Psychology, Meditation, and the Brain Across Contemplative Traditions

Abstract

Abstract Virtually all of the world’s major spiritual and religious traditions incorporate elements of meditation or contemplative prayer, although the nature, prominence, and precise features of such practices vary between traditions. Neuroscientific findings indicate that meditation is associated with significant, enduring alterations in patterns of activity in specific brain areas. These, in turn, are linked with the increased attention and alterations in experience of self associated with contemplative practice. Neuroscientific findings are complemented by clinical evidence of relationships between contemplative practice and positive psychological change, leading, for example, to the use of “mindfulness-based cognitive therapy” for depression (combining mindfulness-based techniques from Buddhist tradition with Western cognitive therapeutic approaches). Notwithstanding recent work, substantial potential remains for further research and ongoing dialogue aimed at developing deeper, more integrated understandings of the spiritual, psychological, and biological effects of contemplative practice.