This literature review examines Vipassana meditation as a multifaceted practice with significant psychological and social benefits. Rooted in ancient Indian traditions and revived in the 20th century by S.N. Goenka, Vipassana meditation focuses on self-observation and mindfulness to cultivate deep self-awareness and ethical living. This review synthesizes historical, empirical, and theoretical...
Altered states of consciousness (ASC) induced by meditation, psychedelic drugs, or impending death are quite a fascinating and important field of investigation. This paper argues that ASC essentially have nothing to do with consciousness, but a story about perception.Our study starts from summarizing four essential phenomena (hallucinations, paranormal phenomena, mystical experiences and...
Most if not all research into consciousness in neuroscience and philosophy has dealt with the consciousness we all live within from birth, which in Dennison (2019) I termed the “human default sensory consciousness”. This was to contrast this mode to a quite different form of consciousness that develops in the Buddhist practice of jhāna meditation. This little known practice implicitly requires...
Rhonda K. Rodgers, Vanessa L. Kettering, Jeremy P. Hunter
Organizational leaders and decision makers are searching for those who “do the right thing” regardless of moral complexities or cultural norms. Researchers have categorized these individuals as mindful, authentic, etc., and suggest their more attentive, and less reactive nature enables them to maintain unique ways of seeing, thinking, and acting in the world. Interest is building in secular...
Meditation programs continue to proliferate in the modern world, with increasing participation from scientists and many others who seek to improve physical, mental, relational, and social flourishing. In developing such programs, the meditation practices have been adapted to meet the needs of modern cultures. However, through that adaptation, important contextual factors of traditional cultures...
BACKGROUND Mindfulness and meditation have a rich historical tradition, and a growing scientific base of evidence supports their use in creating positive psychological and neuroplastic changes for practitioners. Though meditation can be taught in various ways, the scientific community has yet to systematically study different types of meditation on neuropsychological outcomes, especially as it...
The arrival of generative artificial intelligence systems capable of fluent language, plausible images, and seemingly thoughtful responses has reignited a question in urgent terms: can a machine be conscious? This integrative review brings together philosophical argument, empirical evidence from psychology and neuroscience, and contemplative perspectives drawn from Buddhist thought to examine...
This chapter explores the characteristics of the human default sensory consciousness as it has featured in philosophic thought, in psychoanalysis and mental health, as well as in Buddhist thought and from a modern neuroscience perspective. This default mode of consciousness is then compared and contrasted to the form of consciousness that emerges in jhāna meditation, before extending the...
Various forms of mental training have been shown to improve performance on cognitively demanding tasks. Individuals trained in meditative practices, for example, show generalized improvements on a variety of tasks assessing attentional performance. A central claim of this training, derived from contemplative traditions, posits that improved attentional performance is accompanied by subjective...