Mechanisms of Mindfulness: A Buddhist Psychological Model

Abstract

Several models have explored the possible change mechanisms underlying mindfulness-based interventions from the perspectives of multiple disciplines, including cognitive science, affective neuroscience, clinical psychiatry, and psychology. Together, these models highlight the complexity of the change process underlying these interventions. However, no one model appears to be sufficiently comprehensive in describing the mechanistic details of this change process. In an attempt to address this gap, we propose a psychological model derived from Buddhist contemplative traditions. We use the proposed Buddhist psychological model to describe what occurs during mindfulness practice and identify specific mechanisms through which mindfulness and attention regulation practices may result in symptom reduction as well as improvements in well-being. Other explanatory models of mindfulness interventions are summarized and evaluated in the context of this model. We conclude that the comprehensive and detailed nature of the proposed model offers several advantages for understanding how mindfulnessbased interventions exert their clinical benefits and that it is amenable to research investigation.

Developing Attention and Decreasing Affective Bias: Toward a Cross-Cultural Cognitive Science of Mindfulness

“…Similarly, the statement quoted at the outset of this chapter that "consciousness and wisdom are conjoined" might seem-like many descriptions of the relationship between attention, consciousness, wisdom, and ethical action found in traditional texts-to aim more at practical inspiration than at theoretical precision. Although other textual descriptions from traditional Buddhist psychological theory do offer systematic and fine-grained accounts of the interrelations among attention, consciousness, and emotional reactivity (see An layo, 2003), these accounts have only recently begun to be tapped by the scientific community (e.g., Grabovac, Lau, & Willett, 2011). One reason for this state of affairs may be that it is unclear how such traditional accounts could be empirically operationalized using constructs from cognitive science.…”

Craving to quit: Psychological models and neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness training as treatment for addictions.

“…This provides a critical entry point for therapeutic interventions: through paying careful attention to one's own experience, the Buddhist accounts claim, one can see that perceptions and associated affective reactions (affective tone) are separate from -and indeed separable from -craving and aversion, as well as the elaborate thought processes these can motivate (Grabovac et al, 2011). As one Buddhist scholar puts it, through paying mindful attention to affective reactions, "one distinctly realizes that a pleasant feeling is not identical with lust and need not be followed by it... By doing so, he makes a definite start in cutting through the chain of dependent origination at that decisive point where feeling becomes the condition for craving...…”

“…Mindfulness training, in theory, has the advantage of teaching a simple concept (paying attention to, and not resisting momentary experience) that can be broadly applied to different links of the addictive loop (Grabovac et al, 2011). Effective implementation of mindfulness training may, over time, lead to the dampening and eventual dismantling of the associative learning process of smoking or drug use rather than just removing stimuli that might propagate it.…”

The Relationship Between Non-Attachment And Mental Health Among Vietnamese Buddhists

“…This state of happiness can only be achieved through practicing Buddhism's Eight Noble Paths: right view, right intentions, right speech, right actions, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Practicing the Eight Noble Paths helps people reduce their attachment to emotions that arise when exposed to certain situations and to accept phenomena as they are, rather than illusions created by their mind (Grabovac, Lau, & Willett, 2011). Practitioners therefore learn how to transform and finally free themselves from suffering and achieve happiness (Ekman, Davidson, Ricard, & Wallace, 2005).…”