Mindfulness: Future Pathways and Cross-Fertilizations through Cultural Psychology.

Mindfulness research should adapt traditional psychological frameworks like Maslow's hierarchy of needs to reflect contemporary cultural and psychological landscapes. Meditation acts as a transformative process that can destroy and rebuild psychological needs, leading to self-actualization and self-transcendence, metaphorically likened to a volcanic eruption. Social, material, and cultural contexts shape mindfulness practices, requiring personalization and recognition of ecological interconnectedness. Future research should preserve mindfulness breakthroughs, explore religious worldviews, and integrate social environments, advocating for a holistic understanding of mindfulness as both process and outcome in human experience.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This commentary outlines a novel agenda for future mindfulness research, building on various authors' insights, particularly Indius (Indius, S. (2024). Meditation and Self-transcendence: A Human need? Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 58(3), 878-883), who integrates Maslow's hierarchy of needs into the discussion of mindfulness. Indius argues for a revision of humanistic psychology to reflect contemporary needs, emphasizing the dynamic nature of meditation as a transformative process that leads to self-actualization and self-transcendence. This exploration highlights the metaphor of a volcanic eruption to illustrate how meditation can lead to the destruction and subsequent rebirth of psychological needs, fostering a deeper connection to oneself and the environment. Additionally, it examines the interplay of social, material, and cultural contexts in shaping mindfulness practices, suggesting a need for personalization and ecological interconnectedness. The commentary aligns with multiple perspectives presented in the Special Issue, underscoring the necessity of adapting traditional frameworks like Maslow's to meet evolving cultural and psychological landscapes. Future research pathways include preserving mindfulness breakthroughs, exploring religious worldviews, and integrating social environments into mindfulness studies, ultimately advocating for a holistic understanding of mindfulness as both a process and outcome in the context of human experience.