Classical mindfulness: an introduction to its theory and practice for clinical application.
Lobsang Rapgay, Alexander Bystrisky
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences August 1, 2009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04405.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 168 |
| Key points | Argues that modern mindfulness lacks an operational definition and that the terms attention and awareness are conflated, contrary to traditional Buddhist psychology where they denote distinct aspects of consciousness. |
Abstract
Among the modern versions of mindfulness, mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) has played the key role in introducing mindfulness practice to the field of psychology and medicine. In fact, the efforts to integrate mindfulness into psychology have resulted in further adaptation of MBSR into more secular and psychological forms as well as the creation of a number of mindfulness measures such as the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills, and the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale. At the same time there is increasing scrutiny of mindfulness that goes beyond the initial positive efficacy studies resulting in several important questions being raised. These range from the absence of an operational definition of mindfulness as well as little evidence for the mechanisms of mindfulness that account for outcome changes for various psychopathology and medical conditions. Questions about the defining characteristics of mindfulness are also being raised such as the lack of differentiation between the features called attention and awareness and the interchangeable use of the two terms in modern descriptions of mindfulness. Such questions resonate with traditional practitioners of Buddhist contemplative psychology for whom attention signifies an every-changing factor of consciousness, while awareness refers to a stable and specific state of consciousness.
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 50
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mindfulness‐based approaches: are they all the same? Journal of Clinical Psychology January 19, 2011
- “Mind the Trap”: Mindfulness Practice Reduces Cognitive Rigidity PLoS One May 15, 2012
- Comparing impacts of meditation training in focused attention, open monitoring, and mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy on emotion reactivity and regulation: Neural and subjective evidence from a dismantling study Psychophysiology February 19, 2022
- Mindfulness Training as an Intervention for Substance User Incarcerated Adolescents: A Pilot Grounded Theory Study Substance Use & Misuse March 11, 2014
and 45 more in the library
Cites 6
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Clarifying the construct of mindfulness in the context of emotion regulation and the process of change in therapy. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Perils and promise in defining and measuring mindfulness: Observations from experience. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
and 1 more in the library