Dialogues between mindfulness and existential-humanistic psychology

Abstract

This work intends to contribute with a comparative reflection between the perspectives of mindfulness and the existential-humanistic psychology that, on the one hand, deepens the current understanding of mindfulness based, predominantly, on the cognitive approach and, on the other, offers significant affinities between both traditions. For doing this, after an Introduction in which a historical context of the encounter of both perspectives will be offered, it will be developed some ontological and methodological affinities, i.e., related to the conception of reality and the epistemic access to it. Then, the main section will explore some meaningful anthropological and therapeutic affinities, i.e., regarding the conception of human being and the development of consciousness implied in both approaches. The last section will offer some differences related to the worldviews to base of both traditions, specially associated to Buddhism and humanism. Finally, the paper will offer some ethical implications from this comparative inquiry. This work offers an unusual reflection which manifests the potential hidden in the dialogue between mindfulness and the Existencial-humanistic psychology able of enriching the understanding and practice of both perspectives, locating mindfulness beyond a mere set of techniques or strategies for reducing symptoms such as anxiety and stress, towards a mode of comprehending human life and its potential for flourishing.