Abstract
This integral investigation explored phenomenological and neurophysiologic, individual and collective dimensions of Christian Trinitarian meditation experiences in a volunteer, convenience sample of 10 practicing Christians, 6 men and 4 women, with a mean age of 48 years and an age range from 21 to 85 years. Participants meditated for a minimum period of 15 minutes, during which neurophysiologic data in the form of electroencephalographic (EEG), electromyographic (EMG), blood volume pulse (BVP) and respiratory activity were recorded. A phenomenological analysis indicated that the meditation process generally involved a movement from body to mind to spirit as evident in reports of an increasingly relaxed, contented and focused state of consciousness characterised by Christian Trinitarian imagery, wonder, surrender, peace, bliss, openness and formlessness. The neuropsychological findings indicated significant increases, from baseline to meditation recordings, in the alpha and beta range, accompanied by increasing mean trends in the theta and gamma range, and decreasing mean trends in the delta range, EMG, BVP and respiration. Integrative findings indicated the practical theological value of small doses of Christian Trinity meditation to enhance spiritual life for those forms of waking, thinking, conscious behaviour needed in everyday world involvement and healing. Findings were discussed in relation to further integrative investigations and interventions with practical theological implications.
Highlights
From practical theological, integral, spiritual, individual, cultural, social and systemic perspectives, Christian prayer resembles other contemplative traditions such as Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism, especially in terms of meditative states and unfolding stages of image, metanoia, apathea, illumination and theosis (Chirban 1985:300–301; Wilber 2000)
As individual descriptions of experiences are already brief, and detailed interpretive profiles would be essentially repetitive, a brief interpretive summary is provided as introduction to each profile, which is analysed into the smallest, naturally occurring meaning units (NMUs) of experience
The all quadrants all levels (AQAL) approach at least ensures that attention is given to individual and collective, subjective and objective perspectives on different levels of consciousness
Summary
Integral, spiritual, individual, cultural, social and systemic perspectives, Christian prayer resembles other contemplative traditions such as Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism, especially in terms of meditative states and unfolding stages of image, metanoia, apathea, illumination and theosis (Chirban 1985:300–301; Wilber 2000). This research was motivated by the spiritual needs to love, understand and share knowledge and experience in the form of individual and collective apprehensions, subjective and objective feelings and thoughts, as revealed, interpreted and explicated through Christian meditation, contemplation and/or prayer. The intention was to research that form of meditation that would both allow the disclosure of individual and collective apprehensions, common to Christianity and other spiritual traditions, as well as reveal universal and unique forms of meditation with everyday practical theological implications
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
