CONTEMPLATIVE POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: INTRODUCING MINDFULNESS INTO POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Mindfulness and positive psychology share core values such as kindness, compassion, and positive emotions, yet their integration has been underdeveloped. This paper examines the commonalities and differences between the two fields, reviews studies on how mindfulness and contemplative practices affect human well-being, and proposes future research and interventions to bridge them. Mindfulness is presented as more than a technique—it carries an implicit ethical framework that aligns with positive psychology's assumptions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Although mindfulness is included in many positive psychology manuals as a “positive” technique, the implications of its use have scarcely been developed and the relationship between mindfulness and human well-being has barely been researched. Analyzing the main strengths of the two fields, the possibilities for their integration and the potential contradictions between their messages is essential in order to establish connections. Mindfulness is more than a meditation technique. It has implicit within it a set of values and ethical conditions that coincide to a great extent with the proposed assumptions from positive psychology, such as the development of kindness, compassion, and positive emotions. The aim of this paper is to present, on the one hand, the commonalities and similarities, and on the other, the differences between mindfulness and positive psychology. We also present the main studies that have investigated the role of mindfulness and contemplative practices on human well-being. Finally future research will be discussed and intervention suggested in order to bring the two proposals together.