Mindfulness-based interventions: what more can the West learn from Buddhism? A fieldwork study.
Andrew Boxer, Frances Shawyer, Ian Coghlan, Debbie Ling, Graham Meadows
Frontiers in Psychology 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1579575 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 42 |
| Population | Attendees of a 30-day Lam Rim meditation retreat with exposure to mindfulness and traditional Buddhism |
| Intervention | Lam Rim meditation retreat |
| Duration | 30-day retreat |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Mbi Western world Mindfulness-based intervention Qualitative research Eastern mindfulness Spiritual mindfulness Applied mindfulness development Therapeutic mindfulness evolution Western mindfulness development Comparative mental health Intercultural mental health Buddhist psychology Integrated wellness Enhanced mental health |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | Participants noted that Western mindfulness lacks clarity and narrow focus compared to traditional Buddhism, and identified several Buddhist concepts that could further enrich Western mindfulness-based interventions. |
Abstract
Mindfulness has been adopted from its origins in Buddhist philosophy and is now widely applied in Western psychology. Existing research suggests this has been beneficial. The aim of this study is to identify possible areas for further integration of Buddhist approaches into current mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) from the perspective of individuals from a range of geographical areas who have had exposure to mindfulness and traditional Buddhism. Participants were attendees of a 30-day Lam Rim meditation retreat. Data collection involved an online survey (n = 42) and subsequent follow-up semi-structured interviews (n = 11). Qualitative thematic analysis was used to explore the differences between traditional Buddhist and Western Psychological approaches to mindfulness and how Buddhist understandings might be further integrated into Western MBIs. Participants noted that the Western definition of mindfulness remained unclear compared to specific Buddhist understandings of mindfulness. While Western applications of mindfulness often focused narrowly on health and productivity outcomes, traditional Buddhist perspectives offered a broader worldview encompassing a life philosophy. Some broader Buddhist concepts and practices identified by participants as potentially helpful to the West include impermanence, Buddhist mind science, the Four Noble Truths, emptiness, dependent arising, and compassion. Some of the identified concepts and practices such as compassion have already been developed into detailed secular frameworks, but further integration is possible. Future research could also continue secularizing deeper Buddhist perspectives, such as Buddhist mind science, to enrich mindfulness practices and promote holistic mental health and well-being while maintaining a non-religious framework.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on buddhism, 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 | |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns | 2011 | Mixed-methods study | n = 139 |
| Anger regulation in traumatized Cambodian refugees: the perspectives of Buddhist monks. Buddhist Cambodian monks in Massachusetts | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 6 |
| The Lived Experiences of Experienced Vipassana Mahasi Meditators: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators | 2018 | Qualitative study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Mapping the Buddhist Mind: A Scoping Review of Mental Factors and Their Therapeutic Potential in Mental Health Mindfulness March 24, 2026
- Language-games in live mindfulness-based stress reduction: a philosophy of language analysis of participant-trainer dialogue Frontiers in Psychology March 17, 2026
- Bridging the Gap Between Contemporary and Buddhist Definitions of Mindfulness: A Scoping Review Mindfulness October 3, 2026
- Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction for depression in post-stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2026
Cites 12
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review British Medical Bulletin April 21, 2021
- Fostering Self‐Compassion and Loving‐Kindness in Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder: A Randomized Pilot Study Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy January 28, 2016
- Exploring Emptiness and its Effects on Non-attachment, Mystical Experiences, and Psycho-spiritual Wellbeing: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Advanced Meditators. Explore 2019
and 7 more in the library