Empirical explorations of mindfulness: conceptual and methodological conundrums

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Contemplative Studies

Background:

• Mindfulness practice is increasingly studied empirically.
• Emotion regulation is a central focus of mindfulness interventions.
• Contemplative traditions emphasize transformation in trait affect.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reflect on articles in a Special Issue on mindfulness and emotion.
• To address methodological and conceptual issues in mindfulness research.
• To identify targets within emotion processing impacted by mindfulness.

Main Methods:

• Review and commentary on empirical studies of mindfulness.
• Analysis of how mindfulness is conceptualized and operationalized (states, traits, variables).
• Discussion of methodological considerations: training duration, measurement, control groups.

Main Results:

• Mindfulness is used to refer to states, traits, and manipulated variables.
• Clear operationalization of mindfulness is essential for empirical progress.
• Progress in empirical mindfulness research is substantial.

Conclusions:

• Mindfulness practice significantly impacts emotion processing.
• Standardizing the operationalization of mindfulness is key for future research.
• The empirical study of mindfulness shows a promising future.