Abstract
Mindfulness has become an integrated element in many psychotherapy approaches. It has also been embraced by media, the self‐help industry, and popular culture. This paper will address the question: Is the explosive growth in mindfulness approaches a success‐story? We will address some concerns on both a clinical and sociopolitical level. The authors have both been, and still are, enthusiastic about the potential of mindfulness‐based approaches. Mindfulness‐meditation has proven its value as a mental health intervention for a relatively broad range of clinical symptoms and disorders. However, they do not seem to work for all. There are reasons to be concerned about meditation‘s potential for having harmful as well as helpful effects. When mindfulness is decontextualized from its Buddhist roots, this often leaves the meditator alone, without both a community and a conceptual framework to give meaning to their experiences. Mindfulness is often presented as a panacea for all types of stress‐related problems in society. It might join forces with an individualistic do‐it‐yourself culture. Decontextualization of stress – and its solutions – might mask real social problems that require political solutions. However, suffering occurs in even the very best of societies; it arises both from social structures and the conditions of human existence. At all times, individuals have sought ways to improve their lives, and mindfulness offers a broad range of valuable practices. An in between is needed, combining the healthy energy of enthusiasm with critical inquiry and awareness of the limitations of mindfulness‐based approaches to psychotherapy.