Training the Mind: First Steps in a Cross-Cultural Collaboration in Neuroscientific Research
Zara Houshmand, Anne Harrington, Clifford D Saron, Richard J. Davidson
Oxford University Press eBooks January 17, 2002 DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195130430.003.0001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Tibetan Buddhist monks in Himalayan retreats with many years of training in Buddhist philosophy and psychology |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key points | Argues that long-term meditation practice among highly trained Tibetan monks can have substantial effects on emotional and cognitive well-being, and that scientific collaboration with these monks offers a fresh approach to neuropsychology. The chapter emphasizes long-term effects over acute effects and links religion and culture to meditation. |
Abstract
This chapter sees into the mountain slopes of the Himalayas, where Tibetan monks who have spent many years in training and learning Buddhist philosophy and psychology, live in a retreat far from the secular world. These well educated monks have taken the brave step of joining forces with scientists to help with the understanding of how hours of meditation can have a substantial effect on well-being, for both emotional and cognitive functions. This provides a fresh new approach in the field of neuropsychology. This book focuses on emotional resilience, attention, visualization, and linguistic processing. It aims also to link other factors such as religion and culture in the process of meditation. More than the acute effects of meditation, scientists are interested in the overall long-term effect on the individual.