In an age of so much noise, many have the desire to seek out ways to escape from the overwhelming volume in favor of quiet, calm, and peaceful moments. As a pipe smoker, you may not always realize just how impactful the activity is on your mind and body. With the help of Dr. Fred Hanna, a professional in the counseling and psychotherapy fields, we will discover the deeper experiences waiting for us within pipe smoking, leading to mindfulness meditation.

Fred Hanna is a Professor and Co-Designer of the PhD program in Counseling at Adler University, having also served as a Full Professor and Senior Faculty Associate at Johns Hopkins University for over 20 years. He is a dedicated presence in the pipe-smoking community, having written various articles for Pipes and tobaccos magazine, The Pipe Collector newsletter/magazine, along with dozens of peer-reviewed scientific publications, and several books, including the popular The Perfect Smoke, which touched upon reflection and relaxation through pipe smoking. Beyond these accolades, he is also a Doctor of Pipes, presented to him by the Chicago Pipe Club in 2010.

He has lived an unconventional, storied life, one that has been exposed to a wide variety of cultures and belief systems. "He has spent much of it experiencing the world with the mind of an explorer," says Gregory Pease in the foreword of The Perfect Smoke. Through his experiences abroad wandering around Asia for two years and spending time in Buddhist monasteries, Fred learned advanced mindfulness techniques. Describing himself as a "rogue philosopher," he came to recognize the life-enhancing value of mindfulness in everyday life and its connection to pipe smoking. As for his professional expertise on the matter, he has ample experience in mindfulness meditation, practicing since the late '60s, and also teaching a course on meditation at Johns Hopkins, Adler, and other universities.

Mindfulness and Contemplation

Mindfulness, an ancient mental training practice, is one type of meditation. "There's an old Buddhist text called the Four Foundations of Mindfulness," says Fred, "and each one of those four foundations provides a list of different aspects of the body and mind upon which to perform the mindfulness technique, which is simply looking at something and continuing to look, without thinking. Mindfulness studies have revolutionized psychotherapy; it is so powerful that there are 20 apps on your phone you can download to help with mindfulness meditation right away. "There are times when meditation, mindfulness, or other concentration meditations fill you with energy and well-being beyond any imagination," says Fred. "It produces a state of euphoria that no drug can touch. Most people don't know that. They think people simply meditate for peace of mind or calm, but it's way past that when you get deeper into studying and practicing it."

When Fred was new to pipe smoking in 1967, he didn't know what he was doing; he smoked poor-quality tobacco and experienced dreadful tongue bite. However, once he got past that, he noticed there was something quite contemplative about smoking a pipe. "It put me in a mood to be more thoughtful and contemplative, thinking about my life more," says Fred. "I really enjoy that kind of thing."

When he first got into academia, as a master's student and as a doctoral student, he started writing about mindfulness with inspiration from his travels. "I never stopped reading and studying," says Fred, "although I initially dropped out of school when I was still a junior, I was able to continue my studies, just not in the conventional way. I had a serious, terminal case of wanderlust. I never stopped meditating. What I found was that anything that helped me be more observant, aware, and understanding of the world was something I pursued. Naturally, I pursued philosophy and psychology, studying those subjects intensively. I was primed and ready by the time I went back to university." Now as an old man, he believes that when you stop learning, you start dying.

There are times when meditation, mindfulness, or other concentration meditations fill you with energy and joy beyond any imagination

One of these forms of meditation that he studied was yoga. There are misconceptions that yoga consists solely of poses and postures for your physical health; however, this is a relatively recent development — the real yoga he studied is thousands of years old. In the old yoga texts, such as the Upanishads, which are around 3000 years old, and the foundational text on yoga psychology, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, written about 2000 years ago, it says that you don't have to learn all those postures. "All you have to do is learn one and do it really well," says Fred. "I found that smoking a pipe is kind of a posture in itself. It involves motions and it brings about that contemplative state."

smoking a pipe is kind of a posture in itself. It involves motions and it brings about that contemplative state

In The Perfect Smoke, Fred states, "There is much about pipe smoking that stimulates thought and contemplation, which is why pipe smoking is one of the world's great rituals." Similar to a Japanese tea ceremony, with fine teas being properly prepared, brewed, and then enjoyed while sipping on the tea in a particular setting, it all plays a critical role in creating an experience that turns a mere cup of tea into an experiential moment in time; or in the case of pipe smoking, turns a mere smoking pipe into something larger than itself, complete with a mystique and allure all its own.

Watching the Smoke Clear

The experience of smoking a pipe brings into focus the concept of substantial versus insubstantial in the world applies directly to pipe smoking; focusing on the smoke as it disappears brings the mind into a state of heightened awareness. There's something unique that happens when smoking a pipe. "When a person sits quietly and is smoking a pipe," says Fred, "that hard wooden object releases insubstantial smoke." The physicality of the pipe makes it more of a mindful activity than something like cigarettes and even cigars, both of which one has to destroy to enjoy. These two disappear right in front of you, but the pipe doesn't go anywhere. "It produces smoke, which is there for a short time, and then it disappears into nothingness. That dialectical move between substance and smoke in itself produces a state of contemplation, awareness, and thought in analysis. Observing this interplay brings our mind to contemplating the insubstantial smoke even though the world is largely a place of substance.

"There's something about watching the smoke, following it and watching it disappear into nothing; it's almost magical that it only comes with a pipe," says Fred. "When the smoke clears, you're more aware of the world." The state of nothingness is a common theme in literature written about mindfulness. In Sanskrit, the word is "Śūnyatā," which means nothingness, voidness, emptiness, or openness. This concept is a fundamental philosophy in various belief systems, including Buddhism and Hinduism, representing the absence of inherent existence.

Beyond the physical reminder of the pleasant experience when the session ends, certain pipe materials actually change over time, such as meerschaums patinating with use. Having your pipe as a keepsake and a companion that can evolve over time is quite a special experience.

In another foreword to Fred's book, Tad Gage states: "Pipes are among the most interactive creations." He utilizes the example of a lovely furniture piece offering visual pleasure, but it doesn't enhance the clothing within it. A pipe, however, does enhance what is inside. "The pipe and tobacco smoked in it have a symbiotic relationship, and both contribute to many levels of sensory experience for the pipe smoker."

When the smoke clears, you're more aware of the world

The impact of nicotine on the experience is also fascinating to consider. As Fred states in his book, nicotine enhances his cognitive and contemplative functioning: "...pipe smoking and the moderate amounts of nicotine in pipe tobacco actually help to focus attention, moderately increase awareness and cognitive abilities, and achieve a pleasant state of relaxation." The positive effects within the tobacco itself, stimulating the release of brain chemicals like dopamine, which are associated with calming feelings, and with the physicality of the pipe make way for more concentrated and relaxing moments for the contemplative pipe smoker.

One aspect regarding mindfulness in relation to pipe smoking that has been shared in the past is that the ritual, from picking a pipe to preparing the tobacco by cutting and drying it, packing, tamping, lighting, etc., is all quite meditative. While this can be true in small ways, it's not meditation on its own; there is a mindset shift that needs to occur. "The key that I have noticed in speaking with many fellow pipe smokers is that there's something about smoking a pipe that makes us think in contemplative ways. Perhaps the activity makes us more observant and gets us into a state of examining life, to a greater extent." This could have been what Albert Einstein was referring to when he said, "I believe that pipe smoking leads to a somewhat calm and objective judgement in all human affairs."

Of course, this might not be true of every pipe smoker. If you're simply using pipe smoking as a way to enjoy tobacco and nothing deeper, that's okay. But you may not realize what's happening beneath the surface that brings about feelings of bliss and comfort to your mind and body, leading to mindfulness meditation. "Don't get me wrong," says Fred, "it's not a substitute for full meditation, but it can set the tone."

Meditation and mindfulness practices do more than make us more present and calm, though. "Research studies have shown that it can help alleviate symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and is effective even in helping live with certain personality disorders," says Fred. "It's also effective in alleviating physical pain where medication doesn't work." The power of the mind is quite extraordinary, and pipe smoking can help bring you to that place of mindfulness, which is also very cool for those of us who delight in the hobby, perhaps for other reasons, like taste, tradition, and community.

The power of the mind is quite extraordinary

The next time you sit down to smoke your pipe, consider the complex and contemplative nature of the activity which can help you connect to yourself and to the world around you. In the chaos of the everyday, this practice is a valuable act of self care to help regulate your nervous system and bring about peace within your mind and body.

Bibliography

• Hanna, F. (2013, December 20). The Perfect Smoke: Gourmet Pipe Smoking for Relaxation and Reflection.