Depression and Mindfulness: Reclaiming the Past, Present, and Future
Angelos Sofocleous
Journal of Humanistic Psychology March 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/00221678231197870 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that depression involves temporal disturbances in retention, primal impression, and protention, making the future seem static and unchangeable and the past intrude on the present. Proposes that mindfulness-based interventions may restore a sense of the present and future as contingent and open by fostering detachment from rumination and awareness of each present moment. |
Abstract
This article explores the temporal disturbances experienced in depression and the potential effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in addressing these disturbances. Drawing upon a Husserlian framework, this article examines the three temporal phases of experience: retention, primal impression, and protention. These phases constitute the temporal fusion that allows us to perceive an event as a temporally extended event, encompassing the past, present, and future. In depression, the sense of anticipation and the belief in the potential for positive change are diminished, leading to a perception of the future as static and unchangeable, hence resembling the past. Depressed individuals also encounter disruptions in their experience of the past, as past thoughts resurface in consciousness at the present moment, further hindering the individuals’ ability to conceive of an open future where things could improve in meaningful ways. Mindfulness-based interventions offer a pathway for detachment from rumination and restoration of the perception of the present and future as contingent and filled with possibilities. By focusing on the present moment and cultivating awareness of experiences in each present “now,” individuals can experience the present as fused with the past and the future.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psilocybin-assisted therapy of major depressive disorder using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a therapeutic frame | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Yale Manual for Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy of Depression (using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Therapeutic Frame) | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Neuroinflammation and neuroprogression in depression: Effects of alternative drug treatments | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Improving cognitive functioning in major depressive disorder with psychedelics: A dimensional approach | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 11
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse Psychotherapy Research March 1, 2003
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Psychiatry. FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry January 24, 2018
- Pilot Study of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Trainee Clinical Psychologists Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy December 13, 2010
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in patients with depression: current perspectives Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment June 1, 2018
- Living With Physical Health Conditions: A Systematic Review of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Children, Adolescents, and Their Parents. Journal of pediatric psychology April 1, 2023
and 6 more in the library