The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Mindfulness Practices: A Qualitative Literature Review

M. Gargiulo

doi:10.53417/sjebs.v3i1.86

The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Mindfulness Practices: A Qualitative Literature Review

M. Gargiulo

SMARATUNGGA JURNAL OF EDUCATION AND BUDDHIST STUDIES March 29, 2023 DOI: 10.53417/sjebs.v3i1.86 (opens in new tab)

Read Full Text

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Qualitative study (literature review) Peer reviewed
Topics	Meditation
Key findings	Argues that religion, ethics, and spirituality are crucial components of the explanatory model of mindfulness practice, since religious and spiritual traditions allow it to become a form of psychotherapy with various modalities of attention regulation. Contends that failing to select variables specific to each practice threatens construct validity, and that examining mindfulness within its religious and spiritual contexts improves conceptual understanding across traditions.

Abstract

In recent decades, the academic literature on mindfulness has grown rapidly as it uncovers similarities and differences between mindfulness practices in Buddhism, Stoic philosophy, and Christian meditation. This research, which is still in its early stages, aims to distinguish the specific notes or elements that represent each of these mindfulness practices within a conceptual framework. Measuring mindfulness practices' efficiency and therapeutic efficacy requires selecting a subset of variables that specifically represent the practice. Failure to do so may result in a threat to construct validity. This qualitative study aims to explore the relationship between mindfulness and spirituality by collecting data through a literature review. The results reveal that religion, ethics, and spirituality are crucial components of the explanatory model of mindfulness practice. This is because religious and spiritual traditions allow it to become a form of psychotherapy with various modalities of attention regulation. This study contributes to the scientific understanding of mindfulness practices by highlighting the importance of examining them in the context of religion and spirituality and developing a better conceptual understanding of them across different traditions.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design	Participants
The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan...	2017	Qualitative study with mixed-methods
The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout Nurses in a hospital system	2004	Implementation study with mixed methods
An exploratory mixed methods study of the acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness -based cognitive therapy for patients with active depression and anxiety in primary care Primary care patients with recurrent depression or recurrent depression and anxiety	2006	Exploratory mixed methods study	n = 13
A qualitative study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for depression Participants in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in a mental-health context	2001	Qualitative study	n = 7
Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report Meditators	2013	Qualitative study using grounded theory methodology

Citations in the library

Cited by 1

The Subjective Experience of Greek Women Attending a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program The European Journal of Counselling Psychology October 21, 2025

Cites 7

and 2 more in the library