Introduction: Buddhist-derived meditation is a well-known phenomenological practice that enhances overall wellbeing of individuals. However, broad- and less-rigorous criteria in recruiting suitable meditation practitioners affect the reliability of results obtained through meditation research. Objectives: To develop an instrument to identify skilled meditators among meditation practitioners, in...
ABSTRACT This article addresses how breath is intra-active with reading and writing. The two meditation methods I used for concentrating on and writing the breath-experience were ‘attention on the breath’ as taught within a Korean Seon (Zen) tradition, and writing this experience as ‘meditative enquiry’ [Stephens, T. 2021. ‘A Meditative Enquiry into Presence: Unmaking the Autoethnographic...
This diagram is excerpted from my MFA thesis The Awakened Attention Acting Paradigm: A psychophysical approach to actor training through meditation techniques . This illustration outlines how we can adapt and utilise meditation practices in actor training. It articulates the similarities between the mechanisms both Buddhist monks and actors use in their practice, drawing a comparison between...
Currently, there is no empirical research on second-generation mindfulness training in the field of sport psychology. This study designed Samatha-based training (SBT) according to the principles of Samatha (a Buddhist practice) and preliminarily tested its influence on flow state. A total of 22 martial-arts-routine athletes were divided into two groups: the SBT group (n = 10) and the wait-list...
In the digital age, the concept of identity has evolved in ways that challenge long-held philosophical assumptions about the self. No longer has fixed or continuous, identity become fragmented, shaped by multiple digital personas that people craft in response to the ever-expanding digital universe. Now, there is no sense of a fixed self that remains constant throughout space and time. Self and...
abstract: This paper uncovers similarities and differences between Zen Buddhist and Christian understandings of contemplative practice through a comparison of the writings of the Japanese Zen master Bankei Yotaku and the contemporary Christian contemplative writer Martin Laird. Though both claim that human beings are fundamentally connected to their spiritual goal, Zen emerges from the...
Burnout, imposter syndrome, changes in higher education, issues of free speech, structural inequality—the challenges facing academics today are daunting and overwhelming. How do we balance all of our responsibilities and goals without becoming exhausted? How do scholars decide if activism is right for them, and if so, what form should it take? There is, fortunately, great wisdom, solace, and...
Meditation is a practice method originating from Buddhism, a method of focusing the mind and creating patience and stillness to explore and better understand yourself and the world around you. With the challenges of modern life, Meditation will bring great value, regaining balance and relaxation. In this article, the author focuses on clarifying the general understanding of Zen, the values that...
The Bhagavad Gita concentrates on awakening, which serves as the scripture’s overarching core theme. Meditation and expanding one’s consciousness can help one achieve self-realisation. Reflection and self-awareness are crucial in realising one’s true nature and achieving self-actualisation. The Bhagavad Gita generally gives a complete and multifaceted view of self-realisation. This notion...
Este artigo oferece um mapeamento provisório de alguns dos impactos afetivos do Antropoceno, uma época geológica proposta para ilustrar a indissociabilidade entre agência humana e fenómenos planetários. O artigo decorre de dois projetos de investigação: um doutoramento que levou a cabo uma análise ontológica de práticas meditativas Vipassana e Zen em França, Portugal e Reino Unido e um projeto...