Explore (New York, N.Y.)
January 1, 2019
William van Gordon, Edo Shonin, Thomas J. Dunn et al.
38 citations
Cultivating emptiness (śūnyatā), a wisdom-based Buddhist-derived practice, appears to reconnect advanced meditators to what they consider the innermost nature of mind and phenomena. In a study of 25 advanced Buddhist meditators, emptiness meditation produced significantly greater improvements in non-attachment to self and environment, mystical experiences, compassion, positive affect, and negative affect compared to a mindfulness meditation control. No significant relationship was found between duration of emptiness meditation and any outcome. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants combined concentrative and investigative techniques to induce emptiness, elicited spiritually meaningful insights, and retained volitional control over the meditation.
Mindfulness
March 11, 2018
William van Gordon, Edo Shonin, Thomas J. Dunn et al.
38 citations
Advanced Buddhist meditators can intentionally induce near-death experiences (NDEs) at a planned time, a phenomenon called meditation-induced NDE (MI-NDE). In a study of 12 such meditators, the MI-NDE produced significantly greater increases in NDE profundity, mystical experiences, and non-attachment compared to two other meditation practices. Participants' NDE profundity also increased across a 3-year period. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants were consciously aware of the NDE, retained volitional control over its content and duration, and reported rich non-worldly encounters. The findings corroborate features of regular NDEs and suggest unexplored dimensions, indicating it is feasible and ethical to study real-time neurological activity during NDEs using advanced meditators.
Mindfulness
November 27, 2018
Çimen Ekici, Gülcan Garip, William van Gordon
33 citations
Experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators describe their practice as a cleansing process that eliminates maladaptive responses through mindfulness, decentering, and nonattachment. The practice yields improvements in both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, insights into self and reality, equanimity, and also some physical and interpersonal difficulties. Participants perceive these outcomes as interdependent and reinforced by Buddhist teachings and ethical practices. The findings suggest that incorporating Buddhist teachings into mindfulness-based interventions may enhance meditation practice.
Mindfulness
March 1, 2024
Matthew Furnell, William van Gordon, James Elander
22 citations
Incorporating Buddhist wisdom practices into mindfulness-based interventions may enhance prosocial behavior through mechanisms such as developing a sense of interdependence and common humanity, fostering altruistic desire, and experiencing oneness. A systematic review of 12 studies with 2,185 participants found suggestive evidence for these effects, but raised concerns about overreliance on self-report measures and difficulty isolating the effects of specific meditation practices. The findings reinforce the perspective that wisdom-based meditation practices contribute to prosocial behavior, but future studies should use diverse measures including real-world scenarios.
Journal of Psychosocial Oncology
January 1, 2026
Chloe Wells, William van Gordon, Paul Barrows
3 citations
Mindfulness-based interventions are effective for psychological distress in cancer care, but their Western adoption raises ethical concerns about cultural appropriation of Buddhist wisdom. This paper examines these ethical implications for patients, practitioners, and researchers. It proposes modifications to ensure practitioners understand Buddhist philosophy and transparently communicate the tradition's origins to oncology patients. Recommendations include ethically introducing Buddhist principles, emphasizing clinician education on mindfulness's philosophical foundations—especially 'Right Mindfulness'—and fostering understanding that mindfulness is an ethically informed practice. The paper advocates for shared decision-making and trauma-informed adaptations while respecting the cultural origins and philosophical depth of this ancient practice.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
March 27, 2025
Déborah Ducasse, Martin Leurent, Marie-Christine Picot et al.
1 citation
A French version of the Ontological Addiction Scale (OAS) was validated in 492 French adults with emotional or mood disorders. The scale measures ontological addiction, a dysfunctional self-concept where individuals see themselves as separate from their surroundings. The French OAS showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.89) and strong test-retest reliability, with a single-factor structure matching the original English version. A 12-item version also had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.81). Construct validity was supported by medium to large correlations with self-esteem, shame, perfectionism, and mindfulness. The French OAS is a robust tool for assessing ontological addiction in research and clinical practice.
Journal of Psychosocial Oncology
February 25, 2026
Chloe Wells, William van Gordon, Paul Barrows
Cancer patients who participated in an eight-week Meditation Awareness Training (MAT) program, a second-generation mindfulness-based intervention integrating Buddhist wisdom principles, described a journey from uncertainty and ambivalence toward greater acceptance and emotional resilience. Participants drew on concepts such as impermanence to manage distress and reclaim identity beyond their illness. They shifted from relying solely on formal meditation to flexibly integrating mindfulness and wisdom into daily life. Self-compassion and empathy developed, enhancing interpersonal relationships and connection with the meditation group and the natural world. The group setting provided validation and support, normalizing experiences and fostering community.
Healthcare
November 25, 2025
Matthew Furnell, William van Gordon, James Elander
People high in neuroticism showed greater gains in prosocial behavior after a mindfulness intervention that included wisdom-based practices (contemplations on interdependence and the emptiness of self) along with concentration and ethics practices, compared to a similar intervention without the wisdom component or a waitlist control. High agreeableness improved well-being outcomes for both mindfulness interventions, while high openness improved well-being only for the intervention that included wisdom practices. The findings suggest that tailoring mindfulness programs to personality traits, especially by adding wisdom-based elements, may enhance their effectiveness for individuals prone to interpersonal sensitivity and self-protective tendencies.
IntechOpen eBooks
January 13, 2025
Matthew Furnell, William van Gordon
The concept of enlightenment, often linked to profound insights into self and reality, is examined through the lens of non-dualism, emphasizing the dissolution of an independent, permanent self and the emergence of self-transcendent experiences. These experiences involve universal oneness, benevolence, compassion, and feelings of happiness and love. The chapter critically evaluates practices proposed to facilitate such states, including near-death experiences, insight meditation, and psychedelic substances. By reviewing empirical studies, it assesses their role in promoting well-being and positive psychological and behavioral effects, aiming to illuminate pathways to enlightenment and foster a more compassionate human existence.
Discover Psychology
October 23, 2024
Paul Barrows, William van Gordon, Paul Gilbert
Interest in mindfulness-based practices for improving health and wellbeing has grown over the last four decades, prompting renewed study of the psychological and neuropsychological mechanisms involved. This perspective paper presents a taxonomy of meditation types, describes key neuroanatomical regions involved, and critically appraises EEG findings. Correlates between mindfulness and EEG are well described for attentional and interoceptive processes, and understanding is growing for compassion and loving-kindness meditation. However, consistent associations between neuropsychological processes and EEG characteristics remain elusive for wisdom-based and null-state meditation practices, which are considered key to deeper transformative experiences. Promising theoretical developments exist, but more research and standardization are needed.
Perspectives on psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science
January 1, 2022
William van Gordon, Supakyada Sapthiang, Edo Shonin
Contemplative psychology is defined as the psychological study of contemplative processes and practices including meditation, mindfulness, yoga, introspection, reflection, metacognition, self-regulation, self-awareness, and self-consciousness. The discipline shares borders with other psychological and nonpsychological fields but is distinguished by its underlying assumptions, areas of empirical focus, conceptual nuances, and challenges. The field has been somewhat disparate in investigating its core techniques and principles, creating a need for greater intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary awareness. This article adopts a whole-discipline perspective to explicate contemplative psychology's history, breadth, key assumptions, challenges, and future directions.