Searching for Mindfulness in the Brain: A Process-Oriented Approach to Examining the Neural Correlates of Mindfulness

There has been great interest of late in trying to capture the benefits of meditation by scanning meditators’ brains. In this paper, we argue that a successful neuroscience of mindfulness needs to be based on an adequate psychological analysis. We present a definition of mindfulness based on four ps...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mindfulness 2010-03, Vol.1 (1), p.41-63
Main Authors: Fletcher, Lindsay B., Schoendorff, Benjamin, Hayes, Steven C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Behavior modification
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Brain research
Child and School Psychology
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive ability
Cognitive Psychology
Medical imaging
Meditation
Mindfulness
Neuroimaging
Neurosciences
Pediatrics
Physical properties
Psychology
Psychopathology
Public Health
Review Paper
Social Sciences
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:There has been great interest of late in trying to capture the benefits of meditation by scanning meditators’ brains. In this paper, we argue that a successful neuroscience of mindfulness needs to be based on an adequate psychological analysis. We present a definition of mindfulness based on four psychological processes that are relatively well understood, and we show how this model may help organize neuroimaging research and create a bridge to clinical applications. This framework provides an approach to neuroscience research grounded in psychological principles and theory. We propose that this is critical for advancing scientific endeavors such that the knowledge gained helps improve the human condition.
ISSN:1868-8527
1868-8535
DOI:10.1007/s12671-010-0006-5