Vipassana in the Digital Age: A Historical and Sociological Analysis of Buddhist Mindfulness as Resistance to the Attention Economy in Urban India
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) June 25, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21629440 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Commodification Resistance ecology Government linguistics Digital economy Consciousness Aesthetics Social science Environmental ethics |
| Key points | Argues that Vipassana meditation functions as a contemporary form of resistance against the algorithmic commodification of attention and digital overstimulation in urban India. |
Abstract
The rapid expansion of digital technologies has transformed human attention into a valuable economic resource, giving rise to what scholars describe as the attention economy. In urban India, where internet penetration, smartphone usage, and algorithm-driven platforms have become integral to everyday life, concerns regarding digital distraction, surveillance, and declining attentional well-being have intensified. This study examines Vipassana, an ancient Buddhist meditation practice, as a sociological response to the attention economy. Adopting a historical methodology and utilizing primary sources—including the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, Dhammapada, and S.N. Goenka's discourses—alongside secondary sources such as scholarly books, journal articles, government reports, and recent empirical studies, the paper explores how Vipassana cultivates attentional autonomy, emotional regulation, and ethical awareness. It argues that Buddhist mindfulness functions not merely as a spiritual discipline but as a contemporary form of resistance against algorithmic commodification of attention and digital overstimulation in urban India.
Comparable studies
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| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |