Transmission in meditation: From classical Indian texts to Heartfulness practice

Meditation research mostly studies self-effort practices like Focused Attention and Open Monitoring, but traditional Indian practices and the modern Heartfulness method emphasize Transmission (Pranahuti), a non-verbal, non-instructional way to induce interpersonal states. This review traces historical references in the Mahābhārata and teachings of Shri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, organized within the Heartfulness practice. Transmission is described as enhancing subtle bodies (Chit, Manas, Buddhi, Ahankar) and accelerating the shift from a meditative state to a stable trait. Psychological, neurophysiological, physiological, and molecular findings suggest transmission acts as a catalyst for profound systemic integration, offering a new perspective on accelerated transformation in contemplative sciences.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Meditation research primarily examines practices that involve self-ef-fort, which are classified into Focused Attention (FA) and Open Monitoring(OM) practices. Nevertheless, traditional Indian practices and the modern Heart-fulness method emphasize an additional aspect, Transmission (Pranahuti). Thisreview delves into the idea of transmission as a non-verbal, non-instructional ap-proach to inducing interpersonal states. Beginning with historical references inthe Mahābhārata and the teachings of Shri Ramakrishna and Swami Viveka-nanda, the development of this phenomenon has been organized within the Heart-fulness practice. This review explores how transmission aids in the enhancementof the subtle bodies (Chit, Manas, Buddhi, Ahankar) and speeds up the shift froma meditative state to a stable trait. Lastly, psychological, neurophysiological,physiological, and molecular findings indicate that transmission serves as a cat-alyst for profound systemic integration. This interdisciplinary viewpoint providesa new perspective for comprehending accelerated transformation within the fieldof contemplative sciences and meditation practices.