Meditation across cultures: a neuroanthropological approach

Meditation is defined in neuropsychological terms that allow it to be studied across cultures, not only in East Asian yogic traditions. Anthropologists find that meditation on culturally salient symbols is widespread in spiritual rituals worldwide and likely dates to the Paleolithic as one of the earliest religious practices. All meditation systems are embedded in a cycle of meaning that evokes spiritual experiences, anticipates them through ritually controlled volition, and provides culturally appropriate interpretations. This cultural–phenomenological interaction distinguishes societies with meditation cultures from those without. Examples examined include prayer, dream yoga, shamanic journeying, trance dancing, and visualization in healing.

Study at a glance

Abstract

While discussions of meditation by psychologists tend to focus upon various forms of East Asian yogic practice, other systems of meditation occur across cultures. Meditation is defined in neuropsychological terms that allow the phenomenon to be examined in ethnographic situations. Anthropologists have found that meditation on culturally salient symbols is widespread among the world’s spiritual rituals and is very likely one of the earliest religious practices that arose during the Paleolithic. All systems of meditation are shown to be embedded within a cycle of meaning which operates to evoke spiritual experiences, anticipates the experiences that arise because of ritually controlled volition, and provides culturally appropriate interpretations of these experiences. Using this description of cultural–phenomenological interaction, it is possible to discern those societies that have meditation cultures and those that do not. Such meditation systems as prayer, dream yoga, shamanic journeying, trance dancing, and visualization in aid of healing are examined.