Editorial: Advances in contemplative sciences.
Javier García-campayo, Jesus Montero-Marin, Roberto Aristegui
Frontiers in Psychology January 21, 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1545836 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mental health |
| Key points | Argues that Western psychology and psychiatry, once separated from religion following Freud's call for a secular psychotherapy, is now moving toward contemplative science because research has confirmed the therapeutic and well-being potential of love, compassion, and altruism. |
Abstract
In his 1930 book "Civilization and Its Discontents", Freud advocated a new and secular science of psychotherapy as a pragmatic alternative to the traditional healing techniques offered by religions. Since then, Western psychology/psychiatry has operated separately from religion [1]. However, in recent years, robust research has confirmed the potential of qualities such as love, compassion, and altruism for therapeutic use and well-being [2,3]. For this reason, conventional psychology is moving towards contemplative science, which has always been considered nonscientific knowledge.
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- Regulation of the Neural Circuitry of Emotion by Compassion Meditation: Effects of Meditative Expertise PLoS One March 25, 2008
- Arousal vs. relaxation: a comparison of the neurophysiological and cognitive correlates of Vajrayana and Theravada meditative practices. PLoS One 2014
- Optimizing learning and quality of life throughout the lifespan: a global framework for research and application. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences August 1, 2009