A critical analysis of the concepts and measurement of awareness and equanimity in Goenka's Vipassana meditation.
Xianglong Zeng, Tian P S Oei, Yiqing Ye, Xiangping Liu
Journal of Religion and Health April 1, 2015 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-013-9796-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that existing mindfulness scales cannot adequately capture the awareness and equanimity as applied in Goenka's Vipassana meditation. |
Abstract
Goenka's Vipassana meditation (GVM), a widely applied mindfulness training system rooted in Buddhism, is currently widely used. Although the two abilities cultivated in GVM, awareness and equanimity, exhibit certain similarities with the mindfulness cultivated in mindfulness-based psychotherapies (MBTs), they are not major concerns in MBTs. While many mindfulness scales have been created to measure different aspects of mindfulness constructs and certain scales and items can indeed reflect the basic abilities of awareness and equanimity, none of them can adequately capture the way in which those abilities and related ideas are applied in GVM. This paper presents a critical examination of the problems associated with the concepts and measurement of awareness and equanimity and presents potential solutions for achieving better measurement of these concepts in the future.
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 14
- Intrinsic neural timescales exhibit different lengths in distinct meditation techniques. Neuroimage August 15, 2024
- Mindfulness in ward nurses: A concept analysis. Nursing Open 2024
- Bridging the Gap Between Contemporary and Buddhist Definitions of Mindfulness: A Scoping Review Mindfulness October 3, 2026
- An Observational Study to Assess the Reflection of Vipassana Meditation (VM) on the Perception of "Mindfulness" as a Tool for Health Promotion Among Beneficiaries of VM. Cureus August 12, 2025
- Effect of Pranayama and Meditation on Emotional Intelligence among Undergraduate Students: A Randomized Controlled Study International Journal of Ayurvedic Medicine July 10, 2024
and 9 more in the library
Cites 20
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report Assessment September 1, 2004
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
and 15 more in the library