Mechanisms of mindfulness: The example of anxiety

Abstract

While the effects and correlates of mindfulness are relatively well studied, much less is known about the mechanisms of mindfulness. A comprehensive model of how mindfulness works is presented in this article, with the model encompassing five mechanisms: (a) attenuation of responding automaticity, (b) increased objectivity towards experience, (c) widening of attentional focus, (d) attenuation of experiential avoidance, and (e) exposure and desensitization. The first three mechanisms are related to the mindfulness dimension of awareness of experience, and the last two mechanisms are related to the dimension of experiential acceptance. For greater clarity, these five mechanisms of action are presented through the example of the effects of mindfulness on anxiety and its disorders. It is assumed that the model is also valid for explaining the effects of mindfulness in other areas (such as stress and depression), which should be investigated in further research.