Criticism of Mindfulness: Hype, Commercialization and "McMindfulness"

Mindfulness grew from a small clinical program into a very popular idea in a few decades, and some of its sharpest critics are people who study or teach it. This page sets out the main criticisms, the replies to them, and what research can and cannot say. It is information only and does not take a side. For the basics, see what meditation and mindfulness are.

What "McMindfulness" means

The word comes from critics, not from researchers or clinicians. In a 2013 opinion essay, Ron Purser (with David Loy) noted that mindfulness had become mainstream, making its way into schools, corporations, prisons, and government agencies. [1] They wrote that what some critics call "McMindfulness" is a stripped-down, secularized technique. [1] Their central worry is that taking mindfulness out of its original ethical setting, with its foundation in social ethics, changes what it is. [1] They add that, in the Buddhist tradition, mindfulness is not merely an ethically-neutral technique for reducing stress and improving concentration. [1]

This is an argument made in an essay. It is an opinion about purpose and values, not a trial result, so it cannot be tested the way a drug can. For how the practice moved from religious to health-care settings, see secular and religious meditation and Buddhist meditation traditions.

A second worry: private fixes for shared problems

The same essay says an individualistic and consumer orientation to mindfulness may help with self-preservation and self-advancement, yet does little for the causes of collective and organizational distress. [1] In plain terms: if the stress comes from workload, pay or conditions, a calmer individual may not change the cause. That is the critics' view, and it is hard to test directly.

Replies from within the field

A 2023 article by B. D. Kelly, of a psychiatry department in Dublin, describes the idea of "McMindfulness" and "spiritual bypassing" and argues that reasoned critiques strengthen mindfulness rather than undermine it. [2] It also argues that mindfulness practice is opting in, not opting out, meaning that it is not meant to avoid difficult issues in life. [2]

Program developers also reply by defining what a mindfulness-based program is. A 2017 framework, co-written by Jon Kabat-Zinn, says such programs draw on contemplative traditions, science, medicine, psychology and education, and involve sustained intensive training in mindfulness meditation. [3] See MBSR, MBCT and structured programs.

Hype and research quality

Researchers have raised a different criticism that can be checked: that claims have run ahead of evidence.

• A large expert review warned that misinformation and poor methodology in past studies may lead public consumers to be harmed, misled, and disappointed. [4]
• A 2016 analysis of 124 published trials of mindfulness-based therapy found 87% reported at least one positive outcome in the abstract, and 88% concluded the therapy was effective, 1.6 times the number expected from the typical effect size. [5] Of 21 trial registrations, 13 were still unpublished 30 months after the trials finished. [5] The authors concluded that the share of significant results may overstate what would happen in practice. [5]
• The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says results have been hard to analyze and may have been interpreted too optimistically. [6]

Evidence label: promising but limited for many uses, with real concern about publication bias. See quality and bias in meditation research.

Commercialization: what trials in work and school settings show

Critics point to corporate and school programs as examples of commercial growth. The same experts note that mindfulness has become a tool of corporate well-being and a widely implemented educational practice, and in some cases a replacement for psychotherapy. [4] The essay of 2013 also said that, so far, no empirical studies supported claims that mindfulness training could transform companies. [1] That was true of that date only; trials have appeared since.

1. Workplaces

   Promising but limited

   A 2023 review of 91 randomized studies (4927 participants, 4448 controls) found improvements on average, but with high variation, risk of bias, and effects that were not stable over longer follow-up. [7]

2. Schools (UK, ages 11 to 14)

   No benefit shown over usual teaching in this trial

   The MYRIAD trial randomized 85 schools; across 84 schools (8376 students) it found no evidence that a 10-lesson mindfulness course was better than usual teaching at 1 year. [8] No intervention-related adverse events were observed, and the Wellcome Trust funded it. [8]

3. Depression relapse (NICE, UK)

   Established as an option; see guideline views

   Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is one of the options NICE tells clinicians to consider for relapse prevention. [9]

More detail: workplace programs and mindfulness in schools.

What this means for you

• Ask what exactly is being offered (a full program, an app, a short workshop), and what trials support that specific thing.
• Be wary of promises that mindfulness fixes a workplace, a health condition or a life. See claim check: everyone should meditate.
• Ask about the training and experience of the instructor. [6]
• The NHS notes that mindfulness is not right for everyone: some people find it does not help or that it can make them feel worse. [10]
• Do not use mindfulness to replace conventional care or to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem. [6] If you feel unsafe or in crisis in the US, call or text 988, or call 911.