Every experience, those we are aware of and those we are not, is embedded in a subjective timeline, is tinged with emotion, and inevitably evokes a certain sense of self. Here, we present a phenomenological model for consciousness and selfhood which relates time, awareness, and emotion within one framework. The consciousness state space (CSS) model is a theoretical one. It relies on a broad...
The scientific study of Buddhist meditation has proceeded without much attention to Buddhist literature that details the range of psychological and physiological changes thought to occur during meditation. This paper presents reports of various meditation-induced light experiences derived from American Buddhist practitioners. The reports of light experiences are classified into two main types:...
Meditation practices have grown in popularity throughout Western culture over the past thirty years, in part due to an increasing number of scientific studies documenting many personal benefits resulting from meditation. Studies have shown, for example, that meditation improves cognitive capacities, mental health outcomes, and increases gray matter in the brain. Yet little empirical research...
Spiritual engagement has long been argued, and often empirically supported, as important to well-being. Recent work suggests mindfulness must be considered when investigating relationships between spirituality and health. Mindfulness, which involves the intentional direction of attention to the present moment with an accepting and nonjudgmental attitude, has received a great deal of attention...
CONTEXT: Relationships between mind and body have gradually become accepted. Yogic practices cause modulation of the immune system. Transcendental meditation (TM) is a specific form of mantra meditation. We reported previously different plasma levels of catecholamines and pituitary hormones in TM practitioners comparing with a control group, and patterns of the daytime secretion of these...
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a secular form of meditation training. The vast majority of the extant literature investigating the health effects of mindfulness interventions relies on wait-list control comparisons. Previous studies have found that meditation training over several months is associated with improvements in cognitive control and attention. We used a visual...