The practice of mindfulness: from Buddhism to secular mainstream in a post-secular society
Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis January 16, 2019 Liselotte Frisk
Mindfulness has moved from being a Buddhist religious practice to a core component of Western psychology, especially in cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. In Sweden, doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists use and recommend mindfulness therapeutically. It is also employed in personal development, spirituality, traditional Buddhist groups, and innovative vipassana groups. This paper examines mindfulness's migration from a religious to a secular sphere and debates whether it remains a religious practice.