up in about half the stories in my news feeds - treating depression? mindfulness. high blood pressure? mindfulness. small business tanking? lead-off hitter can't get on base? frizzy hair day? - you get the idea.
"Mindfulness" sounds like things i've been hearing since the 70's (yes, i'm old) - concentrate on things like your breathing or your heart beat or the sounds of the bugs in the trees - your rational mind goes into a trance - your mind and body magically fix things because you have that power within you and it's only thinking stops it. Or something like that.
1) Is the "mindfulness" form of meditation theologically or spiritually a good, bad or indifferent thing?
2) What's the difference between this and "Quietism" of the past?
Interesting questions. Funny, I hadn't thought much about mindfulness, so thanks for reminding me. :-) I do recall a book before that era which was influential for me: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Back when I was a teen I wanted to be rich; since then I've learned to want to be holy. Thinking, being aware...what was that popular book long ago? Yes, Handbook to Higher Consciousness...I haven't thought about that book for a long time as well, but Mr. Hill points out that "thoughts are things," over and over, like a drum beat in all sorts of ways, so that one begins to realize: indeed, what I mind really matters. Keeping things in consciousness maintains them sharply in focus as matters to be desired. So whether it's monetary or spiritual happiness one seeks, meditating and seeking assistance from one's higher power--if i may be so mundane in my expression--mindfulness can be effective increasing desire that until one attains that desire. My assessment at the moment (because I've not given it much thought) is that mindfulness is a good thing, or at least neutral; of course, like anything, it can be abused, such that one becomes anxiously scrupulous over attaining his or her desires to the detriment of all else. Even then, mindfulness wouldn't be bad in itself, because if God is your desire, that is exactly what the Catholic faith prompts believers to pursue.
As for Quietism, that was a spirituality that overemphasized pacifism, to the point that one would surrender mindfulness or willfulness in hopes of having the divine take over. Ultimately, I see that as a cop out to cooperate with God in appropriating salvation won by Our Savior.