Mindfulness and Meditation in the United States
The Oxford Handbook of American Buddhism May 22, 2024 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197539033.013.16 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that contemporary mindfulness in North America, though uncoupled from traditional Buddhist authority and soteriological power, is entangled in and co-constituted by broader modern systems of power, including colonialism, neoliberalism, and whiteness, and has acquired new meanings and power relations in both covert Buddhist and secular settings. |
Abstract
Abstract This chapter investigates the historical shifts, culturally contingent forces, and power-laden dynamics that have enabled the emergence of mindfulness as a therapeutic modality in the context of North America. Engaging with an interdisciplinary body of scholarship, including historical textual literature and ethnography, the chapter traces the multiple historical confluences and culturally contingent forces that have shaped the emergence of meditation from its historical conditions in Asia to its contemporary application in both covert Buddhist communities and secular settings. As much as current formulations of mindfulness have uncoupled Buddhist meditation practices from their role in traditional Buddhist authority and soteriological power, equally important are the nuanced new meanings, significances, and forms of power relations that play a role in its ongoing formation. The chapter thus explores the contemporary mindfulness phenomenon as entangled in and co-constituted by broader systems of modern power, including colonialism, neoliberalism, and whiteness.