Clifford D. Saron

2 papers in the library · 2,224 citations · publishing 2015-2017

Papers

Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation

Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017 Nicholas T. Van Dam, Marieke K. Van Vugt, David R. Vago et al. 1,500 citations

Mindfulness meditation has become widely used in therapy, corporate wellness, education, and the military, but the research backing it has faced criticism for poor methodology and misinformation. This article reviews the current state of mindfulness research, discussing difficulties in defining mindfulness, the proper scope of studies, and key methodological issues. The authors summarize what is known and unknown, offering a prescriptive agenda for contemplative science that focuses on assessment, training, possible adverse effects, and brain imaging. The goal is to inform scientists, media, and the public, minimize harm, curb poor research practices, and stop the spread of misinformation about mindfulness's benefits, costs, and future.

DOI: 10.1177/1745691617709589

Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective.

American Psychologist October 1, 2015 Antoine Lutz, Amishi P. Jha, John D. Dunne et al. 724 citations

Mindfulness meditation practices are a set of attention-based, regulatory, and self-inquiry training regimes used for wellbeing and psychological health. This article examines the construct of mindfulness in psychological research and reviews recent nonclinical work. Instead of proposing a single definition, mindfulness is interpreted as a continuum of practices involving states and processes that can be mapped into a multidimensional phenomenological matrix expressed in a neurocognitive framework. This matrix serves as a heuristic to guide next-generation research hypotheses from cognitive/behavioral and neuroscientific perspectives. The review identifies significant gaps in the literature and outlines new directions for research.

DOI: 10.1037/a0039585