Museum of the Mind – The Netherlands

Endorsing Partner: A Long-Term Collaboration

Museum of the Mind is the national museum on mental health and the history of psychiatry in the Netherlands. The museum explores the human mind through art, personal stories, and historical perspectives on mental health.

The museum presents artworks and stories that reveal how people engage with emotions, identity, vulnerability, and resilience. By giving space to diverse experiences of the mind, the museum invites visitors to reflect on what it means to be human.

The collaboration between Mindfulness in Museums and Museum of the Mind began in 2020 and continues to evolve through new programmes, research initiatives, and public engagement.

Mindfulness in Museums Programmes

Within Museum of the Mind, several forms of Mindfulness in Museums programmes have been developed, including:

A Mindful Break

Short guided mindfulness moments within the Masterpieces exhibitions, inviting visitors to slow down and experience art with attentive awareness.

These sessions were developed in connection with exhibitions such as:

• Marlene Dumas
• The Epic of the Mind – Laurence (an exhibition exploring art and the human mind)

Geestkracht (Inner Strength)

A programme in the permanent collection where visitors explore how mindful looking and reflection on artworks can support resilience, self-understanding, and mental wellbeing.

Medicine

Programmes developed for doctors and medical students, where art and mindfulness are used to support reflection, empathy, and awareness of inner experience within medical education.

Mindfulness in Museums Trainers Programme (MiM Trainers)

In 2023/2024, the first cohort of Mindfulness in Museums trainers was launched, training museum professionals and mindfulness teachers to apply the MiM methodology within museum settings.

New Programmes — 2026

Currently, new programmes are being developed in collaboration with partners for young adults and new audience groups. These initiatives will be further implemented towards 2026.

Connection to the Collection and Exhibitions

Mindfulness in Museums programmes are developed in relation to themes within the museum’s collection and exhibitions.

Sessions explore themes such as:

• identity and self-image
• vulnerability and resilience
• emotions and mental health
• the relationship between inner experience and society

Through mindfulness, visitors are invited to explore these themes not only intellectually, but also personally and experientially.

Quote from the Museum

“Art experiences that promote mental health and broaden our perspective.”

— Jessica Belles
Program Director, Museum of the Mind

Connect with Mindfulness in Museums

Whether you are a museum professional, mindfulness practitioner, educator, or visitor — this collaboration offers a starting point to explore how art and mindfulness can support mental wellbeing.