A Rorschach Study of the Stages of Mindfulness Meditation
July 12, 2017 DOI: 10.4324/9780203785843-32 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Intervention | Meditation |
|---|---|
| Measures | Rorschach, Profile of Meditation Experience |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | The text argues that the Rorschach was useful as a validating instrument because it measured cognitive and perceptual change rather than personality, and it describes Access Samadhi as a prerequisite for Insight Meditation, with further practice aimed at a subsequent Path experience defining advanced enlightenment. It also notes the original design compared Rorschach-based personality types with Profile of Meditation Experience response patterns. |
Abstract
The main reason that the Rorschach was useful as a validating instrument was that we used it as a measure of cognitive and perceptual change, not as a personality measure, as it is so often used. The Rorschach was administered individually in the traditional manner by a half-dozen Rorschach clinicians, only one of whom was familiar with the hypotheses of the experiment to minimize experimenter bias. In the classical stages of meditation, Access Samadhi is merely a prerequisite for Insight Meditation. The other course open to the individual who wants to continue meditation is to practice for a subsequent Path experience, which defines the advanced enlightenment experiences. The original design of the experiment called for a comparison of types of individuals, as measured by factor analytic ratings of a personality rating scale for the Rorschach, with patterns of response on the Profile of Meditation Experience.