Embodied Practice, the Smart Vagus, and Mind–Brain–Body–World Integration
April 5, 2023 DOI: 10.4324/9781003243588-23 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Key findings | The chapter argues that meditation supports brain processing and integration through neuroplasticity, particularly in the prefrontal cortex and autonomic nervous system, and proposes that these changes underlie social self-consciousness, empathy, and mind–heart–gut integration. It further presents the six stages of the Wheel of Time from Vajrayana Buddhism as a neurophenomenological model of subtle-body development. |
Abstract
This chapter reviews the neuropsychology of meditation and its beneficial impact on brain processing and integration, based on the evidence-based developmental approach of interpersonal neurobiology and the basic principles of complexity theory. Unpacking the implications of neuroplasticity for human development, transformation, and psychotherapy, the chapter focuses on the neurobiology of the prefrontal cortex and other integrative structures within the brain and autonomic nervous system that support the growth of social self-consciousness, empathy, and mind–heart–gut integration. The reader will learn about the neurophenomenology of the subtle body including the six stages of the Wheel of Time from Vajrayana Buddhism of Tibet.