Mindfulness beyond secularization: Beliefs across meditators and non-meditators reflect a consensus on personal development over health and spirituality.
PLoS One January 1, 2025 Philippine Chachignon, Emmanuelle Le Barbenchon, Cécile Dantzer et al.
Beliefs about mindfulness meditation (MM) are often positive but incomplete, with meditators holding more precise, experiential understandings than non-meditators. A survey of 167 participants (105 meditators) collected 817 free associations, 65% of which were positive. Five belief categories emerged: Body-based Relaxation, Stereotyped Descriptions, Psychological and Affective Well-Being, Focus on Inner-Self, and Experience of MM. Core aspects like attention, acceptance, health, collective dynamics, and ethical concerns were largely absent, and spirituality was not integrated into beliefs. Findings suggest MM is seen as a self-regulatory and personal development tool shaped by social, psychological, and behavioral factors, highlighting the need to address ethical and adverse aspects openly.