The Dialectical Mandala Model of Mindfulness: A Novel Model Revealing the Alchemical Logic Underlying Mindfulness Practice
Orchid-Stone Chang Azanlansh
Religions July 9, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/rel17070824 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Dialectic Contemplation Mandala Reflexivity Experiential learning Situated Temporality Mainstream Epistemology Cognitive science Improvisation Object grammar Cognitive psychology Cognition Consciousness Emic and etic |
| Key points | Proposes that mindfulness is a multilayered developmental architecture structured by four interrelated cycles and dialectical logic, integrating Daoist and Buddhist concepts. |
Abstract
Contrasting mainstream operational definitions of mindfulness, this article introduces the Dialectical Mandala Model of Mindfulness (DMMM), a dialectically articulated framework integrating Daoist internal alchemy and Buddhist contemplative theory. It reconceptualizes mindfulness as a multilayered developmental architecture rather than a set of techniques or cognitive skills, extending beyond cognitive adjustment to encompass the psycho-physical dynamics of qi, shen (spirit), hun (cloud-soul), and po (white-soul). Grounded in the catuṣkoṭi framework, the DMMM proposes a reconstruction of the dialectical logic underlying certain contemplative traditions through a systematic integration of the subject–object polarity, and aligns with the second stage of Kwang-Kuo Hwang’s three-step epistemological strategy for developing indigenous psychology, contributing to theory-building within cross-cultural and indigenous psychological discourse. The study combines close textual analysis with a reflexive use of autoethnographic vignettes from long-term practice, not as reports of experience themselves but as an epistemically situated resource for model construction. The DMMM formalizes a recursively unfolding developmental trajectory of mindfulness cultivation into a system of four interrelated cycles, each comprising four distinct phases. Across these phases, the developmental qualities of faith, understanding, practice, and realization function as recurrent structural principles rather than merely experiential descriptors. By articulating the internal dynamics and causal coherence of these phases, the model offers a systematic theoretical account of how spontaneous or non-discursive states may be understood as structured by a deeper dialectical logic. These four cycles provide a framework for analyzing transformations in mindfulness across stages and traditions, thereby contributing to religious studies, contemplative studies, and cross-cultural psychological theory-building.
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 13
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- What does mindfulness really mean? A canonical perspective Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory Frontiers in Psychology July 4, 2016
- Dialectics of mindfulness: implications for western medicine. Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine May 17, 2011
and 8 more in the library