Citation

Hoover J. J. Psychol. Christ. 2018; 37(3).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Christian Association for Psychological Studies, Publisher Bookcrafters)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

The term mindfulness defies a simple definition. Over the past few decades, this term has been often used to reference a state, a trait, and a practice (Lutz, Jha, Dunne, & Saron, 2015). Thus, it is imperative to disclose from the beginning of any discussion about mindfulness that there is more variance between practices and modalities than there are similarities; indeed, there is still significant debate even among different Buddhist groups about the appropriate approach (Dunne, 2015).

Origins

The earliest writings explicitly about mindfulness are dated approximately 400-200 B.C. (Brown, Creswell, & Ryan, 2015) and are found within the canon of early Buddhist literature. Before the mid-twentieth century, mindfulness was not a prominent concept in western culture. Since mindfulness and middle eastern religion seemed inextricably interwoven, there was little reason for individuals adhering to western religions or individuals who considered themselves irreligious to consider trying the practice. However, psychological and sociological research in the twentieth century indicated mindfulness was connected to positive health outcomes, and interest in the western world spiked (Chambers, Gullone, & Allen, 2009; Sun, 2014).

Many credit Jon Kabat-Zinn with creating a clarified structure for mindfulness in a religiously-neutral context. His prolific work as the director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center is legendary, and it is uncommon to review a scholarly source on the topic of mindfulness where Kabat-Zinn's name is not mentioned....

Language: en