The Concept of Self in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Morita Therapy - The Similarities & Differences in the Therapeutic Mechanisms, Philosophies, and Methods
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that MBCT and Morita Therapy, despite vast cultural and historical differences, are strikingly similar in using mindfulness as their primary therapeutic means and in changing the conception of self through reduced self-referential processing. Proposes that the self is a two-layered structure: an inner layer where mindfulness operates similarly across cultures, and an outer layer shaped by cultural values, which accounts for the therapies' differences. |
Abstract
While the effects of mindfulness practices on the self are not widely recognized, a reduction in self-centered or “self-referential” processing stands as one of the central therapeutic mechanisms of mindfulness-based psychotherapy. In this literature-based research, I compared two cultural variations of mindfulness-based psychotherapy: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), developed recently in the West, and Morita Therapy, founded in Japan during the 1920’s based on Zen Buddhism. Despite the vast cultural/historical gap between them, they are strikingly similar in a number of respects. The most significant similarity is that they both use mindfulness as their primary therapeutic means; both, in turn, involve a change in the conception of ‘self’ via mindfulness. Despite the remarkable similarities, there are also discrepancies in their philosophies, methods, and techniques, which likely arose from the difference between the western individualistic and eastern collectivist values. Throughout this thesis, I show that the self can be understood as a two-layered structure. There is an inner layer—the operating locus of mindfulness—that function similarly irrespective of culture context, which may be responsible for some of the similarities between the therapies. There is also an outer layer that varies across cultures—a possible source of the differences in the therapies.
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 8
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- What Do We Really Know About Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction? Psychosomatic Medicine 2002
- What does mindfulness really mean? A canonical perspective Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Minding one’s emotions: Mindfulness training alters the neural expression of sadness. Emotion February 1, 2010
and 3 more in the library