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Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness pp 45–57Cite as

The Neurobiology of Mindfulness

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As Western culture has become more aware of Eastern spiritual traditions, scientists have been increasingly interested in verifying the anecdotal claims from expert meditators regarding mindfulness practice. For almost 50 years, the practice of meditation and mindfulness has been studied byWestern neuroscientists looking to better understand its phenomenology, neurobiology, and clinical effects. In this chapter, we provide an overview of current neurobiological research on mindfulness and meditation practices, including key findings, methodological issues, and clinical implications.

The mind precedes all things, the mind dominates all things, the mind creates all things. Buddha

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt

    Michael T. Treadway

Authors
  1. Michael T. Treadway
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  2. Sara W. Lazar
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Coord. Unit for Mood & Anxiety Disorders Department of Psychiatry, Casa di Cura Villa Margherita, Arcugnano, Vicenza, Italy

    Fabrizio Didonna

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Treadway, M.T., Lazar, S.W. (2009). The Neurobiology of Mindfulness. In: Didonna, F. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09593-6_4

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