title: Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm) U1028.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Miami.
authors.forename: Amishi P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.affiliation: Department of Religion, Emory University.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Dunne
authors.affiliation: Center for Mind and Brain and MIND Institute, University of California.
authors.forename: Clifford D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Saron
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods*; D008603:Mental Health; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000379:methods*; D012106:Research; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*