School-based meditation programs for children aged 4–17, including Transcendental Meditation, ashtanga yoga, and mindfulness-based stress reduction, gained popularity between the 1960s and 2010s in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and India. Promoters distanced these practices from their religious roots in Hinduism and Buddhism, framing them as scientifically validated techniques to boost academic performance, physical and mental health, and moral character. The chapter evaluates meditation research and associated religious controversies, recommending an opt-in informed consent model to ensure transparency and voluntarism.
Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) in public schools, such as MindUP, Mindful Schools, and Calmer Choice, present themselves as secular by emphasizing neuroscience and avoiding terms like Buddhism or meditation, yet they were often developed by Buddhists or reflect Buddhist-derived assumptions and values. Controversies, including a 2016 legal challenge to Calmer Choice, involve complaints of religious coercion and barriers to opting out. Training often requires teachers to commit to personal practice, retreats at Buddhist centers, and supervision by Buddhist meditators. The chapter argues that secular framing can paradoxically increase the potential for these programs to instill religiously associated beliefs and practices.
The modern American concept of mindfulness, exemplified by Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), is nominally secular and supported by scientific research but is infused with Buddhist-derived assumptions, values, and practices. Many mindfulness-based programs exhibit the Malnak-Meyers indicia of religion, and some proponents describe their tactics as "Stealth Buddhism" or a "Trojan horse." The chapter argues that secularization requires more than removing religious language and adding scientific framing; it requires rebuilding from foundations not controlled by assumptions about the nature of the self and the world.