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Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective.
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There has been a great increase in literature concerned with the effects of a variety of mental training regimes that generally fall within what might be called contemplative practices, and a majority of these studies have focused on mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation practices can be conceptualized as a set of attention-based, regulatory, and self-inquiry training regimes cultivated for various ends, including wellbeing and psychological health. This article examines the construct of mindfulness in psychological research and reviews recent, nonclinical work in this area. Instead of proposing a single definition of mindfulness, we interpret it as a continuum of practices involving states and processes that can be mapped into a multidimensional phenomenological matrix which itself can be expressed in a neurocognitive framework. This phenomenological matrix of mindfulness is presented as a heuristic to guide formulation of next-generation research hypotheses from both cognitive/behavioral and neuroscientific perspectives. In relation to this framework, we review selected findings on mindfulness cultivated through practices in traditional and research settings, and we conclude by identifying significant gaps in the literature and outline new directions for research.
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“the basic components of attention monitoring and acceptance are common factors across these models.”
From Mechanisms of mindfulness training: Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT (2017) · cites this paper as Lutz, Jha, Dunne, & Saron, 2015
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“Nevertheless, the construct of dispositional mindfulness entails several problematic aspects, starting from the assumption that self-report mindfulness scales (basically the self-perception of a person) actually tap into the proper practices of mindfulness (Grossman, 2011).”
From Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation: Insights from Neurobiological, Psychological, and Clinical Studies (2017) · cites this paper as Lutz et al., 2015
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“In addition, since processes such as meta-awareness and dereification [19], as well as decentering [60], have been proposed to be strengthened via repeated engagement in MT exercises, future studies should examine inter-relationships between MT-related changes in these processes and WM.”
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“‘it is just a thought’), decentering[16], cognitive defusion [17], or dereification [3], although the specificity of these strategies”
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“Retreat and Daily practice hours were not significantly correlated either before log transformation, r(29) = − 0.”
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“Other terms related to this skill are cognitive diffusion (45) and dereification (46).”
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Meditation is associated with increased brain network integration
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“…on mental states has been labelled, in contemporary terms, as phenomenological reduction (Varela 1996), decentering (Bernstein et al. 2015), cognitive defusion (Fletcher and Hayes 2005), mindful attention (Papies et al. 2012), dereification (Lutz et al. 2015), or opacification (Metzinger 2003).”
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Mindfulness enhances cognitive functioning: a meta-analysis of 111 randomized controlled trials
Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2023) · Health Psychology Review · doi:10.1080/17437199.2023.2248222 · Cited by 106
“The positive in fl uence of OM on emotion regulation abilities might also enhance WM capacity through meta-cognitive processes (Lutz et al., 2015; Ra ff one et al., 2019).”
BackgroundExplanatory profiles of models of consciousness - towards a systematic classification
Signorelli, C. M., Szczotka, J., & Prentner, R. (2021) · Neuroscience of Consciousness · doi:10.1093/nc/niab021 · Cited by 91
“In this theory, first-person reports inform the interpretation of neural signatures, thus codetermining the actual explanandum of the theory (Lutz et al. 2002; Lutz and Thompson 2003; Lutz et al. 2015; Windt et al. 2016; Petitmengin et al. 2019; Poletti et al. 2021).”
BackgroundA Critical Analysis on Characterizing the Meditation Experience Through the Electroencephalogram
Deolindo, C. S., Ribeiro, M. W., Aratanha, M. A., Afonso, R. F., Irrmischer, M., & Kozasa, E. H. (2020) · Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnsys.2020.00053 · Cited by 89
Macaulay, R., Lee, K., Johnson, K. A., & Williams, K. J. H. (2021) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104263 · Cited by 78
Mindfulness and intergroup bias: A systematic review
Oyler, D. L., Price‐Blackshear, M. A., Pratscher, S. D., & Bettencourt, B. A. (2021) · Group Processes & Intergroup Relations · doi:10.1177/1368430220978694 · Cited by 84
“Theorists have posited that mindfulness scales are problematic for various reasons, including a lack of divergent validity, sensitivity to other (nonmindfulness) interventions, and response shifts (e.g., Lutz et al., 2015).”
BackgroundRodriguez‐Larios, J., de, E. A. B. M., & Alaerts, K. (2021) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118669 · Cited by 80
“they would tend to ‘observe thoughts’ instead of ‘attaching to them’) (Krishnamurti, 2002; Lutz et al., 2015; Pagnoni et al., 2008; Petitmengin et al., 2017).”
BackgroundPsychological Effects of Meditation for Healthy Practitioners: An Update
Sedlmeier, P., Loße, C., & Quasten, L. C. (2018) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-017-0780-4 · Cited by 74
What Makes Mindfulness-Based Interventions Effective? An Examination of Common Components
Kropp, A., & Sedlmeier, P. (2019) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-019-01167-x · Cited by 74
Roeser, R. W. (2016) · Mindfulness in behavioral health · doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-3506-2_10 · Cited by 73
Tulver, K., Kaup, K., Laukkonen, R., & Aru, J. (2023) · Consciousness and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.concog.2023.103494 · Cited by 86
A Meta-Analysis of Mindfulness-Based Therapies for Insomnia and Sleep Disturbance
Rash, J. A., Kavanagh, V. A. J., & Garland, S. N. (2019) · Sleep Medicine Clinics · doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2019.01.004 · Cited by 70
Rosenkranz, M. A., Dunne, J. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2019) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.12.022 · Cited by 81
“of autonomic arousal, decreased worry and rumination, and increased acceptance [15,17] via strengthening of meta-awareness and dereification [18], whereas the proposed mechanisms through which aerobic exercise”
Self-citationControlling the Temporal Structure of Brain Oscillations by Focused Attention Meditation
Irrmischer, M., Houtman, S. J., Mansvelder, H. D., Tremmel, M., Ott, U., & Linkenkaer‐Hansen, K. (2018) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.23971 · Cited by 69
“It entails the continuous focus on the given object, without distraction from internal (e.g., thoughts) or external (e.g., sounds) sources, resulting in a narrow aperture of focus with high clarity and stability (Lutz et al., 2015, 2008).”
BackgroundInfluentialMeditation, stress processes, and telomere biology
Conklin, Q. A., Crosswell, A. D., Saron, C. D., & Epel, E. S. (2019) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.11.009 · Cited by 69
“Effects of meditation training on stress processes Meditation practices represent a class of mental training techniques intended to regulate a range of psychological processes—particularly those having to do with perceptions of reality and the self [44 ,45].”
InfluentialSelf-citationKral, T. R. A., Davis, K. E., Korponay, C. H., Hirshberg, M. J., Hoel, R., Tello, L. Y., Goldman, R. I., Rosenkranz, M. A., Antoine Lutz, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2022) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.abk3316 · Cited by 81
“The insula, amygdala, and anterior cingulate contribute to the salience network, which is associated with emotional reactivity and subjective awareness processes that are hypothesized to change with mindfulness training ( 28 , 29 ).”
Mindfulness-based interventions for stress and burnout in teachers: A systematic review
Hidajat, T. J., Edwards, E. J., Wood, R., & Campbell, M. A. (2023) · Teaching and Teacher Education · doi:10.1016/j.tate.2023.104303 · Cited by 111
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in patients with depression: current perspectives
MacKenzie, M., Abbott, K., & Kocovski, N. (2018) · Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment · doi:10.2147/ndt.s160761 · Cited by 68
“Mindfulness, one such active ingredient, certainly warrants continued study as our knowledge of different facets of the meditative experience develops.(52) Additionally, there have been some promising results in the area of dissemination, although research on teacher competency is in its infancy, with only one publish…”
Stein, E., & Witkiewitz, K. (2020) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01444-0 · Cited by 63
“Others have put forth a phenomenological and neurocognitive framework to understand mindfulness meditation that includes interacting dimensions of mind (object orientation, decentering, and meta-awareness) as well as mental qualities (aperture, clarity, stability, and effort) (Lutz et al. 2015).”
BackgroundConklin, Q. A., King, B. G., Zanesco, A. P., Lin, J., Hamidi, A. B., Pokorny, J. J., Álvarez-López, M. J., Cosín-Tomás, M., Huang, C., Kaliman, P., et al. (2018) · Brain, Behavior, and Immunity · doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2018.03.003 · Cited by 66
“From this perspective, Insight retreats can be conceived of as comprehensive well-being interventions that pair periods of formal meditation practice (e.g., sitting or walking) with a contemplative way of life or ‘‘stance toward experience” (Lutz et al., 2015).”
BackgroundSelf-citationDefining Meditation: Foundations for an Activity-Based Phenomenological Classification System
Sparby, T., & Sacchet, M. D. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.795077 · Cited by 72
Villamil, A., Vogel, T., Weisbaum, E., & Siegel, D. J. (2019) · OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.21926/obm.icm.1901003 · Cited by 68
Gallagher, S. (2023) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198873068.001.0001 · Cited by 72
Rodriguez‐Larios, J., Faber, P. L., Achermann, P., Tei, S., & Alaerts, K. (2020) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-020-62392-2 · Cited by 65
Lin, Y., Callahan, C. P., & Moser, J. S. (2018) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.06.007 · Cited by 68
“Consideration of construct heterogeneity is relatively new to contemplative science (Lutz et al., 2015), and past research often involved studies in which the different facets of mindfulness are subsumed under its namesake.”
Zou, Y., Li, P., Hofmann, S. G., & Liu, X. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01053 · Cited by 63
Zanesco, A. P., Denkova, E., Rogers, S. L., MacNulty, W. K., & Jha, A. P. (2018) · Progress in brain research · doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.001 · Cited by 70
Self-citationCessations of consciousness in meditation: Advancing a scientific understanding of nirodha samāpatti
Laukkonen, R., Sacchet, M. D., Barendregt, H. P., Devaney, K. J., Chowdhury, A., & Slagter, H. A. (2023) · Progress in brain research · doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.12.007 · Cited by 71
“More recently, this system has been refined from a set of bins (FA, OM, LK) to a series of dimensions, along which any practice can vary (Dahl et al., 2015; Lutz et al., 2015).”
BackgroundWhat Do Meditators Do When They Meditate? Proposing a Novel Basis for Future Meditation Research
Matko, K., Ott, U., & Sedlmeier, P. (2021) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-021-01641-5 · Cited by 64
“1 3 Recently, new collections and classification systems encompassing a greater variety of meditation techniques have been proposed (Dahl et al., 2015; Lutz et al., 2015).”
BackgroundMeditation training influences mind wandering and mindless reading.
Zanesco, A. P., King, B. G., MacLean, K. A., Jacobs, T. L., Aichele, S., Wallace, B. A., Smallwood, J., Schooler, J. W., & Saron, C. D. (2016) · Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice · doi:10.1037/cns0000082 · Cited by 65
“The demonstration of reduced mind wandering in these same individuals further contributes to the literature suggesting that intensive meditation practice may beneficially affect multiple components of vigilant attention (e.g., Lutz et al., 2015).”
BackgroundSelf-citationMechanisms of mindfulness: The dynamics of affective adaptation during open monitoring
Uusberg, H., Uusberg, A., Talpsep, T., & Paaver, M. (2016) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.05.004 · Cited by 73
Rodriguez‐Larios, J., & Alaerts, K. (2020) · European Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1111/ejn.15073 · Cited by 63
Mapping meditative states and stages with electrophysiology: concepts, classifications, and methods
Schoenberg, P. L. A., & Vago, D. R. (2019) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.01.007 · Cited by 58
Hearing Voices and Other Matters of the Mind
McCauley, R. N., & Graham, G. (2020) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190091149.001.0001 · Cited by 70
Hommel, B., & Colzato, L. S. (2017) · Journal of Cognitive Enhancement · doi:10.1007/s41465-017-0017-4 · Cited by 58
“…degree of consciousness, awareness, or phenomenal experience that may or may not go with particular metacontrol states (issues emphasized by meta-awareness approaches; e.g., Chin and Schooler 2010; Lutz et al. 2015) but only considers the functional and neural characteristics of metacontrol states.”
BackgroundZorn, J. V., Abdoun, O., Bouet, R., & Antoine Lutz, A. (2020) · European Journal of Pain · doi:10.1002/ejp.1576 · Cited by 61
“, 2013), states of openness and acceptance central to Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBI, Kabat-Zinn, 1982; Kabat-Zinn, Lipworth, & Burney, 1985; Kabat-Zinn, Lipworth, Burney, & Sellers, 1986) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT, Hayes, 2004) are also at the heart of mindfulnessrelated meditation practices labele…”
Mooneyham, B. W., Mrazek, M. D., Mrazek, A. J., & Schooler, J. W. (2016) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.13044 · Cited by 56
Beyond the veil of duality—topographic reorganization model of meditation
Cooper, A. C., Ventura, B., & Northoff, G. (2022) · Neuroscience of Consciousness · doi:10.1093/nc/niac013 · Cited by 60
“So, meditation’s orientation toward a present-moment awareness seems to diminish the magnitude of self-referential thinking, hence decreasing the perceived self-other duality (Farb et al. 2007; Lutz et al. 2015; Hasenkamp 2018; Millière et al. 2018; Bauer et al. 2019).”
Metadata
- Authors
- Lutz, A., Jha, A. P., Dunne, J. D., & Saron, C. D.
- Affiliations
- University of Miami (US)
- Emory University (US)
- University of California System (US)
- Venue
- American Psychologist
- Published
- 2015-10
- Volume
- 70
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 632-658
- ISSN
- 0003-066X (ISSN-L)
- 1935-990X
- PMC
- PMC4608430
- OpenAlex
- W2410872259
- Cited by
- 697
- References
- 173
- Citations by year
- 2026: 49 · 2025: 66 · 2024: 76 · 2023: 91 · 2022: 69 · 2021: 69 · 2020: 78 · 2019: 65 · 2018: 61 · 2017: 38 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 7
- FWCI
- 54.22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- American Psychologist (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (P01AT004952)
- Sponsor name not included (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG)
- European Research Council (617739)
- Adam J. Weissman Foundation
- Department of Army (W81XWH-12–2-0051 and W81XWH-11–2-0124)
- Fetzer Institute (2191)
- John Templeton Foundation (39970)
- Hershey Family Foundation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Keywords
- mindfulness, mindfulness meditation, contemplative practice, attentional control, self-inquiry, well-being, mental health, mental training, research hypotheses
- MeSH terms
- Attention, Cognition, Humans, Mental Health, Research, Stress, Psychological, Meditation, Mindfulness
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