Mindfulness has become famous as a source of stress-reduction, a clear departure from its traditional roots as a resource for promoting virtuous thought, speech, and action. In this discussion, we will contrast theories of mindfulness-as-relief and mindfulness-as-engagement, exploring the hypothesis that both aspects of mindfulness practice are needed to maximize the benefits of practice. The discussion will explore the scientific evidence surrounding mindfulness training and attempt to demonstrate that relief and engagement are shared outcomes of a common psychological mechanism, that of exploring instead of avoiding experience. In reconceptualizing mindfulness as a form of exploration rather than emphasizing stress relief, we may be better able to respond to recent critiques of the mindfulness movement while also holding our own practices accountable for engaged action in the world.
Norman Farb PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he directs the Regulatory and Affective Dynamics laboratory (www.radlab.zone). He studies the social neuroscience of the self and human emotion, with a focus on how biases in self-representation shape emotions to determine well-being. He has led several influential studies on the mechanisms of mindfulness training and depression vulnerability.