What Do Meditators Do When They Meditate? Proposing a Novel Basis for Future Meditation Research

Meditation covers a wide range of contemplative practices, and earlier attempts to categorize them have been incomplete. To create a comprehensive list, researchers first identified 309 meditation techniques from literature and interviews with 20 expert meditators, then reduced these to 50 basic techniques. In a second study, 635 experienced meditators from diverse traditions rated their experience with each technique, confirming the list was adequate with only two additions needed. Statistical analyses revealed preferences for specific techniques within and across traditions, and sets of techniques commonly practiced together. Body-centered techniques were especially important across all meditators. The resulting set of 50 basic techniques may aid future scientific research.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Meditation is an umbrella term for a vast range of contemplative practices. Former proposals have struggled to do justice to this variety. To our knowledge, there is to date no comprehensive overview of meditation techniques spanning all major traditions. The present studies aimed at providing such a comprehensive list of meditation techniques. In a qualitative study, we compiled a collection of 309 meditation techniques through a literature search and interviews with 20 expert meditators. Then, we reduced this collection to 50 basic meditation techniques. In a second, quantitative study, 635 experienced meditators from a wide range of meditative backgrounds indicated how much experience they had with each of these 50 meditation techniques. Meditators’ responses indicated that our choice of techniques had been adequate and only two techniques had to be added. Our additional statistical and cluster analyses illustrated preferences for specific techniques across and within diverse traditions as well as sets of techniques commonly practiced together. Body-centered techniques stood out in being of exceptional importance to all meditators. In conclusion, we found an amazing variety of meditation techniques, which considerably surpasses previous collections. Our selection of basic meditation techniques might be of value for future scientific investigations and we encourage researchers to use this set.