Mindfulness and Minefields: Walking the Challenging Path of Awareness for Soldiers and Veterans

Abstract

The application of mindfulness in the military context has raised ethical questions and concerns. This debate reflects some fundamental differences between military and mindfulness worlds that have applicability to not only employing mindfulness in the military context but also within the veteran population and stimulates a subsequent 'curiosity' inherent to mindfulness. What are the differences between mindfulness and military practices and ethics? Are these differences relevant to teaching and/or practicing mindfulness? Is there some common ground between these two worlds? Are there dark consequences or illuminating hope in introducing mindfulness to military personnel and veterans? This discussion is both a theoretical and a practical study of the manner in which mindfulness and military worlds may collide or cooperate. This analytic process also includes some helpful insight into military practices and cultures, and as such, this discussion has relevance for teachers, practitioners, and researchers both within the mindfulness world but also for military leaders as well as for practitioners employing other therapies treating or hoping to treat military and veteran populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)