Beyond mindfulness: how Buddhist meditation transforms consciousness through distinct psychological pathways.
Frontiers in Psychology 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1649564 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Buddhist meditation Consciousness transformation Cultural sensitivity Metacognition Psychological mechanisms Therapeutic efficacy |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Buddhist meditation practices systematically cultivate meta-cognitive insight, emotional regulation, and self-inquiry, leading to profound shifts in awareness and personal growth, with evidence of reorganized brain networks and characteristic EEG patterns. |
Abstract
Buddhist meditation, encompassing practices such as Samatha (focused attention), Vipassana (open monitoring), and Metta (loving-kindness), offers unique pathways for transforming consciousness beyond conventional mindfulness. In this article, we review the studies that explore how these distinct meditative techniques systematically cultivate meta-cognitive insight, emotional regulation, and self-inquiry, facilitating profound shifts in awareness and personal growth. Recent neuroscience and psychology studies show that these techniques influence the mind in different ways: they strengthen attentional stability, reshape self-referential thinking, and reorganize emotional patterns. Such modifications are evident in reorganized brain networks (for example, the default-mode network) and in characteristic EEG patterns. While sharing some parallels with Western mindfulness and hypnosis, Buddhist meditation uniquely emphasizes ethical integration and profound introspection. Challenges remain in objectively measuring advanced meditative states, particularly the experience of "no-self" (anattā), due to the reliance on subjective self-report. Future research should incorporate culturally sensitive methodologies, objective behavioral tasks, and interdisciplinary approaches like neurophenomenology to integrate traditional contemplative wisdom with rigorous scientific inquiry.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, and Zen Meditation for Depression, Anxiety, Pain, and Psychological Distress | 2012 | Review | |
| Measuring mindfulness | 2011 | Review | |
| The Influence of Buddhist Meditation Traditions on the Autonomic System and Attention | 2015 | Review | |
| Seeking the Sacred with Psychoactive Substances | 2014 | Review | |
| Positive Psychology and Buddhism | 2023 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Vipassanā Meditation in Contemporary Psychiatry: Transformation of a Buddhist Practice into a Mental Health Intervention Kamali: Jurnal Ilmu Agama June 26, 2026
- The Self-Identification Program (SIP): A Clinically Implemented Third-Wave CBT Deepening Dysfunctional Self-Identification in Mood Disorders. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) November 20, 2025
- Effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on balance, cognitive functions, quality of life, and falls prevention in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review. Neuropsychological rehabilitation September 7, 2026
- Effect of meditation on clinical symptoms and gray matter volume in chronic schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience May 19, 2026
Cites 45
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft Psychological Medicine December 29, 2016
- Focused attention, open monitoring and loving kindness meditation: effects on attention, conflict monitoring, and creativity – A review Frontiers in Psychology September 23, 2014
- Mindfulness-induced selflessness: a MEG neurophenomenological study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
and 40 more in the library