Do Meditation, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion Impact Utilitarian Moral Judgment?
Mindfulness July 1, 2023 Mariola Paruzel-Czachura, Dagna Kocur
People who meditate more often are less willing to accept harming one person to save many others (instrumental harm), but an 8-week mindfulness course reduced concern for maximizing overall welfare (impartial beneficence). In a survey of 316 participants, more frequent meditation correlated with lower endorsement of instrumental harm. In a separate 8-week mindfulness course with 41 participants, scores on impartial beneficence decreased after the course. The findings suggest meditation and mindfulness practices may shape moral judgments, reducing acceptance of direct harm while also potentially diminishing a utilitarian commitment to helping the greatest number.