Ethics and contemporary mindfulness

Cirila Zorenč (2017) Ethics and contemporary mindfulness. MSc thesis.

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Abstract

This thesis explores the relationship between ethics, and modern mindfulness interventions. Mindfulness research is becoming increasingly popular in cognitive science, and mindfulness practices are also starting to be used as a new method in phenomenological research. However, in the past few years a number of researchers have pointed out some worrying differences between the modern, and the traditional, understanding of mindfulness – the main difference being the absence of an explicit ethical framework in modern mindfulness interventions. This could potentially have quite negative consequences. Aside from raising concerns, the role of ethics in mindfulness interventions remains largely unexplored. Only a small number of studies have focused on the potential contribution of a more ethically-oriented practice. Considering this, the aim of the present study was to assess whether ethics is a factor present in modern mindfulness interventions, and how this may affect the efficacy of the practice. A further aim to the thesis was to establish guidelines for more fruitful use of mindfulness interventions in a range of scientific and therapeutic environments. The research was conducted by theoretical analysis, comparing the role of ethics in traditional and contemporary practices, and by meta-analysis of the up-to-date empirical research in the field. The theoretical analysis showed that ethics is a largely absent factor in modern mindfulness interventions. Findings so far speak in favour of the thesis, that a more ethical framing of mindfulness could yield beneficial results. However, the scarce empirical research on the topic was far from conclusive, urging further research. In the final part, I offer some suggestions for a better, and further, exploration of the relationship between ethics and mindfulness within cognitive science. I also explore the ways to introduce a more ethically-focused mindfulness practice into a modern, secularised society.

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