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Discourse on the nature of the emotions and their role in moral life has been at the vortex of discussion in both Indian and Western philosophy for a long time. The concept of emotion has taken the centre stage in recent debates, connecting it with morality. In Indian philosophy, emotion plays a vital role in moral judgement and desire. The main aim of this article is to analyse whether there is any possibility of intentional intervention in an emotional state or are we simply slaves to our emotions, which control our physical and mental activities. The main aim of this article is to analyse the concept of emotion in Vasubandhu's text, Abhidharmakos´abhāyam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Many Western psychologists find the Buddhist teachings on the self difficult to understand. Even humanistic psychologists sometimes feel a conflict between humanistic concepts such as self-esteem and self-acceptance and the Buddhist view of anatta or not-self. What is the point of encouraging self-esteem and self-acceptance if in reality there is no self to be esteemed or accepted? And if there is no self, does this mean annihilation on a personal identity level? And if it does, surely this is a way of arousing the individual's fears and anxieties rather than of laying them to rest? This article attempts to show how this conflict can be reconciled and how in a practical and straightforward way Buddhist psychology helps us build a model of the self that allows a profound realization of true human nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article suggests the contribution that Buddhist psychology can make to the development of new thinking and methodologies in the field of trauma work. It begins with an historical and conceptual review of the vicissitudes of spirituality and secularism as influences in the psychological management and treatment of sudden or radical change whether traumatic or constructive, noting that a more positive attitude toward spirituality now prevails than has been the case in earlier phases of modernity. It then goes on to look at the specific contribution that Buddhist psychology, particularly that associated with the Amidist school, can make, outlining its metaphysical structure and distinctive non-self-perspective and the consequences this has in terms of situation analysis and therapeutic approach. An outline is given of the Buddhist perspective upon repetition compulsion and this leads to a review of examples of a variety of therapeutic methods that have been developed. Finally, reference is made to the classification of Buddhist methods into sudden and gradual, and the relation between the former mode and the re-construal of trauma as opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores a debate that took place in Japan in the early twentieth century over the comparability of hypnosis and Zen. The debate was among the first exchanges between psychology and Buddhism in Japan, and it cast doubt on previous assumptions that a clear boundary existed between the two fields. In the debate, we find that contemporaries readily incorporated ideas from psychology and Buddhism to reconstruct the experiences and concepts of hypnosis and Buddhist nothingness. The resulting new theories and techniques of nothingness were fruits of a fairly fluid boundary between the two fields. The debate, moreover, reveals that psychology tried to address the challenges and possibilities posed by religious introspective meditation and intuitive experiences in a positive way. In the end, however, psychology no longer regarded them as viable experimental or psychotherapeutic tools but merely as particular subjective experiences to be investigated and explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research into subjective well-being (SWB) focuses on conducive life conditions, healthy cognitive-affective processes and adaptive behaviours, however, in this model, well-being fluctuates based on changing mental and physical phenomena. This inquiry explores the possibility that we can have a nondual experience of well-being that is unaffected by such movements and investigates if the literature supports this. The assertion in traditional mindfulness that the sense of self is constructed and responsible for such fluctuations is explored, along with what evidence there is that mindfulness practices deliver relevant cognitive and behavioural correlates associated with such a way of being. Proposed preconditions include (a) nondual awareness or the perception of no-self; (b) increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and increased self-lessness; (c) increased capacity to maintain (or protect) well-being including heightened emotional self-regulation and resilience to aversive stimuli. Research findings provide some evidence that the sense of self can be both constructed and deconstructed, and that mindfulness training may target psychological dimensions that could contribute to an experience of well-being that transcends the impact of life conditions. Recommendations are made for a collaborative relationship between SWB research and mindfulness to expand the inquiry into possible causes and conditions of 'nondual well-being'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence indicating the relationship between trauma and substance use disorders (SUDs), in addition to relapse and treatment retention rates for this population, suggests there is a need for a trauma-focused solution to treat SUDs. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has been studied extensively as an effective approach for treating trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The research evaluating its treatment for other mental health disorders such as SUDs is promising. Merging mindfulness and ethical mindfulness practices with EMDR therapy lends additional evidence-based elements to make the case for this integrative system of treatment to be studied as a trauma-focused primary psychotherapy to treat SUDs. The resulting treatment, the MET(T)A Protocol (Mindfulness and EMDR Treatment Template for Agencies), has been created to address the need for a trauma-focused solution to treat SUDs. Procedures of the MET(T)A Protocol as applied in each of the 8 phases of EMDR therapy are described in detail. Clinical examples are provided to explain the application of the MET(T)A Protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Out of the broad range of possible causes and helpful responses to extreme states psychosis, this article focuses on the environmental and psychological aspects, primarily from a contemplative and Windhorse therapeutic perspective. While understanding that the psychological basis for spiritual development is the same for extreme states, the helpful responses presented are based on the principles that all beings are fundamentally sane and inseparable from their environment. This discussion concludes with the recognition that each person in an extreme state, no matter how confused, has the very real potential of transforming this life disruption into a highly individual path of discovering and manifesting his or her own unique, intrinsic sanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, both meditation and psychedelics have attracted rapidly increasing scientific interest. While the current state of evidence suggests the promising potential of psychedelics, such as psilocybin, to enhance meditative training, it remains equivocal whether these effects are specifically bound to psilocybin or if other classical psychedelics might show synergistic effects with meditation practice. One particularly promising candidate is N,N -dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an active ingredient of ayahuasca. Aim: This study aims to investigate the effect of the psychedelic substance DMT, combined with the monoamine oxidase inhibitor harmine (DMT-harmine), on meditative states, compared to meditation with a placebo. Method: Forty experienced meditators (18 females and 22 males) participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study over a 3-day meditation retreat, receiving either placebo or DMT-harmine. Participants' levels of mindfulness, compassion, insight, and transcendence were assessed before, during, and after the meditation group retreat, using psychometric questionnaires. Results: Compared to meditation with a placebo, meditators who received DMT and harmine self-attributed greater levels of mystical-type experiences, non-dual awareness, and emotional breakthrough during the acute substance effects and, when corrected for baseline differences, greater psychological insight 1 day later. Mindfulness and compassion were not significantly different in the DMT-harmine group compared to placebo. At 1-month follow-up, the meditators who received DMT and harmine rated their experience as significantly more personally meaningful, spiritually significant, and well-being-enhancing than the meditators who received placebo. Conclusion: Investigating the impact of DMT-harmine on meditators in a naturalistic mindfulness group retreat, this placebo-controlled study highlights the specific effects of psychedelics during meditation. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT05780216. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health is relevant to every individual. Poor mental health and well-being contribute significantly to personal suffering and a substantial burden on society. Art and cooking therapies in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are flexible approaches that emphasize engagement and growth to promote mental health and well-being, are easy to perform, accessible when needed, and can be self-administered. This review aims to explore art and cooking therapies focusing on intervention protocols, target populations, underlying mechanisms, limitations, and areas for future research. The literature search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Semantic Scholar databases using predefined search terms. A total of 26 randomized controlled trials, 19 in art therapy, and seven in cooking therapy were included. Art and cooking therapies are promising interventions to improve mental health and well-being. They promote mindfulness and provide opportunities for self-expression and social support which can be explored in future studies and therapeutic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals who identify as Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (2SLGBTQ+) frequently encounter discrimination, stigma, harassment, and violence. Despite the prevailing influences of cis-heteronormative narratives, 2SLGBTQ+ individuals often encounter support, love, kindness, acceptance, and compassion in their everyday lives. The aim of the research was to explore how compassion can be a catalyst for societal change. Through three theoretical lenses: post-structuralism, queer theory, and Buddhism, we explored the beliefs, values, and experiences surrounding compassion for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals navigating a cis-heteronormative societal landscape. Eligibility criteria for participants included being 19 years or older, residing in Canada, self-identifying as 2SLGBTQ+, and possessing an interest in discussing compassion. Twenty individuals consented to participate in semi-structured interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants were asked about their understanding of compassion, its significance in their lives, and their practices related to it. They were prompted to recall moments when they received compassion and instances when they expressed compassion toward others. Transcripts were analyzed using Foucauldian discourse analysis. Three major themes arose: (1) (un)learning compassion through chosen families and queer mentorship; (2) pursuing queer lines of flight through generative compassion; and (3) creating queer futures through acts of (self-) compassion. Cultural and social constructs often position compassion and pain as intertwined and fundamental facets to the human experience. We situate both compulsory and generative forms of compassion within an organizing metaphor of "boundless radiance," the dynamic movements of compassion toward an ever-widening field of becoming that cultivates the way of the open heart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mythical Narcissus alienated himself not only from other people but from the nonhuman beings and presences of the natural world. Gazing into a beautiful pond he saw merely his personal reflection and absolutely nothing of nature. A similar dissociation haunts our existence today, impoverishing both humankind and the rest of nature. The Zen poet Matsuo Bashō's also had a famous encounter with an old pond, but in a radically different way. Guided by Bashō's poetry together with the existential and transpersonal streams of Buddhist psychology, the present work explores how we may welcome nature as an intimate other and as our transpersonal self. Bashō's therapy for Narcissus - and for us - illuminates the "normal" narcissism of our conventional ego-centered stance and fosters a nondual, participatory, eco-centered approach, one that is mutually enhancing for all participants in the shared earth community, human and otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-compassion is a self-attitude construct derived from Buddhist psychology (Neff, 2003a). It entails being kind rather than harshly critical toward oneself, perceiving one's experiences as part of the larger human experience, and holding painful feelings in mindful awareness. Given that self-compassion is an Asian construct, this study compares self-compassion levels in the United States, Thailand, and Taiwan. Results indicate that self-compassion is highest in Thailand and lowest in Taiwan, with the United States falling in between. Interdependence is linked to self-compassion in Thailand only, whereas independence is linked to self-compassion in Taiwan and the United States. Results suggest that self-compassion levels in these societies are linked to specific cultural features rather than general East—West differences. However, self-compassion is significantly associated with well-being in all three cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: This pre-pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessed a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI, "REMIND1.0") during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Twenty mental health service users were allocated to either 8 weekly mixed-mode MBI (n = 10) or treatment-as-usual (TAU) (n = 10). Results: There were significant interactions between group and time (baseline T0, post-intervention T1, and 1-month follow-up T2) across all quantitative outcomes (personal recovery, trait mindfulness, self-compassion, resilience, moods, quality of life, and general health). The main themes that emerged from qualitative interviews at T1 are previous experience with MBIs, features of current MBI, and benefits of personal recovery and at T2 are recollection of MBI content, maintaining regular practice after MBI, and retained benefits of personal recovery. Conclusions: The current MBI is acceptable, feasible, and potentially effective in facilitating personal recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caste is a social construct as well as a psychological phenomenon. So far, it has been predominantly viewed, understood and researched through the lens of anthropology, sociology, economics and political science. However, very little understanding has been gained in the domain of psychological science with respect to caste in the Indian context. The population of the Global South (includes the regions of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania) cannot be understood with the frameworks and research undertaken by the Global North (Europe and North America, known as the West, the industrialised world) because the knowledge production centres of psychology have predominantly been Euro-American centric, as many critics have pointed out. Although research has been scarce in relation to caste and psychology, it has mostly revolved around the oppressed. Therefore, this article aims to shift the focus from the oppressed to the oppressor. To understand Indian human behaviour and thought, it is essential to view it through the lens of the colonial past, the caste system and religion, which are intertwined with each other. This article aims to look at the psychology of the 'oppressor' in the Indian context through the psychological frameworks of 'purity and pollution'. It also stems from the premise that casteism is inculcated through modelling and intergenerational learning. Hence, the above-mentioned factors help to understand unequal power relations and discrimination, which facilitate the decolonisation of the Indian psyche. It also highlights the influence of colonisation on the mind and behaviour with respect to caste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer patients with life-limiting illnesses have varied levels of death acceptance pervarious scales. Nevertheless, the process of developing death acceptance in patients with life-limiting cancer remains unclear. This study explores the death acceptance process among patients with life-limiting cancer. We used grounded theory methodology. Data were collected through in-depth interviews of 13 patients with cancer in a palliative care setting, and researchers completed field notes. Data were analyzed using constant and comparative methods. Thai Buddhist patients with cancer in palliative care process death acceptance through three dynamic phases: engaging suffering, being open-minded about death, and adhering to Buddhist practices for increasing death consciousness. The death acceptance process described in this study could serve as a guideline to support death acceptance in Thai Buddhist patients with cancer, and other patients with cancer in palliative care, to improve peaceful life and attain good death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-criticism represents a central phenomenon among a variety of psychological distress and has been shown to relate to the motivational systems of competing and social ranking. The purpose of our study was to test the effect of online compassion-focused therapy (CFT)-based intervention (CFI) on Chinese international students in South Korea suffering from high self-criticism and related psychological distress. Thirty-two Chinese international students with a high level of self-criticism were randomized to either a four-session CFI group, a four-session rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)—based online self-help approach group, or a wait-list (WL) control group. The results suggest that the CFI group demonstrated significant improvements in self-criticism, compassion, depression, anxiety, and shame, and these were greater than those in the REBT and WL groups. Our work provides evidence that CFI offers a possible approach for reducing self-criticism and related psychological distress and increasing compassion level for young Chinese populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with intellectual disabilities who experience mental health difficulties often have high levels of self-criticism and shame. Compassion-focused therapy is a therapeutic modality effective in working with such feelings. This article follows on from a previous compassion-focused therapy group study exploring the impact of two compassion-focused therapy-based groups on how participants felt about themselves. Utilizing a mixed method design, the study illustrated that participants experienced higher levels of compassion and, overall, saw themselves more favourably by the end of the groups. They were also able to understand the basic concepts of compassion-focused therapy which reinforced previous study findings, suggesting that it is adaptable and clinically useful for people with intellectual disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ongoing debate exists regarding the ontology of emotions; that is, whether emotions are innate biological artifacts, social/discursive constructions, or—although less common in emotion research—both. Growing neuroscientific research provides strong evidence for the third perspective. Yet, this work foregrounds the individual's experience, overlooking the role and context of organizing. In this article, we developed a new perspective of emotions and organizing. Our "gestalt" framework unites innate, socially constructed, and discursive ontologies to explain how emotions exist as innate yet latent organizational potentialities, become salient through social interaction, and are embedded in organizations through discourse. Together, these aspects comprise the gestalt emotion experience—where the whole is something more than its parts. The gestalt view offers organizational actors and scholars practical wisdom for navigating and analyzing emotions in organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-quarters of children in Myanmar face developmental barriers and risk-increasing conditions such as poverty, broken families, and difficulty accessing basic requirements. These children rely heavily on institutionalization. Given the adverse effects of institutional systems, knowing the differing impacts of sociodemographic and cultural factors is foundational to aiding healthy personal outcomes. Thus, this study focused primarily on enhancing the resilience of children in a monastic school through a dhamma-based school intervention. A three-phase mixed quantitative-qualitative research design was applied: a descriptive survey, an experimental research method, and an interview session. Three-hundred sixty-nine middle school students from five monastic schools completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and personal information forms. Regarding the sociodemographic group, hierarchical multiple regression revealed a significant predictive role of positive relationship with caregivers and community support in resilience. Furthermore, we experimentally examined the effectiveness of the program on resilience and related themes in a mixed factorial design. A paired-sample t-test, and two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the intervention significantly improved resilience. Interview results evidenced the current conditions and the beneficial impact of the intervention in enhancing personal strengths. This study not only provides empirical evidence for the instant, follow-up, and transfer effects of the program but also holds implications for authorities and stakeholders in the context of social welfare for needy children regarding contributions to advance culturally well-suited programs and, consequently, the population's mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health authoritatively situated addiction as a brain disease and called for increased research into its underlying neurobiological mechanisms. While the Surgeon General's Report makes strides toward destigmatizing addiction and rightfully rejecting addiction-as-moral-weakness, it adopts addiction-as-disease as another oversimplified conceptualization of a complex human experience. Inspired by Eastern philosophy, we argue that addiction is a sane, protective response to suffering. We highlight evidence suggesting that so-called addictive substances are not powerful culprits that compel persons to action, as framed in the Report. Rather, we discuss addiction as a dysfunctional relationship with substances, developed out of sane attempts to escape the inevitable and universal truth of our own suffering. The compulsive use of a substance is the struggle of trying to escape pain, blame, shame, and loss. Rather than a choice between false dichotomies, then, addiction is normalized as part of the spectrum of human experience, enabled but not determined by either biology or so-called addictive substances. Viewing addiction as a process of the human experience, the therapeutic relationship remains the greatest practice tool at our disposal. We provide a clinical vignette to illustrate the application of humanistic and contemplative principles in addictions counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While consumers increasingly expect fashion companies to be bastions of social and environmental causes, they also aspire for fashion in ways known to erode human well-being, evidencing an ethics–behavior gap. The purpose of this conceptual article is to explore how Buddhist economics (BE) and mindfulness could narrow this gap; a spiritual consciousness making consumer ethics more consequential. Classical economic theory is contrasted with BE, a moral framework, including moderation and nonviolence. Mindfulness practice is explored as a practice used to temper consumption. It is concluded that on the topics of human nature, self-identity, and the role of possessions, fashion epitomizes human suffering, from a Buddhist standpoint. This article's contributions include educational guide points for consumers, a proposed definition of mindful clothing consumption, and identification of theoretical blind spots in fashion consumer behavior research considerably in need of attention to better understand the relationship between clothing and human well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life during the COVID-19 pandemic is uncertain, intense, and traumatic. At the same time, there is room for hope, inspiration, and meaning for social workers through mindfully connecting with energy-information flow as it influences our Safety, Emotions, Loss, and Future – S.E.L.F. As adapted from the Sanctuary Model®, this S.E.L.F connection is an opportunity to discover within ourselves our unwavering core that is grounded, present, and connected and sustain an ethical and compassionate approach to social work practice, education, and research during this time of pandemic. The aim in this reflective essay is to provide an example of S.E.L.F. connection from the perspective of a Buddhist and social work academic at an Australian university during the COVID-19 pandemic. While beneficial, ongoing S.E.L.F. connections are necessary for social workers if we are to stay mindful of energy-information flow and steer this flow towards the creation of a story of relationship, compassion, and connection into the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has been shown to reduce psychological distress in cancer patients but not their partners. Whether MBSR can support patients and partners in coping with the dying and grieving process is less well examined. Aim: We aimed to gain more insight in the role of mindfulness in the dying and grieving process from the perspective of the partner after the patient's death. Design: As part of a pilot study or subsequent randomized controlled trial, partners had participated together with the patient in MBSR. After the patient's death partners were invited for qualitative in-depth interviews. Data from the interviews was analyzed using the grounded theory approach. Setting/participants: Interviews were conducted with 11 partners in their homes, on average 11 months after the patient's death (SD = 7.8). Results: Mindfulness helped couples to allow and regulate difficult thoughts and feelings, which in turn helped them to accept the patient's impending death. It also facilitated them to enjoy things together and communicate more openly. For a few couples, however, participation was physically too burdensome or emotionally too confrontational. During the partners' grieving process, mindfulness helped allowing difficult thoughts and feelings, and taking the time to grieve, which helped them to take good care of themselves, giving them faith in the future. Conclusion: The present study showed that MBSR can facilitate lung cancer patients and their partners in accepting the forthcoming death and openly communicating about this, which can support a peaceful death and healthy grieving process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) is a widely used measure to assess the trait of self-compassion, and, so far, it has been implicitly assumed that it functions the same way across different groups. This assumption needs to be explicitly tested to ascertain that no measurement biases exist. To address this issue, the present study sought to systematically examine the generalizability of the bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling operationalization of the SCS via tests of measurement invariance across a wide range of populations, varying according to features such as student or community status, gender, age, and language. Secondary data were used for this purpose and included a total of 18 samples and 12 different languages (N = 10,997). Multigroup analyses revealed evidence for the configural, weak, strong, strict, and latent variance–covariance of the bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling operationalization of the SCS across different groups. These findings suggest that the SCS provides an assessment of self-compassion that is psychometrically equivalent across groups. However, findings comparing latent mean invariance found that levels of self-compassion differed across groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research suggests that mindfulness may foster sustainable consumption behavior through the reduction of the so-called attitude–behavior gap, or by weakening material values while increasing subjective well-being. The current controlled longitudinal study tested these propositions by employing a sustainability-adapted mindfulness-based intervention (sMBI) to two different samples (n = 60 university students; n = 71 employees). Although the intervention successfully enhanced mindful experiences in both samples, we found no evidence for neither direct effects on sustainable consumption behavior or related attitudes, nor for the reduction of the attitude–behavior gap. However, the intervention led to greater well-being in the student sample and suggested a decline of materialistic value orientations in both samples. The results blunt previous claims about potential causal effects of mindfulness practice on sustainable consumption behavior. Nevertheless, they indicate that the sMBI affects behavior-distal variables, such as material values and well-being, which in turn could influence consumption behavior in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AEON-HO (Altering emotional organization-holistic operation) contains methods of Naikan therapy and mindfulness. Naikan and mindfulness are originally from Buddhism tradition, and they have a high affinity. AEON-HO was conceptualized to improve attachment issues and the growth of self-actualization, because Naikan and mindfulness are known to be effective for attachment issues but partially if they are used independently. Naikan can approach to attachment avoidance, while mindfulness can approach to attachment anxiety. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of AEON-HO on attachment styles, self-actualization, and depression by using "attachment style scale the Experiences in Close Relationships inventory–the generalized–other–version (ECR-GO)," "self-actualization scale" translated to Japanese, and "center for epidemiologic studies for depression scale." Participants have taken these three psychological questionnaires before and after the eight-week program of AEON-HO, and the results of scales were compared. Participants were 36 adults with a mean age of 49 years (SD = 3.9). Changes in two attachment styles, anxiety and avoidance and depressive state, were observed between pre- and posttest, while there were no significant changes in self-actualization. However, attachment anxiety and self-actualization were correlated negatively in pre- and posttest, while attachment avoidance and self-actualization were correlated negatively only in pretest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces turning points – fleeting moments of change – to suggest one way of studying collective leadership which allows to unpack moments that connect and explore how co-action unfolds. How can co-action and collective leadership processes be studied without falling back on individual-centric methods? To answer the question, I link Gergen's work on responsive interplay to the study of leadership as the seeking of direction in the production of a space for co-action. I use empirical material from SocialORG to develop a leadership trajectory which shows how participants come together, on the one hand, to define a space for co-action that embodies both past experiences and projections for the future and, on the other to achieve co-action through different ways of relating. The three interrelated objectives of the article are: first, to demonstrate how matters of concern become matters of collective engagement. Second, to move the focus of inquiry from single instances towards the leadership process across time and conceptualize the individual as relational being, shifting away from individualist theorizing. Third, to discuss the inner workings of the methodology to encourage its replication and highlight immersion into the empirical setting to identify turning points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the newer mindfulness and acceptance-based cognitive behavioral therapies continue to grow, it is important that corresponding valid and reliable assessment tools are developed and evaluated. This article describes the initial development and validation of the body compassion scale. The body compassion scale is a theoretically derived measure designed to bridge the constructs of body image and self-compassion to provide a targeted measure of underlying mindfulness and acceptance-based constructs. Herein, two studies using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and examining subsequent relationships among other health-related constructs in college-age samples are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a measure of compassion for others called the Compassion Scale (CS), which is based on Neff's theoretical model of self-compassion. Compassion was operationalized as experiencing kindness, a sense of common humanity, mindfulness, and lessened indifference toward the suffering of others. Study 1 (n = 465) describes the development of potential scale items and the final 16 CS items chosen based on results from analyses using bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling. Study 2 (n = 510) cross-validates the CS in a second student sample. Study 3 (n = 80) establishes test–retest reliability. Study 4 (n = 1,394) replicates results with a community sample, while Study 5 (n = 172) replicates results with a sample of meditators. Study 6 (n = 913) examines the finalized version of the CS in a community sample. Evidence regarding reliability, discriminant, convergent, construct, and known-groups validity for the CS is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of visiting Buddhist heritage sites on happiness is the core concern of this article. China's four sacred Buddhist mountains provided the setting for the study. Sixty semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the positive effects of Buddhism on visitors. Thematic analysis was first undertaken to understand the Buddhism-induced happiness. In the terms of Buddhism, the visitors' happiness was related to the law of karma, impermanence and reincarnation. The PERMA model from positive psychology was then utilized as a second interpretive framework, in which positive changes in visitors' attitudes, behaviours and life were noted. The links between the core values of Buddhism and the PERMA model were then established and portrayed. The study makes a theoretical contribution by connecting the positive psychology constructs and the effects of Buddhism in the tourism context. In addition, this study provides insightful suggestions for local communities to manage religious heritage sites sustainably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of our article is to present the subject of forced migration as a very interesting and socially relevant research field that could contribute to further development of the psychology of religion. We focus on further development of the toolbox of the psychology of religion, seeking further application of Sunden's role theory and introducing new approaches originating from indigenous and environmental psychology. After a short review of existing research, new theoretical approaches, and methodologies are presented, along with suggestions for improving the validity of qualitative research pertaining to the role of religion at all stages of the migration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As prostitution is widely condemned as a form of criminality in China, there is a need to examine how Buddhism functions not as a form of therapy for the purposes of rehabilitating or deterring prostitution but as a force that encourages participation in prostitution. In this work, we argue that rural-urban migrant sex workers who are Buddhists appropriate the religion's teachings of compassion, mindfulness, and karma to find a renewed sense of meaning and purpose in their livelihoods. We illustrate how Buddhism allows sex workers to cultivate the affective labor required for the purposes of servicing male clients in conjunction with finding positive purpose in their lives. In doing so, their bodies gain affirmative value in the form of helping their heterosexual male clients address deficits in their masculinities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how Zen Buddhism conceives of human suffering, the causes of suffering, and the method by which human suffering can be alleviated and compares these with similar notions within critical social theory and its educational manifestation in the critical pedagogy movement. While both Zen Buddhist and critical theories/discourses aim to uncover the roots of human suffering and offer particular methods to help alleviate it, these systems of thought differ in fundamental ways. Consideration of significant concepts within Buddhist thought and practice can address some of the criticisms that have been leveled against the foundations and project of critical pedagogy. Ultimately, the article illustrates how a Zen Buddhist–oriented critical pedagogy based upon notions of interdependence, impermanence, and "no-self" can be a more humane, inclusive, relevant, and applicable approach to working toward a more just and equitable social order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a new perspective that challenges well-known leadership styles that have flourished in hitherto stable environments. 'Fusion leadership' integrates Eastern and Western values and mindsets to establish an approach that may more effectively respond to the challenges and dilemmas of leadership and organizational issues in contemporary situations in the context of globalization. Our approach contributes to the literature on leadership by providing skills, techniques and practical wisdom for leaders to consider and develop their leadership values, styles and practices to respond to cross-cultural challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations are diverse workplaces where various beliefs, values and perceptions are shared to varying extents. How can spiritual leadership induce altruistic love and intrinsic motivation among diverse members within the organization and without being regarded as really yet another covert, sophisticated form of corporate exploitation of human vulnerability reflective of the "dark side" of organizations and leadership? This paper explores an approach to spiritual leadership from a Buddhist perspective focusing on the power of skilful means to tackle such concerns. In organizational pursuits such as appearance, reputation, fame, power, recognition and even leader–follower relationships are associated mostly with objectives and expectations, known in Buddhism as "attachment". In Buddhism, however, any kind of attachment may be a source of suffering that eventually leads to negative consequences. In reviewing the dark side of spiritual leadership practices and how Buddhism is commoditized for organizational purposes, we reaffirm on the importance of the notion of non-attachment in Buddhism. We unpack the application of the Buddhist metaphor of "the raft", non-attachment and other Buddhist stories of skilful means in spiritual leadership and their contribution to leadership studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of mindfulness has reached an unprecedented level of prevalence in the US and the UK, both in terms of widespread popularity and in terms of institutional support and investment. One potential clue to this phenomenon may be found in the nature of the institutional contexts that are increasingly being filled with mindfulness practitioners and seminars: each is deeply embedded in and pervaded by what philosopher Charles Taylor calls the 'modern identity'. This article provides an analysis of mindfulness as a practice of moral formation that challenges these late-modern notions of human agency and identity. It does so by bringing mindfulness into conversation with another contemplative tradition, namely, Christian silent prayer as exemplified in the anonymous fourteenth-century handbook, The Cloud of Unknowing. It then situates these two formational practices within the broader social imaginary that dominates late-modern, North Atlantic life, and ventures a few suggestions about the significance of this overlap for Christian ethics, specifically at the end of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical reflection is a process of bringing unquestioned assumptions to the fore for critique, through paying attention to dissatisfactions, discrepancies, tensions and contradictions in experience. It is important because it helps reveal the complexities for and against learning that are embedded in a particular context. Aesthetics and a focus on emotional and political dynamics are two approaches already being used to encourage learning through critical reflection. However, this article argues there is still more benefit to be gained from understanding how and why a focus on the body can support critically reflective perspectives on learning. My contribution is to illustrate how Buddhist practices of mindfulness meditation and associated philosophy can inform a somatic learning process that connects bodily sensation to cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychometric measurement models are only valid if measurement invariance holds between test takers of different groups. Global model tests, such as the well-established likelihood ratio (LR) test, are sensitive to violations of measurement invariance, such as differential item functioning and differential step functioning. However, these traditional approaches are only applicable when comparing previously specified reference and focal groups, such as males and females. Here, we propose a new framework for global model tests for polytomous Rasch models based on a model-based recursive partitioning algorithm. With this approach, a priori specification of reference and focal groups is no longer necessary, because they are automatically detected in a data-driven way. The statistical background of the new framework is introduced along with an instructive example. A series of simulation studies illustrates and compares its statistical properties to the well-established LR test. While both the LR test and the new framework are sensitive to differential item functioning and differential step functioning and respect a given significance level regardless of true differences in the ability distributions, the new data-driven approach is more powerful when the group structure is not known a priori—as will usually be the case in practical applications. The usage and interpretation of the new method are illustrated in an empirical application example. A software implementation is freely available in the R system for statistical computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest in mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in the management of multiple physical and mental health issues. Although MBIs utilize a group format, research on how this format impacts teaching and learning mindfulness is lacking. This study aimed to develop a detailed theory of MBI group processes utilizing a grounded theory methodology. This article presents our subsequent model, developed from semistructured interviews conducted with MBI students, teachers, and trainers (N = 12). A core category, the group as a vessel on a shared journey, and three higher-order categories emerged from the data. They illustrate how MBI group processes navigate a characteristic path. Teachers build and steer the group “vessel” in a way that fosters a specific culture and sense of safety. The group is facilitated to share communal experiences that augment learning and enrich mindfulness practice. Limitations and implications for clinicians and researchers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volunteerism after stillbirth has not been adequately explored despite recent advances in research on volunteering after trauma and the voluminous research on posttraumatic growth (PTG). Previous research on PTG, “altruism born of suffering,” and constructivist theories of grief, meaning, and social narrative provide applicable frameworks. Parents (N = 191) in the present study were assessed for self-reported growth factors with the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) scale and gave narrative reports describing the importance of volunteering for them after their baby's death. Parents who volunteered after their baby's death self-reported significantly higher mean scores on the PGTI than parents who did not volunteer. Qualitative analysis with parents who volunteered only after their baby's death (n = 39) discovered salient categories that confirm and connect theoretically similar explorations from prior research, and also illuminate new directions for research. Clinical implications and caveats are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Place-based education and mindfulness are not new concepts, but the idea of combining the two bodies of work to explore what mindful place-based education might look like may provide a useful new perspective. The purpose of the literature review is to take place-based pedagogical methods and examine how mindfulness might influence the experience of educators engaged in place-based teaching. In this literature review, I examine the constructs of place-based education and sociocognitive mindfulness with special attention to literature that offers insight about possible overlap between the two constructs. I examine methodological choices and findings of foundational research describing both constructs. This literature review found that place-based education and mindfulness are closely linked, and that a mindful place-based pedagogy may help teachers and students experience place in a deeper way and think more critically about the societal norms and power structures that surround them. Outdoor educators should use mindful place-based education to help deepen student and teacher experiences of place with the intent of encouraging students to critically examine power structures and strive for deeper learning experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mindfulness and acceptance-based cognitive-behavioral therapies (MAB CBTs) are increasingly used in the treatment of body image disturbances. This case report describes an adjunct treatment component targeting body compassion in the course of an MAB CBT for an individual with body dissatisfaction. Body compassion is a new body-focused mindfulness and acceptance-based (MAB) construct that specifically describes the facets of the relationship individuals have with their bodies. The course of treatment included the originally planned MAB CBT protocol plus the additive component for five weekly 50-min individual sessions. During these sessions, body compassion was the primary treatment target. This phase of treatment utilized cognitive defusion, mindfulness, and self-compassion exercises. Over the course of this phase of treatment, the patient’s body compassion and body image flexibility significantly improved. The patient’s presenting symptoms also abated. Improvements were maintained at 1-, 3-, and 18-month follow-up time points. This case study illustrates several clinical strategies and provides initial support for body compassion as a viable treatment target for individuals struggling with body dissatisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-schemas have received increased attention as favorable targets for therapeutic intervention because of their central role in self-perception and behavior. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify, evaluate, and synthesize existing research pertaining to drinking-related self-schemas. Russell’s integrative review strategy guided the search. Sixteen published works were identified, meeting criteria for evaluation (n = 12 data-based publications and n = 4 models). The retrieved data-based publications rated fair-good using Polit and Beck’s criteria; the overall body of literature rated “B” using Grimes and Schulz criteria. Retrieved models rated 4 to 7 using Fitzpatrick and Whall’s criteria. The existing literature strongly supports the availability of a drinking-related self-schema among moderate-to-heavy drinking samples, and suggests a positive relationship between elaboration and drinking behavior. The relationship between valenced content of the schema and drinking behavior remains unexplored. Identifying variation in the structural properties of drinking-related self-schemas could lay the foundation for future interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the present-eudaimonic scale and the modified balanced time perspective scale. The study is undertaken through the use of eudaimonic scale and the balanced time perspective scale filled by the respondents and the five facet mindfulness questionnaire.

We sought to disambiguate the quantitative and qualitative components of mindfulness profiles, examine whether including 'nonattachment' as a subcomponent of mindfulness alters the profiles, and evaluate the extent to which the person-centred approach to understanding mindfulness adds predictive power beyond a more parsimonious variable-centred approach. Using data from a nationally representative sample of Americans ( N = 7884; 52% female; Age: M = 47.9, SD = 16), we utilized bifactor exploratory structural equation modelling and latent profile analysis to separate the level and shape of previously identified profiles of mindfulness (Pearson, Lawless, Brown, & Bravo, ). Consistent with past research, we identified a judgmentally observing profile and a non-judgmentally aware group, but inconsistent with past research, we did not find profiles that showed high or low levels on all specific aspects of mindfulness. Adding nonattachment did not alter the shape of the profiles. Profile membership was meaningfully related to demographic variables. In models testing the distinctive predictive utility of the profiles, the judgmentally observing profile, compared to the other profiles, showed the highest levels of mental ill-health, but also the highest levels of life satisfaction and effectiveness. We discuss the implications of our study for clinical interventions and understanding the varieties of mindfulness. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I develop a new perspective on being reflexive, which appreciates unknowing as a core aspect. The intention is to promote more inclusive and equitable ways of managing and organising. By drawing on my own and others’ experiences of the ‘business method’ of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, images of the possibilities for reflexive practice, which embrace individual unknowing and help foster systemic intelligence, are explored. A relational ontology is pursued as these ideas can offer a suitable bridge to bring the processes of Quakers into conversation with debates about reflexive practice. The implication is that in the perspective developed, managing reflexively can be understood as a collective practice of searching for unity, or ‘sense of the meeting’, which is achieved through relational processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a novel theoretical conception about processes of entrepreneurial leadership in the emergence of a new small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) venture. It draws on shifts in relational connections among venture participants to conceptualize entrepreneurial leadership through processes of creativity and direction. These processes demonstrate that the co-action of venture participants makes up entrepreneurial leadership and drives the new venture forward. This allows to understand the emergence of a new venture from a lived perspective, flowing from relational processes under which the establishment of the organization is (re)constructed relationally and is made eligible to participants in its narrow and broader societal surroundings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of traditional Buddhist spiritual beliefs and practices on coping with chronic illness. Design: The study was a descriptive ethnography. Participant observation and semistructured interviews were used with 45 Sri Lankan Buddhist nuns with a chronic illness and 20 secondary informants. Cultural domains and taxonomies were explored to uncover themes pertaining to traditional Buddhist spirituality and experiences of chronic illness. Findings: A repeating cultural theme, responsibility, was identified. Responsibility took four forms: to the Buddha, to the social circle, to self-liberation through meditation, and to finding security in old age. Nuns shaped spiritual practices (some with folk origins) to fulfill these responsibilities. Coping ranged from health-seeking to resigned acceptance. Conclusions: Responsibilities and coping were situated in a context of Buddhist spiritual beliefs about impermanence. Findings were congruent with Antonovsky’s model of salutogenesis, in particular, the construct of sense of coherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]