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Interventions based on training in mindfulness skills are becoming increasingly popular. Mindfulness involves intentionally bringing one's attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment, and is often taught through a variety of meditation exercises. This review summarizes conceptual approaches to mind-fulness and empirical research on the utility of mindfulness-based interventions. Meta-analytic techniques were incorporated to facilitate quantification of findings and comparison across studies. Although the current empirical literature includes many methodological flaws, findings suggest that mindfulness-based interventions may be helpful in the treatment of several disorders. Methodologically sound investigations are recommended in order to clarify the utility of these interventions.

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention that originated in Eastern meditation practices. It has been described as “bringing one's complete attention to the present experience on a moment-to-moment basis” (Marlatt & Kris-teller, 1999, p. 68) and as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudg-mentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, p. 4). The ability to direct one's attention in this way can be developed through the practice of meditation, which is defined as the intentional self-regulation of attention from moment to moment (Goleman & Schwartz, 1976; Kabat-Zinn, 1982). The current mindfulness literature describes numerous meditation exercises designed to develop mindfulness skills (Hanh, 1976; Kabat-Zinn, 1990, 1994; Linehan, 1993b). Many encourage individuals to attend to the internal experiences occurring in each moment, such as bodily...