Mindfulness
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology 2026 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-70581-6_213-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Consciousness Contemplative practices Cultural psychology Neurophenomenology Emotion regulation Nonduality Self-regulation Enactivism Attention Embodiment |
| Key points | Argues that mindfulness, when reframed through neurophenomenology, enactivism, and cultural psychology, can be understood as both a mental training and a culturally situated existential stance with potential to affect society at large. |
Abstract
Mindfulness refers to a family of contemplative practices and states related to the cultivation of awareness, presence, and equanimity. Originally rooted in Buddhist traditions, mindfulness has undergone a significant transformation as it entered Western psychological discourse, particularly within cognitive, neuroscientific, educational, and clinical frameworks. This chapter explores the theoretical, philosophical, and cultural underpinnings of mindfulness, its epistemological ambiguities, and its impact on cognition, emotion, selfhood, and society. It addresses current critiques concerning its secular appropriation, functional reductionism, and cultural decontextualization, while considering its revolutionary potential in reshaping psychological models of consciousness and wellbeing for individuals and societies. Drawing from neurophenomenology, enactivism, and cultural psychology, the chapter reframes mindfulness as both a mental training and a culturally situated existential stance with a potential to affect society at large.
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
Cites 28
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
and 23 more in the library