Forty years ago, the idea of mindfulness had not been much thought about in the West. In Mindful America: The Mutual Transformation of Buddhist Meditation and American Culture, Jeff Wilson, who teaches religious and East Asian studies at Renison University College at the University of Waterloo, shows how mindfulness has found its way into western life. Wilson describes himself as a Buddhist, but says that in his book he seeks “not to be an advocate or a critic of the mindfulness movement, but a chronicler and analyst.” He concentrates on the coming of mindfulness to the United States, where it is now firmly established. Many Americans—and more generally North -Americans—now use mindful meditation to reduce stress and anxiety. Some engage in mindful eating, which is said to be healthier and more effective than dieting. If they are athletes, they may practise mindfulness to improve their performance. Some, also, engage mindfully in sex as this is thought to be more...
Keith Oatley is professor emeritus of cognitive psychology at the University of Toronto, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and winner of the 1994 Commonwealth Prize for Best First Novel. His most recent novel, Therefore Choose, was published in 2010 by Goose Lane. His recent books on Psychology include Such Stuff as Dreams: The Psychology of Fiction (Wiley 2011) and The Passionate Muse: Exploring Emotion in Stories (Oxford University Press 2012). He wishes to thank his colleagues Maja Djikic, Jacob Hirsch, Raymond Mar, Jennifer de la Paz, Jordan Peterson and Sara Zoeterman.
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