Beyond the Limitations of Binary Thinking: Mindfulness and the Tetralemma
Mindfulness June 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-021-01678-6 (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 the ancient Indian tetralemma, which allows affirmation, denial, both, or neither, forms part of the doctrinal background of early Buddhist mindfulness and may counter mental rigidity and support transcendence of binary thought, suggesting possible relevance to research on mindfulness and cognitive flexibility. |
Abstract
Abstract: Various dimensions of the cultivation of mindfulness in its early Buddhist historical setting can be better appreciated in the light of their doctrinal background. One aspect of this doctrinal background is the ancient Indian tetralemma, which differs from the Aristotelian logic that has informed much of Western thought. The tetralemma proposes that, in addition to affirmation and denial, at times a particular situation may be more appropriately captured by a combination of both (partly yes and partly no). Or else, another situation may call for neither affirmation nor negation. Although at first sight the resultant fourfold perspective can appear puzzling, closer inspection shows this model of thought to have a considerable potential for countering mental rigidity and enabling the transcendence of binary thought patterns, thereby being perhaps relevant to research on the relationship between mindfulness and cognitive flexibility.
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
Cites 4
- “Mind the Trap”: Mindfulness Practice Reduces Cognitive Rigidity PLoS One May 15, 2012
- Just Open Your Mind? A Randomized, Controlled Study on the Effects of Meditation on Creativity. Frontiers in Psychology 2021
- Long-term meditation: the relationship between cognitive processes, thinking styles and mindfulness. Cognitive Processing November 7, 2017
- Meditation, mindfulness and cognitive flexibility. Consciousness and Cognition March 2009