From Meditation to Techno-Mindfulness: On the Medicalization of Contemplative Practices and Future Prospects
Histories March 27, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/histories4010008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Technology and medicine Anthropotechniques Mindfulness therapy |
| Key points | Argues that mindfulness has become a biopolitical tool through commodification and transculturation, and that its integration with AI could reinforce surveillance and social control. |
Abstract
This article explores the historical transformation of mindfulness, through a process of transculturation and commodification, into a biopolitical tool and analyzes possible future scenarios in which this tool will acquire even greater biopolitical strength through the integration of technological devices and artificial intelligence applications, particularly focusing on the growing divide between mindfulness-based therapies and traditional meditation. While both methodologies share the common objective of providing health and psychophysical benefits, they differ fundamentally in their theoretical frameworks, with mindfulness being egolatric and performance oriented while traditional meditation emphasizes transcending psychophysical identity. The development of mindfulness has been influenced by the sociocultural context of neoliberal and capitalist societies, resulting in a model that fosters self-regulation and emphasizes social control. The article also examines the potential biopolitical risks arising from the integration of AI-powered tools into mindfulness-based therapies. The increasing use of digital devices and applications for monitoring physical and mental health may contribute to a society characterized by constant self-surveillance and self-monitoring, reinforcing biopolitical control of the body. Consequently, this raises critical questions regarding the limits of surveillance and the potential exploitation of vulnerabilities through the incorporation of AI-powered tools.
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 6
- The dawn of division: For an anthropological theory of consciousness through contemplative ethnography Anthropology of Consciousness January 12, 2025
- Buddhist Meditation and the Skillful Integration of Self: Buddhist Pedagogy and Scientific Models of Mind Religions February 10, 2026
- Biopolitics of Techno-Mindfulness: Anthropological Reflections on the Issue of Modern App-Based Training of Focused Attention Humans October 21, 2025
- Transformation of the Spiritual Paradigm in Formal and Non Formal Religious Interaction in the Modern Era Jurnal Sosiologi Agama dan Teologi Indonesia July 7, 2025
- Digital mindfulness and the laboring self: A discourse analysis of burnout in Headspace. Social Science & Medicine June 1, 2026
and 1 more in the library
Cites 13
- Moral zombies: why algorithms are not moral agents. Ai & Society June 1, 2021
- 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
- Reaching the End of the World: An Anthropological Reading of Early Buddhist Medicine and Ascetic Practices Religions February 24, 2023
- When mindfulness is therapy: Ethical qualms, historical perspectives. American Psychologist 2015
- Artificial intelligence-assisted mindfulness in tourism, hospitality, and events International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management June 16, 2023
and 8 more in the library