Mindfulness to Meaning Theory

GLOSSARY

A theory that provides an explanation for how mindfulness can promote eudaimonic meaning in the face of adversity. The theory claims that mindfulness allows individuals to decenter from stress appraisals into a metacognitive state of awareness, resulting in broadened attention to novel information that accommodates a reappraisal of life circumstances. This reappraisal is then enriched when one savors positive features of the socioenvironmental context, subsequently motivating values-driven behavior and ultimately engendering eudaimonic meaning in life.

Flat illustration of a human profile with colorful blooming flowers and leaves growing from the brain.
Flat illustration of a human profile with colorful blooming flowers and leaves growing from the brain.

Reference:

Garland, E. L., Farb, N. A., Goldin, P. R., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2015). The mindfulness-to-meaning theory: Extensions, applications, and challenges at the attention–appraisal–emotion interface. Psychological Inquiry, 26(4), 377-387. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2015.1092493