A Forest in the City: Contemplative Practice for Difficult Times
David C Chang
Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education May 1, 2023 DOI: 10.25035/jche.01.02.07 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative essay Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Duration | One year |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that contemplative solitude should be shared with broader society to address pressing problems, and that contemplation is insignificant if it cannot engage with contemporary issues. |
Abstract
In this short narrative-essay, David Chang presents what he learned after spending a year in contemplative solitude on a remote off-grid island along the coast of BC, offering “invitations to live the stillness of the forest in the bustle of the city”. Chang makes the case that those blessed with the time and resources to practice contemplative solitude have an (educational) commitment to share these lessons and insights with broader society, arguing that “Contemplation becomes insignificant if it cannot address the pressing problems of our day”.
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 |