The Mindful Self: A Mindfulness-Enlightened Self-view
Qianguo Xiao, Caizhen Yue, Weijie He, Jia-yuan Yu
Frontiers in Psychology October 13, 2017 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01752 (opens in new tab) via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA review of empirical studies indicates that mindfulness and meditation can improve attitudes toward the self and others, thereby helping to modulate mental and physical health problems. The authors introduce a new concept, the “mindful self,” defined as a mindfulness-enlightened self-view and attitude formed by internalizing Buddhist psychology into one’s self-system. They propose that the mindful self acts as an intermediary between mindfulness interventions and mental health outcomes, and as a moderator in promoting well-being. The concept may also describe and predict higher levels of self-development in individuals raised in Buddhist cultures or who meditate regularly over long periods.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Self-development Self-view Self-attitude Buddhist psychology |
| Key finding | Positive changes in attitudes toward the self and others from mindfulness practices can modulate mental and physical health problems, and the mindful self concept may describe these changes. |
Abstract
This paper analyzes studies of mindfulness and the self, with the aim of deepening our understanding of the potential benefits of mindfulness and meditation for mental health and well-being. Our review of empirical research reveals that positive changes in attitudes toward the self and others as a result of mindfulness-enabled practices can play an important role in modulating many mental and physical health problems. Accordingly, we introduce a new concept—the “mindful self”—and compare it with related psychological constructs to describe the positive changes in self-attitude associated with mindfulness meditation practices or interventions. The mindful self is conceptualized as a mindfulness-enlightened self-view and attitude developed by internalizing and integrating the essence of Buddhist psychology into one’s self-system. We further posit that the mindful self will be an important intermediary between mindfulness intervention and mental health problems, and an important moderator in promoting well-being. More generally, we suggest that the mindful self may also be an applicable concept with which to describe and predict the higher level of self-development of those who grow up in the culture of Buddhism or regularly engage in meditation over a long period of time.