NEUROSOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON NEW AGE PRACTICES: MEDITATION AND MINDFULLNESS
Burcu Doğan Koçak
Sosyal bilimler akademi dergisi March 9, 2025 DOI: 10.38004/sobad.1603074 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Individuals regularly engaging in meditation and mindfulness practices |
| Interventions | Meditation Mindfulness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | New Age practices, specifically meditation and mindfulness, lead to measurable neuronal changes that reduce stress and anxiety, impacting both individual neural functioning and broader social behaviors. |
Abstract
This study aims to examine New Age practices from a neurosociological perspective, a point where sociology and neuroscience intersect. New Age is characterized as an eclectic and syncretic umbrella term encompassing spiritual, mystical, esoteric, and occult elements, as well as scientific knowledge, ancient traditions, and religious discourses. These techniques merge old and new teachings, resulting in a dynamic and open-ended framework. On the other hand, in recent decades, neuroscience has made significant progress in uncovering the mysteries of the human brain, supported by technological advancements. Numerous studies in the field of neuroscience have demonstrated that various practices and teachings classified under the New Age umbrella led to measurable neuronal changes in specific brain regions, reducing stress and anxiety. Due to the large spectrum of the New Age term, this study focuses only in meditation and mindfulness practices which can be seen as the pillars of many different teachings and techniques. In this study, a combination of literature review and in-depth interviews was used. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with ten individuals regularly engaging in these practices. The findings from these interviews align with the existing literature. This neurosociological evaluation highlights the interdisciplinary nature of New Age practices, bridging the fields of sociology and neuroscience by providing insights into how such beliefs and practices impact both individual neural functioning and broader social behaviors.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 14
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Mindfulness meditation training alters cortical representations of interoceptive attention Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 11, 2012
- Psychobiology of Altered States of Consciousness. Psychological Bulletin 2005
and 9 more in the library