Dōgen and the Boundaries of Secular Mindfulness
Edward Miller
Mindfulness May 2, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-026-02852-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Conceptual analysis with illustrative case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Contemporary mindfulness exhibits 'ontological attenuation'—a reduction in experiential depth arising from its instrumentalization in secular, institutional contexts. |
Abstract
Abstract Objectives To examine how contemporary mindfulness has been transformed through its integration into healthcare, education, and institutional settings, and to clarify what is at stake when contemplative practices are reframed as instrumental techniques.
Methods: The paper combines conceptual analysis with an illustrative case study of the My Resilience in Adolescence (MYRIAD) trial. Dōgen’s account of practice-realization unity ( shushō-ittō ) is used as a philosophical lens to analyze the consequences of separating mindfulness practice from its ontological foundations.
Results: Contemporary mindfulness is argued to exhibit “ontological attenuation”—a reduction in experiential depth arising from its instrumentalization. This attenuation is evident across research design, pedagogical delivery, and participant experience, and reflects structural constraints within secular, institutional contexts.
Conclusions: Secular mindfulness retains clinical and practical value but does not reproduce the ontological commitments of its contemplative sources. Greater conceptual and ethical clarity is needed, including explicit recognition of what mindfulness can and cannot deliver within modern contexts.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain sources of EEG gamma frequency during volitionally meditation-induced, altered states of consciousness, and experience of the self Advanced meditator | 2001 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Mindfulness Meditation for Alcohol Relapse Prevention: A Feasibility Pilot Study Adult alcohol-dependent graduates of an intensive outpatient program | 2008 | Prospective case series | n = 19 |
| How does it feel to lack a sense of boundaries? A case study of a long-term mindfulness meditator. A single long-term mindfulness practitioner (S) with 40 years of practice in... | 2015 | Qualitative case study | n = 1 |
| Loving‐kindness meditation to enhance recovery from negative symptoms of schizophrenia Individuals suffering from schizophrenia-spectrum disorders with persistent negative... | 2009 | Case study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Problem Gambling A female problem gambler | 2011 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- Mindfulness: diverse perspectives on its meaning, origins, and multiple applications at the intersection of science and dharma Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- THE ‘UNIVERSAL DHARMA FOUNDATION’ OF MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION: NON-DUALITY AND MAHĀYĀNA BUDDHIST INFLUENCES IN THE WORK OF JON KABAT-ZINN Contemporary Buddhism July 3, 2018
- Buddhist insight meditation ( Vipassanā ) and Jon Kabat-Zinn’s “Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction”: an example of dedifferentiation of religion and medicine? Journal of Contemporary Religion September 2, 2017
and 10 more in the library