Dhyana yoga, the path of meditative being: Psychotherapeutic insights from the east.
Matcheri S Keshavan, Hemant Bhargav
Asian Journal of Psychiatry June 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104483 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Being Mind-body techniques |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Meditative practices from Eastern traditions have distinctive neural correlates and may be differentially effective across medical and psychiatric disorders, but more research is needed. |
Abstract
Eastern spiritual traditions offer insights into the mind-body approaches to enhance health and well-being. These insights focus on self-awareness (the path of knowledge), intrinsically motivated and selfless action (karma yoga) and on faith and compassion (Bhakti yoga). Yogic meditative practices (Dhyana yoga), developed by ancient Hindu and other eastern traditions, are effective tools to implement these pathways to well-being. They involve ethical behavior (yama and niyama), bodily postures, breath-related, and/or other meditative approaches for mastery over the physiological and psychological processes within an individual. Meditative practices require practice (abhyasa) as well as detachment (vairagya), so that the 'ego' of being a 'doer' does not become a hindrance in achieving inner transformations. In this paper, we review the eastern concepts on the nature of these techniques of inner well-being, and then place them in the context of emerging insights in psychology on these behavioral practices. Meditative practices include focused attention (FA), open-monitoring (OM) and transcendental meditation (TM) approaches. We outline current emerging neuroscience findings that suggest somewhat distinctive correlates of these mental states with neural oscillations and brain circuits. These approaches may also be differentially effective across medical and psychiatric disorders. We review gaps in knowledge and offer a framework for further research in developing these interventions, especially as applied in the areas of positive psychology and psychiatry.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- The Esoteric Mind in Modern Science and Medicine July 3, 2026
- EMOTIONAL REGULATION THROUGH YOGA AND MEDITATION IN INDIAN PSYCHOLOGY International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH May 4, 2026
- The “God gene” hypothesis and the neurobiological foundations of spirituality Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health March 9, 2026
- Swami Vivekananda and Practical Vedanta Improving Mental Well-Being at the Intersection of Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga April 16, 2026
Cites 26
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Review of the Neural Oscillations Underlying Meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience March 26, 2018
- Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain. Nature August 1, 2024
- Zen Meditation: An Integration of Current Evidence The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
and 21 more in the library