Contemplative Practices Research Articles

Educating for wisdom, love, and eco-cosmic Ubuntu: Toward an equitable planet

This article discusses the formidable challenges facing humanity, including wars, conflicts, climate change, species extinction, social divisiveness, and moral breakdown. The article critiques that contemporary education has fallen short in providing effective solutions to address these challenges, often directing learners to seek external answers while neglecting their inner wisdom. Self discovery and fostering a profound connection not only with ourselves but also with one another and Mother Nature would lead to peace and stewardship of the Earth. The article explores how we can harness the transformative power of love and compassion through contemplative practices deeply rooted in world wisdom traditions. These practices enable us to nurture the vital life force that sustains people, nature, and the entire universe. By cultivating our life energy and virtues, we expand our awareness to connect with all beings and existence and expand our capacity to drive social change.

Диалог между буддизмом и наукой: от трудных вопросов о сознании – к изучению феномена посмертной медитации «тукдам»

The analysis of the dialogue between the world’s philosophical cultures in recent years has been focused on the study of a special space “inter”, or “interspace”, which can be regarded as a metaphor of the “meeting place” of different cultures and approaches. Therefore, understanding the way this space is organized, its laws and principles is a precondition for the interaction of cultures and their mutual enrichment. In particular, the concept of “interspace” is analysed by the Vienna school of intercultural philosophy (B. Saal, B. Boteva-Richter, N. Weidtmann). Such characteristics as openness (the inclusion into the philosophical knowledge any existing traditions of thought), anti-hierarchy (“Cognitive Modesty”) and dynamics have been revealed. The dynamics in the framework of philosophy manifests itself as philosophical talk in the forms of the first-person monologue addressed to the audience, the dialogue in which the voice is given to more than one participant, as well as the polylogue – a special form of philosophical talk, which involves the cohabitation of multiple logics, rationalities, semantic positions, existences, and so on. The nature of “interspace” is refl ected in the framework of the dialogues on consciousness between Tibetan Buddhism and Western science. The paper reviews a brief story of their interaction, including the conferences, hold be the “Mind and Life” Institute, the project “Fundamental Knowledge: Dialogues of Russian and Buddhist Scholars”, and the study of physiological aspects of Buddhist contemplative practices. A signifi cant point to overcome the challenges on the way to understand each other (for example, such as the problem of translation, intellectual colonialism, etc.) has become the articulation of the “hard problem” of consciousness, as well as the concept of “neurophenomenology” (F. Varela). The paper provides a case study: it examines the methodological approach of Russian scientists that combines first- and third-person perspectives in the study of contemplative practices (including postmortem tukdam meditation), which they develop in laboratories located in Tantric monasteries in India. Based on this, it is suggested that an intercultural philosophy approach is promising for solving the “hard problem of consciousness”.

Challenge or Threat? The Effects of the Standard and a Second-Generation Mindfulness Intervention with Buddhist Practices on Cognitive Appraisals of Stress: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Experiment Performed in Switzerland.

Contemplative approaches rooted in Buddhist traditions have been linked to the attenuation of response to social stress. Anticipatory cognitive appraisals of social situations potentially represent a mechanism explaining the stress-reducing effects of contemplative practices. The cognitive appraisal of threat is associated with an anticipated loss of social self-esteem. In contrast, the cognitive appraisal of challenge involves recognizing the potential for gain or growth in stressful situations and is associated with a more adaptive cardiovascular response. In this secondary analysis of a randomized controlled experiment performed in Switzerland, we evaluated the effects of two contemplative interventions on cognitive appraisals of challenge and threat and associated physiological profiles. The interventions were a standard Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program and a new program (MBSR-B), which included several elements from Buddhist practices. After an eight-week intervention, participants completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and underwent the assessment of primary cognitive appraisals and cardiovascular response to stress. The results demonstrated greater challenge appraisal in the MBSR (n = 20) and MBSR-B (n = 21) groups compared to Control (n = 24), and MBSR-B participants scored higher on the challenge than threat appraisal. At the physiological level, the groups did not differ on changes in cardiac output and total peripheral resistance. Still, an exploratory analysis demonstrated that the MBSR-B group's cardiovascular profile best resembled challenge appraisal. The results suggest that contemplative approaches foster challenge appraisal, contributing to a more adaptive response to stress.

FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A LOVING-KINDNESS MEDITATION AMONG SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE OLDER ADULTS

Abstract It has been established that contemplative practices such as meditation can aid in stress management and the prevention of mental health issues. However, whether one of these techniques, such as loving-kindness meditation (LKM), is feasible for promoting later-life self-compassion, reducing loneliness, and maintaining mental health is unclear. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a LKM intervention among socioeconomically diverse older adults. We employed a waiting list control design and mixed methods approach to randomize the participants (n = 59) into two groups. The same intervention was administered to the second group at a later time. We oriented and instructed the older adults on how to meditate and perform the LKM intervention. It contained phrases for the self, immediate family, others, and humanity. We gathered outcome data at baseline, post-intervention, four weeks following journaling, and four weeks without journaling. The intervention was feasible and acceptable (n = 54). One hundred percent of participants rated this meditation practice as either good or better. The range for acceptability was between 4 and 20, while the range for feasibility was between 3 and 15. The participants reported that they accepted (M = 16.8, SD = 2.9) and found this meditative practice feasible (M = 12.9, SD = 1.8). Participants who engaged in this intervention daily reported that this meditative practice helped them reduce anxiety and enhance self-awareness. Our findings highlight the need for large-scale contemplative interventions (including more music and silence) that can promote self-compassion and reduce loneliness in older adults.

Mindful police leadership: Opening essential new pathways to 21st-century police leadership and culture

Canadian police managers are facing a series of daunting new challenges that will require significant personal resources to address. Growing research suggests mindfulness training, meditation, and other related contemplative practices appear to benefit leaders in other professions; however, little is known about how these practices may, or may not, be helpful for police leaders. This article contributes to this understanding by sharing results from an exploratory qualitative study that asked senior police leaders who self-identified as regular meditators to discuss how their practices might influence their leadership. Guided by a reflective thematic analysis approach and utilizing NVivo Qualitative Data Analysis Software, data from semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 11 Commissioned Officers from a large Canadian police service were analyzed for themes. Broadly organized by influence on job performance, relationships, and well-being, eight distinct themes were developed: enhanced calmness and self-control; better clarity and decision making; improved focus and efficiency; enhanced presence with others; improved conflict resolution practices; greater compassion and empathy; reduced harmful stress; and enhanced resilience and work/life integration. These results begin to extend the literature on mindful leadership from other workplace contexts into the realm of police leadership and suggest that meditation and mindfulness are beneficial practices that may open new and essential pathways towards 21st century police leadership and culture.

Pedagogy of Belonging: Pausing to be human in higher education

Valuing care and self-care in higher education requires a conscious pause and rethinking of how we are together as educators and students. The pandemic caused various complexities, including changes in curriculum delivery, deadlines, and assessment modes, leading to feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, and change fatigue, which contributed to the emergence of panicgogy. This paper argues for the need to disrupt this way of being and experiencing the pandemic through valuing humanity and repositioning self-care and care by and for academics to inform their pedagogy. Presented is the narrative and the design story behind Pedagogy of Belonging (PoB), a systems informed framework that prioritizes relationships and humanizes teaching by placing students and educators at the center of curriculum and pedagogical decisions. PoB provides a pedagogical framework for progression throughout the teaching cycle. The paper suggests that PoB is a conscious pause, a contemplative practice that interrupts panicgogy, collective exhaustion, and disconnect in higher education. PoB repositions holistic education at the heart of what educators do, facilitating interconnectedness and encouraging a rethinking of care and self-care in higher education through the domain of belonging underpinned by relationships, engagement, and communication.

A sense of connectedness, transcendent experiences, and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Labyrinth walking is an integrative contemplative practice that aims to engage the body, heart, mind, and spirit. In this article, qualitative findings from the first year of a mixed methods study on collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention are described. This form of labyrinth walking is distinct in that it is a social contemplative practice. It expands upon most of the labyrinth walking research to date which has been focused upon the individual. More specifically, practitioners walk labyrinths together in solidarity with the same intention in mind during collective labyrinth walking. This practice can be used locally (i.e. practitioners walk the same labyrinth together for the same reason) or non-locally (i.e. practitioners walk different labyrinths for the same reason together in different locations). The study is unique in that it took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic which was a time in recent history that evoked fear, uncertainty, grief, isolation, and disconnectedness for many persons around the world. This sample in this study was comprised of 461 participants from 19 countries who collectively walked labyrinths together with a shared intention on World Labyrinth Day 2021. Most participants were women in middle to later life from the United States. Data was collected through an anonymous online survey and analyzed using the qualitative methodology of interpretive phenomenological analysis. Three predominant themes emerged from practitioners' narrative accounts of their lived experiences: (1) multiple forms of connectedness (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, transpersonal, labyrinth connection) were cultivated through collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention; (2) practitioners reported qualities associated with "transcendent" experiences during this experience (i.e., boundlessness, ultimacy, transcendence, connectedness, positive emotions); and (3) practitioners had insights for compassionate action. Findings suggest that collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention can contribute to individual and group flourishing during times of distress. Quasi-experimental and experimental research designs are needed to build on this exploratory developmental research and are described in this article.

St. Maximus the Greek (Mihail Trivolis, Arta, ca. 1470–Maksim Grek, Moscow, 1556): The Insight into His Personal Euchology

This text establishes a datum for claims that Maximus the Greek’s life-work was to protect and preserve ancient precepts for a personal devotional “space” against statist and imperial imprimatur. This task was accomplished through both his work as translator and as author of sacred devotional texts and hymns associated with Byzantine hymnography and the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition. Notably, it is his inner veneration of the Holy Theotokos that marks the primary sensibility of the defence of this intense, inwardly-focused faith in direct communion with the Divine. Maxim’s defence of the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition was accomplished by the special guidance of the Holy Spirit as his personal internal principle that he used not only in the prayer (hesychastic, ascetical) and in the theological works (hagiographical, liturgical), but also in the philological works (of editing, translating, redacting), and especially in the exegetical texts.
 Therefore, the strong Byzantine patristic and monastic thought as the basis of his contemplative practice, formed in the years spent at the Holy Mount Athos, were only one of the one of the important sources of his original Orthodox theology.
 Into detailed consideration are taken especially his prayers. Among them, the most important place is reserved for “The Kanon to the Holy and Divine Spirit Parakletos,” which reflects several possible influences, such as the Akathystos hymn, the Great Kanon, and the individual canon as was St. Constantin’s Kanon to St. Demetrius, all of which confirm the very archaic Byzantine and Slavonic sources that properly could serve Maxim for his Old Church Slavonic linguistic basis. Thus, his prayer is a highly original, monastic and deeply personal work that bears witness to his ascetic (hesychastic) practice. All of this tends to confirm that his grammatical and linguistic view of the Old Church Slavonic language was shaped well before his entrance to Muscovite Russia, and that not only was he unjustly accused of heretical mistakes, and thereby imprisoned, but he was, more importantly, completely misunderstood. Nevertheless, and despite his suffering, Maxim was, until the end of his life, arguing that his use of Slavonic language was guarded and, therefore, sacred.

Mindful practice with medical interpreters.

Medical interpreters experience emotional burdens from the complex demands at work. Because communication access is a social determinant of health, protecting and promoting the health of medical interpreters is critical for ensuring equitable access to care for language-minority patients. The purpose of this study was to pilot a condensed 8-h program based on Mindful Practice® in Medicine addressing the contributors to distress and psychosocial stressors faced by medical sign and spoken language interpreters. Using a single-arm embedded QUAN(qual) mixed-methods pilot study design, weekly in-person 1-h sessions for 8 weeks involved formal and informal contemplative practice, didactic delivery of the week's theme (mindfulness, noticing, teamwork, suffering, professionalism, uncertainty, compassion, and resilience), and mindful inquiry exercises (narrative medicine, appreciative interviews, and insight dialog). Quantitative well-being outcomes (mean±SEM) were gathered via survey at pre-, post-, and 1-month post-intervention time points, compared with available norms, and evaluated for differences within subjects. Voluntary feedback about the workshop series was solicited post-intervention via a free text survey item and individual exit interviews. A thematic framework was established by way of qualitative description. Seventeen medical interpreters (46.2 ± 3.1 years old; 16 women/1 man; 8 White/9 Hispanic or Latino) participated. Overall scores for teamwork (p ≤ 0.027), coping (p ≤ 0.006), and resilience (p ≤ 0.045) increased from pre- to post-intervention and pre- to 1-month post-intervention. Non-judging as a mindfulness component increased from pre- to post-intervention (p = 0.014). Compassion satisfaction (p = 0.021) and burnout (p = 0.030) as components of professional quality of life demonstrated slightly delayed effects, improving from pre- to 1-month post-intervention. Themes such as workshop schedule, group size, group composition, interactivity, topics to be added or removed, and culture are related to the overarching topic areas of intervention logistics and content. Integration of the findings accentuated the positive impact of the intervention. The results of this research demonstrate that mindful practice can serve as an effective resource for medical interpreters when coping with work-related stressors. Future iterations of the mindful practice intervention will further aspire to address linguistic and cultural diversity in the study population for broader representation and subsequent generalization.

Alone within the ALONESS of Covid-19: Developing Contemplative, Artistic Inner Friendship for Turbulent Times

Art therapy, imaginal mindfulness, yoga, and meditation were personal and collegial necessities for surviving the emotional fallout of isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Combining these practices offered us credible resources for enhancing our social, cultural, and spiritual wellness when faced with the loneliness of lockdown living. This article applies an autoethnographic lens highlighting the value of these contemplative tools for managing pandemic related distress within myself and my professional peer group. The material gathered for this article is based on the authenticity of personal, smaller samples of shared, self-described observational phenomena. While these points were not formally studied with a review of scientific samples, the pandemic encouraged innovative forms of social communication between me, colleagues, and graduate students studying art therapy. Consequently, the information presented was consistently observed and shared between these professional communities. Self-reported findings from my confreres suggested outcomes of interiorized self-regulation skills such as focused attention, inner friendship/self-compassion, and witness awareness resulting from joining art with contemplative practices.

Roundabouts—Navigating Interiority

ABSTRACT This article explores the nonlinear, creative process of Pacia Sallomi’s paintings from the perspective of one series called Roundabouts. The series is inspired by indigenous artistic practices, Tibetan mandalas, contemplative practices, and life experiences. There are fifteen color images of paintings with contextual descriptions.

Do contemplative practices make us more moral?

Contemplative practices are a staple of modern life and have historically been intertwined with morality. However, do these practices in fact improve our morality? The answer remains unclear because the science of contemplative practices has focused on unidimensional aspects of morality, which do not align with the type of interdependent moral functioning these practices aspire to cultivate. Here, we appeal to a multifactor construct, which allows the assessment of outcomes from a contemplative intervention across multiple dimensions of moral cognition and behavior. This offers an open-minded and empirically rigorous investigation into the impact of contemplative practices on moral actions. Using this framework, we gain insight into the effect of mindfulness meditation on morality, which we show does indeed have positive influences, but also some negative influences, distributed across our moral functioning.

지눌의 『진심직설』에 관한 분석심리학적 고찰

This paper examines the Korean Buddhist monk Chinul's Chinsim chiksul (眞心直說) from the perspective of Carl Jung's analytic psychology. In the Chinsim chiksul(眞心直說) Chinul defines True Mind(眞心) and emphasizes what to do in order to realize True Mind(眞心). I began the discussion by noting that Chinul's concept of True Mind(眞心) is the same as the das Selbst (自己) in Jungian analytical psychology. Jung's unconscious Selbst is the same as Chinul's True Mind(眞心), which emphasizes human nature. The True Mind(眞心) is divided into the thing(体) and its functions(用), and the two have the principle of harmony, which is neither the same nor different. On the other hand, Jung's unconscious and conscious selves also have a duality that is neither the same nor different. In order to realize True Mind (眞心), Chinul suggests a number of practices, which I compare with Jungian psychology. I analyzed Chinul's practice of contemplation(覺察) and pause (休歇) from the perspective of psychology. Jungian active meditation is a type of practice that attains wholeness: while Chinul sought enlightenment through contemplation(覺察) and pause(休歇), Jung sought self-realization, through the consciousization of the unconscious and active meditation. At the end of the article, I compared and contrasted Chinul's path to enlightenment with Jung's path to self-realization. This paper shows that despite the differences between the Eastern and Western schools of thought, Chinul and Jungianism have the same perspective on human beings.

Mindfulness as praeparatio evangelica in the Irish Catholic Primary School

Mindfulness has exploded in popularity across several elements of Irish society, including Catholic primary schools. This growth of the practice is set against the backdrop of a secularized and detraditionalized Irish society. This changed context for religious belief, as explored by Michael Paul Gallagher, Charles Taylor and Lieven Boeve, has challenged the Irish Church’s mission of evangelization. The challenges faced by Irish Catholic schools, as ecclesial entities, in living out this evangelizing mission highlight the growing necessity for pre-evangelization. These issues include a breakdown in the home, school and parish partnership model for faith formation and development, and a contemporary ‘educational emergency.’ This article examines the contribution of mindfulness as praeparatio evangelica in Catholic schools, focusing on it as a contemplative practice and as a means of enflaming sacramental imagination.

Investigation of advanced mindfulness meditation “cessation” experiences using EEG spectral analysis in an intensively sampled case study

Mindfulness meditation is a contemplative practice informed by Buddhism that targets the development of present-focused awareness and non-judgment of experience. Interest in mindfulness is burgeoning, and it has been shown to be effective in improving mental and physical health in clinical and non-clinical contexts. In this report, for the first time, we used electroencephalography (EEG) combined with a neurophenomenological approach to examine the neural signature of “cessation” events, which are dramatic experiences of complete discontinuation in awareness similar to the loss of consciousness, which are reported to be experienced by very experienced meditators, and are proposed to be evidence of mastery of mindfulness meditation. We intensively sampled these cessations as experienced by a single advanced meditator (with over 23,000 h of meditation training) and analyzed 37 cessation events collected in 29 EEG sessions between November 12, 2019, and March 11, 2020. Spectral analyses of the EEG data surrounding cessations showed that these events were marked by a large-scale alpha-power decrease starting around 40 s before their onset, and that this alpha-power was lowest immediately following a cessation. Region-of-interest (ROI) based examination of this finding revealed that this alpha-suppression showed a linear decrease in the occipital and parietal regions of the brain during the pre-cessation time period. Additionally, there were modest increases in theta power for the central, parietal, and right temporal ROIs during the pre-cessation timeframe, whereas power in the Delta and Beta frequency bands were not significantly different surrounding cessations. By relating cessations to objective and intrinsic measures of brain activity (i.e., EEG power) that are related to consciousness and high-level psychological functioning, these results provide evidence for the ability of experienced meditators to voluntarily modulate their state of consciousness and lay the foundation for studying these unique states using a neuroscientific approach.

The Effects of Centering Prayer on Well-Being in a Sample of Undergraduate Students: A Pilot Study

AbstractContemplative practices have likely been used for self-awareness, concentration, creativity, and well-being since the dawn of time. While practices such as yoga and Buddhist meditation have been extensively studied in recent decades, Christian contemplative practices have received less attention in empirical research. This study aims to investigate the effects of centering prayer, a Christian contemplative practice, on mental health and well-being. The research focuses on college students enrolled in a religious studies course that incorporates centering prayer into the curriculum. It is a pilot study because it is the first to explore centering prayer in an undergraduate setting. Using a comparison group from another religious studies course, the study examines whether practicing centering prayer regularly for seven weeks can lead to changes in anxiety, stress, depression, mindfulness, satisfaction with life, hope, and compassion as assessed by multiple questionnaires. Additionally, the study explores whether religiosity influences the impact of centering prayer on these variables. Participants were recruited through their course enrollment, and data was collected through online surveys administered at three time points during the study. Multivariate analyses of covariance indicated trends suggesting that centering prayer may contribute to decreased anxiety and increased hope and compassion. However, no significant changes in these outcomes were observed (p > .05). The study highlights the potential therapeutic benefits of centering prayer and the need for further research on Christian contemplative practices.

The Odbert Psalter (Boulogne-sur-Mer, BM, ms. 20); or, the Image as a Medium for Contemplative Practice

The monastic reforms of the 10th century greatly increased the role of the psalter, a biblical book that became the main tool of a monk in personal and collective prayer. The Odbert Psalter, produced in Saint-Bertin around 999, opens with a scene of Pentecost in which we see Christ represented as a king who is static and in a space distinct from the apostles, exhibiting an attitude of meditation. This is not a narrative image: this scene is an indication for the reader of the Psalms. If he follows the example of the apostles, he will arrive at the vision of God, which can only be attained through continuous meditation on the Psalms as it was defined by the reforms. This image serves as a medium for the act of contemplation itself: according to the three modes of vision defined by Saint Augustine, the image of Christ constitutes a pathway from corporeal vision to intellectual vision. By constituting the support of divine contemplation, the psalter and its images are set up here as perfect mediators of the power of the intellect.

Tafakkur on Malik Badri’s View

Tafakkur is a practice of deep contemplation and reflection, holds a significant place within Islamic spirituality as a means of attaining profound insights and a deeper connection with the Divine. This journal article delves on tafakkur into the perspective of renowned scholar Malik Badri employing a qualitative research approach to gain a comprehensive understanding of his views. Through an in-depth analysis method of Malik Badri's writings, this research explores his interpretations of tafakkur as a spiritual and intellectual endeavor. Thus, the researcher uncover the nuances of Badri's insights and their implications for personal growth, worship, and the relationship with Allah. Badri's perspective sheds light on how tafakkur serves as a transformative tool for believers, offering a pathway to enrich their spiritual journey and foster a deeper appreciation of the Creator's wisdom. Furthermore, this research highlights the historical and cultural context that shaped Malik Badri's thoughts on tafakkur, tracing the lineage of this concept within Islamic thought. By engaging with Badri's writings, speeches, and interviews, we decipher his unique approach to tafakkur and its alignment with traditional Islamic teachings. In essence, this research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by presenting a qualitative exploration of Malik Badri's viewpoint on tafakkur. The insights gained from this research offer valuable guidance for individuals seeking to engage in meaningful contemplation, fostering a more profound connection with spirituality and a deeper understanding of Islamic principles.

A Study of Cheng Yi’s Quiet-Sitting Meditation and Other Contemplative Practices in the Confucian Context

This study delves into Cheng Yi’s (程頤, 1033–1107) Ruist (Confucian) contemplative practices, addressing a gap in contemplative studies from a Ruist perspective. As a seminal thinker in the Cheng-Zhu lineage, Cheng Yi developed various practices, including quiet-sitting meditation, beholding, calligraphy, restful sleep, and others. These practices incorporate techniques such as sitting postures, breathing, and calming the mind and emerged during political and social crises, amid diverse interpretations of Ruist classics and the influences of Buddhism and Daoism. Cheng Yi’s contemplative approach emphasizes the integration of the virtues of “reverence” and “righteousness,” focusing on the ontological and empirical dimensions of the human heartmind. His metaphysics highlights the nontemporality of the pattern-principle’s regulatory role, enhancing the pan-contemplative nature of the Ruist lifestyle. Cheng Yi’s approach provides valuable comparative insights for contemporary contemplative studies and guidance for practitioners seeking to balance intellectualism, contemplation, and ethical action. The study offers original translations and comprehensive scholarly analysis of Cheng Yi’s Ruist contemplative practices.

Using a contemplative practice intervention in teacher education courses to neutralize implicit racial bias: a feasibility study

ABSTRACT This study examined the preliminary impact of a contemplative practice intervention on the implicit racial biases of 22 participants enrolled in teacher preparation courses using a mixed-methods, pre/post-test design. Quantitative analyses determined whether there were statistically significant differences in implicit racial bias before and after the intervention, and qualitative data from participants’ written reflections were used to understand participant experiences with the intervention. Results suggested that the intervention was associated with decreases in implicit racial bias. Moreover, participant reflections suggested preliminary social validity of the intervention. Taken together, the contemplative practice intervention used in this feasibility study is a promising approach to neutralize prospective and current teachers’ implicit racial bias.