Meditation and Education
The Oxford Handbook of Meditation December 15, 2020 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198808640.013.40 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Transcendental Meditation ashtanga yoga mindfulness-based stress reduction |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Meditation programs entered mainstream education by being framed as secular, scientifically validated techniques, and an opt-in informed consent model is recommended for transparency and voluntarism. |
Abstract
Abstract This chapter examines school-based meditation programs for children ages 4–17—including Transcendental Meditation, ashtanga yoga, and mindfulness-based stress reduction—popularized between the 1960s and 2010s in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and India. Practices entered mainstream education as promoters distanced meditation from religion, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, and framed meditative practices as scientifically validated techniques for cultivating virtues essential for academic performance, physical and mental health, and moral character. The chapter assesses meditation research and religious controversies. It recommends an opt-in model of informed consent as most conducive to transparency and voluntarism.