The Mindful Self: A Mindfulness-Enlightened Self-view
Frontiers in Psychology October 13, 2017 Qianguo Xiao, Caizhen Yue, Weijie He et al.
A review of empirical studies indicates that mindfulness and meditation can improve attitudes toward the self and others, thereby helping to modulate mental and physical health problems. The authors introduce a new concept, the “mindful self,” defined as a mindfulness-enlightened self-view and attitude formed by internalizing Buddhist psychology into one’s self-system. They propose that the mindful self acts as an intermediary between mindfulness interventions and mental health outcomes, and as a moderator in promoting well-being. The concept may also describe and predict higher levels of self-development in individuals raised in Buddhist cultures or who meditate regularly over long periods.