Mindfulness Meditation
Sartre Studies International December 1, 2018 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.3167/ssi.2018.240205 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
This philosophical analysis examines mindfulness meditation, particularly breath-focused ānāpānasati, through the lens of Sartrean phenomenology and ontology. It argues that practitioners' first-person reports largely support Sartre's view of consciousness as spontaneous, free, and intentional. However, it also identifies ways in which Sartre's framework oversimplifies the relationship between pre-reflective and reflective consciousness and fails to fully account for the distracted, unfocused, and obsessively thought-oriented nature of consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Sartre's phenomenology and ontology both align with and oversimplify the experiences of mindfulness meditation practitioners, particularly regarding the distracted nature of consciousness. |
Abstract
In this article, I consider the rising interest in mindfulness meditation in the West and submit it to an analysis from a Sartrean phenomenological and ontological perspective. I focus on a common form of Buddhist meditation known as ānāpānasati, which focuses on the breath, in order to draw connections between common obstacles and experiences among meditation practitioners and Sartre’s understanding of consciousness. I argue that first-person reports generally support a Sartrean view of consciousness as spontaneous, free, and intentional, but I also highlight areas where Sartre’s phenomenology and ontology oversimplify the complex relationship between the pre-reflective and reflective modes of consciousness. I contend too that Sartre does not always take seriously enough the distracted, unfocused, and obsessively thought-oriented nature of consciousness.