The Mindful Way From Information to Knowledge, to Wisdom, and to Life: Perspectives on Mindfulness (-Based Cognitive Therapy) for Higher Education.
Marc-Henri Deroche, Willem Kuyken, Teruhisa Uwatoko, Yuki Imoto, Ryotaro Kusumoto
Mindfulness 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-025-02528-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Conceptual synthesis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Attention Higher education Information age Wisdom |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key points | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) can support higher education's mission by addressing distractibility from information overload and guiding students from information to knowledge and wisdom, thereby fostering academic excellence and human flourishing. |
Abstract
This article explores the potential relevance of Mindfulness-Based Programs, particularly Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), to support the mission of higher education by facilitating the journey from information to knowledge, and from knowledge to wisdom. It thus addresses the problems of distractibility and superficial engagement caused by information overload and aims to prepare students for a fulfilling life. Based upon an in-depth dialogue among authors belonging to different disciplines, this conceptual synthesis integrates the various perspectives of Buddhist studies, philosophy of education, anthropology of education, clinical psychology, and psychiatry, to construct a comprehensive view of mindfulness for higher education. The structure of its argument progresses from the languishing to the flourishing of students, and from mindfulness taught in the form of interventions, to mindfulness cultivated as the very thread of learning. The article starts by reviewing the evidence regarding students' mental health and vulnerabilities, and moves to directly listening to their voices, larger aspirations, and more existential concerns. It next elaborates an epistemic and developmental model of mindful education, making creative use of T. S. Eliot's questions regarding information, knowledge, wisdom, and Life, to capture some ongoing, complex issues. MBCT's principles, formats, practices, and adaptations are then examined to envision skillful responses to these perceived challenges, with a proposal to further weave mindfulness into the constitution of higher education. Ultimately, in reference to Simone Weil, mindfulness training is conceived as guiding the "formation of attention," along the "joy of learning," to accomplish two interrelated humanistic ideals: academic excellence and human flourishing.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- The effects of trait mindfulness on Chinese EFL learners’ public speaking anxiety Discover Education September 28, 2026
- Enaction, relevance realisation and wisdom: establishing a theoretical framework for contemplative education Frontiers in Education October 10, 2025
- Beyond distress: a sequential quantitative investigation of MBSR through a dual-factor model of mental health in college students. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
Cites 21
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft Psychological Medicine December 29, 2016
- A mindfulness-based intervention to increase resilience to stress in university students (the Mindful Student Study): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial The Lancet Public Health December 18, 2017
- Beyond All Splits: Envisioning the Next Generation of Science on Mindfulness and Compassion in Schools for Students. Mindfulness November 11, 2022
- Mindfulness to improve the mental health of university students. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health 2023
and 16 more in the library