Cortland Dahl, PhD, Research Scientist, Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Despite the great diversity of practices found in the world’s contemplative traditions, scientific research has focused on a limited number of practices. This is partly due to a lack of theoretical models that describe different styles of meditation and their desired effects. According to traditional accounts, different styles of meditation involves unique psychological mechanisms and are designed to bolster different aspects of well-being. Some styles, for instance, emphasize the regulation of attention and the cultivation of meta-awareness, while others employ perspective taking and self-inquiry. Each style of practice is thus likely to be reflected in the body, mind, and behavior in unique ways. In this presentation I will discuss a framework that groups traditional and contemporary meditation practices into attentional, constructive, and deconstructive families. This framework divides practices based on their psychological mechanisms and the manner in which they are thought to impact well-being. In presenting this framework, I will discuss the different families and sub-groups of meditation in this model and highlight the role it is playing in helping to guide scientific research on the nature and effects of contemplative practice.
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