Mindfulness and Indian Buddhist conceptions of unconscious processes.
William S Waldron
Current Opinion in Psychology October 5, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.09.012 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Awareness India Unconscious, psychology |
| Key points | Argues that early Buddhist texts depict mindfulness practice as involving nonconscious dispositions underlying recurrent affective and cognitive responses, not merely present-moment awareness. Contends that the Yogācāra school's concept of an unconscious, culturally shaped construction of a 'species-specific' world, or 'cultural unconscious,' could augment the depth and relevance of the modern mindfulness movement. |
Abstract
The modern mindfulness movement often cites early Buddhist texts that outline its basic practices. These texts, though, depict a different kind of practice, one which involves ongoing nonconscious dispositions that underlie and give rise to recurrent affective and cognitive responses to similar stimuli. In later Indian Buddhist traditions, especially the Yogācāra school, these patterns were investigated and systematically articulated in a concept of our unconscious construction of a common, 'species-specific' world, which included the influences of language and culture. By acknowledging our 'cultural unconscious,' this model could augment the depth and relevance of the mindfulness movement in our contemporary world.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
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- Bridging the Gap Between Contemporary and Buddhist Definitions of Mindfulness: A Scoping Review Mindfulness October 3, 2026
- The Effectiveness of a 6-Week Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Patients With Cervical Cancer or High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion: A Randomized Controlled Trial Using Multimodal Data of Scales and Electroencephalogram. Psycho-Oncology September 1, 2026
- Mindfulness Meditation According to the Satipatthana Sutta: A Single-Case Study With Participants as Collaborators. Mindfulness June 10, 2023