An updated classification of meditation methods using principles of taxonomy and systematics
Jonathan Nash, Andrew B. Newberg
Frontiers in Psychology February 8, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1062535 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Taxonomy biology Assertion Cognitive science Epistemology Management science Cognitive psychology Artificial intelligence Ecology |
| Citations | 21 |
| Key points | Proposes that meditation methods can be classified into three orthogonal categories using a three-tier system based on functional essentialism and the affect-cognition paradigm, and that recent neuroscience research validates this approach. |
Abstract
This paper revisits the proposal for the classification of meditation methods which we introduced in our initial 2013 publication, "Toward a Universal Taxonomy and Definition of Meditation". At that time, we advanced the thesis that meditation methods could be effectively segregated into three orthogonal categories by integrating the taxonomic principle of functional essentialism and the paradigm of Affect and Cognition; and we presented relevant research findings which supported that assertion. This iteration expands upon those theoretical and methodological elements by articulating a more comprehensive Three Tier Classification System which accounts for the full range of meditation methods; and demonstrates how recent neuroscience research continues to validate and support our thesis. This paper also introduces a novel criterion-based protocol for formulating classification systems of meditation methods, and demonstrates how this model can be used to compare and evaluate various other taxonomy proposals that have been published over the past 15 years.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review. Brain Sciences September 30, 2024
- Do contemplative practices make us more moral? Trends in Cognitive Sciences October 1, 2023
- Differential relationship between meditation methods and psychotic-like and mystical experiences. PLoS One December 5, 2024
- Peace through health: traditional medicine meditation in the prevention of collective stress, violence, and war. Frontiers in Public Health 2024
- Bridging the Soteriological-Secular Divide: A 9-Month Online Tibetan Mind-Body Practice Program Enhances Eudaimonic Well-Being and Non-Dual Awareness Mindfulness November 19, 2025
and 10 more in the library
Cites 55
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- Regulation of the Neural Circuitry of Emotion by Compassion Meditation: Effects of Meditative Expertise PLoS One March 25, 2008
- Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Investigation of mindfulness meditation practitioners with voxel-based morphometry Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience December 3, 2007
and 50 more in the library