The subtle body: an interoceptive map of central nervous system function and meditative mind-brain-body integration.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences June 1, 2016 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13065 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA neglected traditional model of the central nervous system, the subtle body or chakra system from Indian yoga, may offer a more rigorous typology and mechanistic framework for contemplative practices than current approaches. This comparative review, grounded in the Nalanda tradition, shows that the subtle body model can be cross-referenced with modern CNS maps and challenges them with its embodied network model. It also provides a more refined classification of practices, a more complete network model of their mechanisms, and a user-friendly interoceptive neurofeedback aid for clinical and practical applications.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Comparative review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Contemplative neuroscience Neurofeedback Subtle body |
| Key finding | The traditional subtle body model of the central nervous system provides a more rigorous typology and network-based mechanistic framework for contemplative practices than current models. |
Abstract
Meditation research has begun to clarify the brain effects and mechanisms of contemplative practices while generating a range of typologies and explanatory models to guide further study. This comparative review explores a neglected area relevant to current research: the validity of a traditional central nervous system (CNS) model that coevolved with the practices most studied today and that provides the first comprehensive neural-based typology and mechanistic framework of contemplative practices. The subtle body model, popularly known as the chakra system from Indian yoga, was and is used as a map of CNS function in traditional Indian and Tibetan medicine, neuropsychiatry, and neuropsychology. The study presented here, based on the Nalanda tradition, shows that the subtle body model can be cross-referenced with modern CNS maps and challenges modern brain maps with its embodied network model of CNS function. It also challenges meditation research by: (1) presenting a more rigorous, neural-based typology of contemplative practices; (2) offering a more refined and complete network model of the mechanisms of contemplative practices; and (3) serving as an embodied, interoceptive neurofeedback aid that is more user friendly and complete than current teaching aids for clinical and practical applications of contemplative practice.