It’s Like Growing Roots inside Something Deeply Familiar: An Explorative Qualitative Study of Anthroposophic Mantra Practice and the Subsidiary Exercises
Religions August 16, 2018 DOI: 10.3390/rel9080245 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Practitioners of Anthroposophic meditation |
| Interventions | Anthroposophic mantra practice subsidiary exercises |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mantra Sociocultural evolution Cognition Context archaeology Spiritual practice Psychotherapist Spirituality Alternative medicine |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Anthroposophic meditation practices produce perceived effects including spiritual connection, cognitive insights, virtue development, and potential mitigation of meditation challenges, with some effects paralleling prior research and others suggesting novel areas of study. |
Abstract
Anthroposophic meditation is unique in that it arises within a European context and emphasizes cognition, self-development, and sociocultural renewal. This article presents the perceived effects of two of the most common Anthroposophic meditation practices within the current sample (N = 30). The first, Anthroposophic mantra practice, seeks to connect the practitioner to a spiritual reality. The second, the so-called subsidiary exercises, focuses on developing clear thinking, willpower, and certain virtues that support meditative development, while also deepening the connection between the meditative and daily life of the practitioner. Additionally, the subsidiary exercises may represent a way of reducing negative effects or handling potential challenges arising from meditation. Some themes overlap with the findings of previous studies on meditation. Other themes, such as cognitive insights, the development of virtues through meditative or spiritual practice, and the potential for beneficial impact on one’s sociocultural environment, open up new avenues of study.