This chapter explores assumptions about what things are made of (physicality) as revealed by ethnography and the study of antiquity. The history of Greek speculations on the problem reveals a striking diversity, where Aristotle’s ontology based on the primacy of substances was certainly not universally accepted by other theorists. A very different view on the question is common among ancient Chinese writers, who usually focussed not on stable substances but on interacting processes. This allows us to qualify some of the conclusions proposed by the anthropologist Descola in his account of the contrast between naturalism and animism.

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), founded on the meditation practices outlined in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program and historically rooted in contemplative traditions, offer one mental framework to address the unique needs of individuals suffering from the causes and consequences of substance and behavioral addictions. MBIs are considered a third wave of empirically tested psychotherapies following behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy, respectively. MBI-proposed targets of change include self-regulation, self-exploration, and self-liberation; together, an important set of mental capacities or skills to break the cycle of addiction. In this chapter, we describe the development of MBIs adapted for a variety of addictions. We focus on MBIs for substance use disorders (SUD) and binge-eating disorder (BED) due to similarities in addictive and neurobiological processes (both may be considered substance addictions, BED as a proxy for food addiction), though other behavioral addictions are also discussed. We then critically review leading experimental trials that test the efficacy of MBIs on mechanisms of addiction and substance use behavior among people diagnosed with SUD and BED. Based on results available to date, treatment effects from MBIs are on par with other clinically accepted treatments. However, several methodological limitations make interpretation of the internal validity and reliability of these results difficult to assess. We discuss strengths and limitations of the state of evidence to date and provide suggestions for future research with an emphasis on treatment fidelity and its role in improving the validity of future study findings. We expect our synthesis to inform the public on the value of applying MBIs to remediate the causes and consequences of addictive behavior.