| This study sought to understand the lived experience of three individuals dedicated to mindfulness meditation. First, this study attempted to illuminate the subjects' self-perceived experience of mindfulness and the applications of mindfulness practice to everyday Western living. Second, this study compared and contrasted the subjects' experiences with the tenets of a model of mindfulness proposed by Shapiro, Carlson, Astin, and Freedman in their article entitled “Mechanisms of Mindfulness” (2006, Journal of Clinical Psychology). A multiple case study using three advanced meditators was the method for this study. Subjects participated in in-depth interviews regarding their meditation practice and their self-perceived experiences of mindfulness. Case descriptions were generated and data was compared to Shapiro et al.'s (2006) model of mindfulness using the pattern-matching techniques outlined in Yin's Case Study Research: Design and Methods ([4th Ed], 2009). The results indicated a process of mindfulness whereby an awareness of inner and outer experience facilitated changes in thinking and relating to one's surroundings. The results also showed support for Shapiro, Carlson, Astin, and Freedman's proposed model of mindfulness. |
