Understanding the power of mindfulness from a cultural-psychological perspective

Mindfulness is examined from a cultural-psychological perspective, arguing that its need arises from conflicts between personal fantasms (private needs, goals, wants, wishes) and community myths (e.g., the imperative to work hard to be a good citizen). Drawing on E.E. Boesch's theory and an autoethnographic account, the paper shows that mindfulness can alter one's hierarchy of fantasms and one's stance toward a community myth. This transformative role for individuals and groups is further illustrated through analysis of Hermann Hesse's glass bead game. The work provides a theoretical and historical analysis rather than an empirical intervention study.

Study at a glance

Abstract

In the present paper I investigate the phenomenon of mindfulness from a cultural-psychological perspective. During the past years mindfulness has been primarily treated as an independent (intervention) variable trying to evidence its effectiveness in relation to psychotherapy as well as to specific work outcomes such as a decrease in stress symptoms at work. Yet, what has been rather missing within the literature is the analysis of mindfulness from a theoretical and historical perspective. Arguing with E.E. Boesch, I show based on an autoethnography that the need for mindfulness emerges when there are conflicts with one’s fantasms (private needs, goals, wants, wishes) or with a specific myth in one’s community (you should work hard in order to become a good citizen). I conclude with the findings that mindfulness has the power to alter one’s fantasms hierachy as well as the stance towards a specific myth in one’s community. This is further evidenced by analyzing the glass bead game of H. Hesse and which role mindfulness plays in there – a transformative role for individuals and groups.