Coyne of the Realm Takes a Skeptical Look at Mindfulness — Table of Contents

Coyne of the Realm Takes a Skeptical Look at Mindfulness

Introduction

1. Mindfulness and me…and you

2. The hype and the hope: What is promised for mindfulness?

3. The varieties of mindfulness: training, treatment, and stress reduction

4. Mindfulness and its critics

Some basics of evaluating evidence

5. What are the best forms of evidence?

6. Observational studies: correlation does not equal causality

7. Evaluating comparisons of treatments

8. Evaluating reviews

9. Who says so? Importance of promoter bias and conflict of interest

Better than what? Evaluating comparisons between mindfulness and its alternatives

10. Typical clinical trials evaluating mindfulness

11. Head to Head: Unusually informative mindfulness trials

12. Some clinical trials for you to evaluate (with hints)

Putting the evidence together: Reviews of mindfulness

13. Is mindfulness training effective for improving well-being and health? A look at two contrasting reviews

14. Other reviews of applications of mindfulness

15. Some reviews for you to evaluate (with hints)

Mindfulness and physical and mental health

16. Mindfulness for preventing and treating depression

17. Mindfulness-based treatments for pain, sleep, and weight loss

18. Mindfulness-based treatments for cancer patients

Mindfulness programs in particular settings

19. Mindfulness training in the schools

20. Mindfulness training and the military

21. Mindfulness’s appeal to corporations

22. Mindfulness on the go: apps

Wrapping it up

23. Can you spot hype, spin, and distortion in the promotion of mindfulness?

24. Mindfulness and its alternatives: how else could you spend your time?

25. Postscript: After looking at the evidence, is mindfulness training for you?