Critical Mindfulness

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Expanding on Ellen Langer's groundbreaking ideas, this provocative volume delves into the implications of critical mindfulness for enhancing psychology's responsiveness and the meaningfulness of its practice. It critiques the discipline for positioning therapists as experts over clients and prioritizing outcomes at the expense of the therapeutic process. Contributors apply Langerian mindfulness principles to self-understanding, relationships, athletic performance, consumer decision-making, and various forms of cognitive engagement. This mindfulness is not only critical but also creative, inclusive, and humane, with the potential to transform psychology and related fields. Key topics include: the critical mindfulness of psychology’s mindlessness; mindfulness alongside rationality; understanding the roots and role of confidence in performance; mindfulness in action and its impact on thought and behavior; Langerian mindfulness in optimal sport performance; and the psychology of possibility in health. This volume offers bracing and insightful perspectives for undergraduate and graduate students, psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, clinicians, neurologists, and educators, challenging professionals to rethink their practices and long-held beliefs about living.