Practicing mindfulness meditation may be a way to reduce harmful
unconscious biases, such as racial or ethnic biases, in health care
providers. Patient Educ Couns. 2016 Sep 15;
Comment: We all have several potentially harmful unconscious cognitive processes. The authors of this article argue that mindfulness practice promotes a nonjudgmental approach. Note, however, that this is a theoretical article that does not scientifically prove in any way that mindfulness practice is effective at reducing bias. We cannot exclude the possibility that the opposite, undesired effect may occur. Scientific research has a way of often disproving the best sounding theories.
Comment: We all have several potentially harmful unconscious cognitive processes. The authors of this article argue that mindfulness practice promotes a nonjudgmental approach. Note, however, that this is a theoretical article that does not scientifically prove in any way that mindfulness practice is effective at reducing bias. We cannot exclude the possibility that the opposite, undesired effect may occur. Scientific research has a way of often disproving the best sounding theories.
