
Contents
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Meditation Today Meditation Today
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The Meaning of Meditation The Meaning of Meditation
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The Varieties of Meditation The Varieties of Meditation
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Major Achievements in the Study of Meditation: Overview of Handbook Contents Major Achievements in the Study of Meditation: Overview of Handbook Contents
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References References
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1 Introduction: Understanding and Studying Meditation
Get accessMiguel Farias is the founding director of the Brain, Belief, and Behaviour Lab and an Associate Professor and at the Centre for Trust, Peace, and Social Relations, in Coventry University. Previously he was a lecturer in Experimental Psychology at Oxford University. His book with C. Wikholm, The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You? (2015), has been translated into various languages.
David Brazier is President of the International Zen Therapy Institute and author of a dozen books and many chapters, monographs, and articles on Buddhism, psychology, and culture. He lectures on Buddhism and Buddhist psychology in Europe, Asia, and North & South America and supervises educational programs in English and Spanish. He has practiced meditation for over fifty years.
Mansur Lalljee is an Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College, University of Oxford. He has published work on a wide range of psychological issues including the psychology of respect; the psychology of explanation; religion; social and political attitudes; and interpersonal communication. He has been an editor of the European Journal of Social Psychology and the Chair of the Social Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society.
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Published:10 March 2021
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Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is twofold. First, it explores the different meanings of meditation and its varieties across Eastern and Western traditions, including the more recent therapeutic developments. Using a Meditation Tree image, specifically created for this volume, the chapter gives examples of practices from these traditions that rely on multiple techniques, such as concentration, recitation, breathing, singing, and visualization of physical or mental objects, among others. It highlights the richness of practices but equally of experiences and expected goals, which have led to debates and tensions among meditation experts and movements for over two thousand years. Second, the chapter summarizes the structure of this volume and the major achievements in the study of meditation, as well as current limitations and controversies.
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