Rajyoga Meditation: Philosophical Foundations, Spiritual Practices, and Implications for Holistic Development
Dipti S. Kapuria, Chirag P. Patel, Jignesh B. Tala, Kumarsawan Shakya, Harpalsinh Jadeja, Haresh Vaghela
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) October 22, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23554279 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Rajyoga meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that Rajyoga meditation, as taught by the Brahma Kumaris, offers a distinctive spiritual framework centered on self-realization and God realization, with emphasis on mental reflection, open-eyed meditation, spiritual knowledge, and values such as peace, purity, love, happiness, and compassion. The authors contend it can support personal reflection, values-based living, and holistic well-being, while cautioning that existing evidence does not establish all spiritual claims or prove that reported benefits are caused by the practice, and call for further rigorous research. |
Abstract
Meditation is a contemplative practice associated with self-awareness, emotional regulation, and spiritual development. Among its diverse traditions, Rajyoga meditation, as taught by the Brahma Kumaris, emphasizes soul consciousness, self-realization, positive thinking, and a conscious relationship with the Supreme Soul. This conceptual paper examines the philosophical foundations, central principles, distinctive features, and everyday applications of Rajyoga meditation, with particular attention to its potential contribution to holistic development. The discussion focuses on two interconnected dimensions of the practice: self-realization, understood within the Brahma Kumaris tradition as awareness of one's spiritual identity, and God realization, understood as the cultivation of a conscious relationship with the Supreme Soul. The paper further examines the practice's emphasis on mental reflection, open-eyed meditation, spiritual knowledge, and the cultivation of values such as peace, purity, love, happiness, and compassion. Practical applications are discussed in relation to daily routines, workplace interactions, stressful situations, and reflective self-assessment. Existing literature on meditation and selected studies of Rajyoga meditation provide a basis for discussing its psychological and physiological relevance; however, the available evidence does not establish all spiritual claims or demonstrate that every reported benefit is caused by the practice. The paper concludes that Rajyoga meditation offers a distinctive spiritual framework for personal reflection, values-based living, and the pursuit of holistic well-being. Further methodologically rigorous research is required to establish its effects and clarify the mechanisms through which the practice may influence psychological and physical outcomes.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |