Toward the Integration of Meditation into Higher Education: A Review of Research Evidence

Meditation may help college students improve attention, information processing, stress resilience, and interpersonal skills, according to a review of published research. The authors argue that integrating meditation into higher education could support both traditional academic goals and education of the 'whole person.' They call for future research to be theory-based, methodologically rigorous, and to examine a wider range of educational outcomes, as well as best practices for teaching meditation in academic settings.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Context There is growing interest in the integration of meditation in higher education. Purpose Here, we review evidence bearing on the utility of meditation to facilitate the achievement of traditional educational goals and to enhance education of the “whole person.” Research Design We examine how meditation practices may help foster important cognitive skills of attention and information processing, as well build stress resilience and adaptive interpersonal capacities through a review of the published research literature. Conclusions/Recommendations We offer directions for future research, highlighting the importance of theory-based investigations, increased methodological rigor, expansion of the scope of education-related outcomes studied, and the study of best practices for teaching meditation in educational settings.