In the 2000s, an unconventional practice called Mindfulness meditation, which consists of increasing attention to the « present moment, » is promoted by representatives of mental medicine for its effectiveness on various somatic diseases and common mental disorders. Its success goes beyond the field of science and medicine: many books, articles and websites offer to improve everyday life and enhance self-esteem through this simple discipline that balances « body, mind and spirit » and helps control « emotions. » In this way, Mindfulness appears to extend the philosophy of psycho-spiritual « bricolage » analyzed in the field of religion and alternative spiritualities. We therefore propose to analyze the scientific exploration of meditation in the context of secularization and the development of a market guided by a demand for the resolution of psychological distress and personal growth. In doing so, we see how the recent « bricolage » in mental medicine and cognitive-behavioral therapies reflect an investment of an existential-spiritual field that is no longer granted first to the orthodoxies, religion and psychoanalysis.
Keywords
- mental medicine
- cbt
- psycho-spiritual bricolage
- meditation
- psychotherapies