Download or read book Meditation Neuroscientific Approaches and Philosophical Implications written by Stefan Schmidt and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-19 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume features a collection of essays on consciousness, which has become one of the hot topics at the crossroads between neuroscience, philosophy, and religious studies. Is consciousness something the brain produces? How can we study it? Is there just one type of consciousness or are there different states that can be discriminated? Are so called “higher states of consciousness” that some people report during meditation pointing towards a new understanding of consciousness? Meditation research is a new discipline that shows new inroads into the study of consciousness. If a meditative practice changes brain structure itself this is direct proof of the causal influence of consciousness onto its substrate. If different states of consciousness can be linked with properties and states of the brain this can be used to study consciousness more directly. If the sense of self is modifiable through meditative techniques and this can be objectively shown through neuro-imaging, this has profound implications for our understanding of who we are. Can consciousness, in deep states of meditative absorption, actually access some aspect of reality which we normally don't? Meditation research can potentially foster us with a new access to the phenomenological method in general. This has even been branded with a new catch-phrase: Contemplative Science. It brings together the most modern neuroscientific approach and the most advanced phenomenological methodology of studying the mind from within, through highly skilled self-observation that has gone through many thousand hours of honing the capacity to look carefully, without distraction. This book addresses these issues by bringing together some of the leading researchers and thinkers in the field. The scope of the volume reaches from first person neuroscience to Indian philosophy, from pedagogic applications to epistemological aspects and from compassion meditation to the study of brain activity.

Download or read book Neuroscience Consciousness and Spirituality written by Harald Walach and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-08-31 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality presents a variety of perspectives by leading thinkers on contemporary research into the brain, the mind and the spirit. This volumes aims at combining knowledge from neuroscience with approaches from the experiential perspective of the first person singular in order to arrive at an integrated understanding of consciousness. Individual chapters discuss new areas of research, such as near death studies and neuroscience research into spiritual experiences, and report on significant new theoretical advances. From Harald Walach’s introductory essay, “Neuroscience, Consciousness, Spirituality – Questions, Problems and Potential Solutions,” to the concluding chapter by Robert K. C. Foreman entitled “An Emerging New Model for Consciousness: The Consciousness Field Model,” this book represents a milestone in the progress towards an integrated understanding of spirituality, neuroscience and consciousness. It is the first in a series of books that are dedicated to this topic.

Download or read book The Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness written by Philip David Zelazo and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2007-05-14 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness is the first of its kind in the field, and its appearance marks a unique time in the history of intellectual inquiry on the topic. After decades during which consciousness was considered beyond the scope of legitimate scientific investigation, consciousness re-emerged as a popular focus of research towards the end of the last century, and it has remained so for nearly 20 years. There are now so many different lines of investigation on consciousness that the time has come when the field may finally benefit from a book that pulls them together and, by juxtaposing them, provides a comprehensive survey of this exciting field. An authoritative desk reference, which will also be suitable as an advanced textbook.

Download or read book Waking Dreaming Being written by Evan Thompson and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2014-11-18 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A renowned philosopher of the mind, also known for his groundbreaking work on Buddhism and cognitive science, Evan Thompson combines the latest neuroscience research on sleep, dreaming, and meditation with Indian and Western philosophy of mind, casting new light on the self and its relation to the brain. Thompson shows how the self is a changing process, not a static thing. When we are awake we identify with our body, but if we let our mind wander or daydream, we project a mentally imagined self into the remembered past or anticipated future. As we fall asleep, the impression of being a bounded self distinct from the world dissolves, but the self reappears in the dream state. If we have a lucid dream, we no longer identify only with the self within the dream. Our sense of self now includes our dreaming self, the "I" as dreamer. Finally, as we meditate—either in the waking state or in a lucid dream—we can observe whatever images or thoughts arise and how we tend to identify with them as "me." We can also experience sheer awareness itself, distinct from the changing contents that make up our image of the self. Contemplative traditions say that we can learn to let go of the self, so that when we die we can witness its dissolution with equanimity. Thompson weaves together neuroscience, philosophy, and personal narrative to depict these transformations, adding uncommon depth to life's profound questions. Contemplative experience comes to illuminate scientific findings, and scientific evidence enriches the vast knowledge acquired by contemplatives.

Download or read book Hypnosis and Meditation written by Amir Raz and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research over the past decade has helped to demystify hypnosis and meditation, bringing these practices into the scientific and clinical mainstream. Yet, while hypnosis and meditation overlap on many levels, few scientific accounts have explored their complementary rapprochement. Despite cultural and historical differences, hypnosis and meditation share common phenomenology, cognitive processes, and potential therapeutic merits. This book provides a synthesis of knowledge concerning the bridging of hypnosis and meditation. The authors adopt a trans-disciplinary approach considering cultural, historical, and philosophical perspectives to elucidate contemporary questions in cognitive, neurobiological, and clinical science. The book explores the relationship between hypnosis and meditation in five progressive sections: Part 1 investigates historical, cultural, and philosophical issues to contextualize the scientific study of contemplative practices. Part 2 presents a range of views concerning the similarities and differences between hypnosis and meditation. Part 3 explores the psychological and cognitive mechanisms at work. Part 4 integrates recent brain imaging findings to unravel the neural underpinnings. Finally, part 5 examines how juxtaposing hypnosis and meditation can enhance clinical applications. Hypnosis and Meditation is a valuable resource to both specialists as well as interested lay readers, and paves the road to a more unified science of how attention influences states of brain, body, and consciousness.

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Spontaneous Thought written by Kieran C. R. Fox and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 657 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where do spontaneous thoughts come from? It may be surprising that the seemingly straightforward answers "from the mind" or "from the brain" are in fact an incredibly recent understanding of the origins of spontaneous thought. For nearly all of human history, our thoughts - especially the most sudden, insightful, and important - were almost universally ascribed to divine or other external sources. Only in the past few centuries have we truly taken responsibility for their own mental content, and finally localized thought to the central nervous system - laying the foundations for a protoscience of spontaneous thought. But enormous questions still loom: what, exactly, is spontaneous thought? Why does our brain engage in spontaneous forms of thinking, and when is this most likely to occur? And perhaps the question most interesting and accessible from a scientific perspective: how does the brain generate and evaluate its own spontaneous creations? Spontaneous thought includes our daytime fantasies and mind-wandering; the flashes of insight and inspiration familiar to the artist, scientist, and inventor; and the nighttime visions we call dreams. This Handbook brings together views from neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, phenomenology, history, education, contemplative traditions, and clinical practice to begin to address the ubiquitous but poorly understood mental phenomena that we collectively call 'spontaneous thought.' In studying such an abstruse and seemingly impractical subject, we should remember that our capacity for spontaneity, originality, and creativity defines us as a species - and as individuals. Spontaneous forms of thought enable us to transcend not only the here and now of perceptual experience, but also the bonds of our deliberately-controlled and goal-directed cognition; they allow the space for us to be other than who we are, and for our minds to think beyond the limitations of our current viewpoints and beliefs.

Download or read book Secular Spirituality written by Harald Walach and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-09-18 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book discusses spirituality as an emerging scientific topic from a historical perspective, with extensive discussion of the mind-body problem and of scientific concepts of consciousness. While the book focuses on the Western tradition of ‘Enlightenment’, it also implicitly addresses the double meaning of the term, with the Eastern tradition describing it as ‘a state of true knowledge, which is an important goal on an individual’s spiritual path’ and the Western tradition seeing it as ‘the collective process of getting rid of narrow-minded dogmas and concepts’. The book is based on a simple yet challenging premise: Science has not gone far enough in the scientific process of going from a collective mind tied up in dogmatic teachings to a truly free mind that, seemingly, freed itself from bondage and restrictions. The book shows that science, and with it our whole Western culture, has to incorporate spirituality if it is to realize this goal of enlightenment. If that is done, and it can only be done by many individuals actually practicing spirituality, this will also lead to the individual type of enlightenment.

Download or read book Handbook of Research on Evidence Based Perspectives on the Psychophysiology of Yoga and Its Applications written by Telles, Shirley and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2020-08-28 with total page 577 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While yoga was originally intended to be practiced for spiritual growth, there is an increasing interest in applying yoga in all areas of life. It is important to understand this ancient science and way of life through as many perspectives as possible (e.g., based on biomedical engineering). As its popularity and interest grows, more practitioners want to know about the proven physiological effects and uses in healthcare. The Handbook of Research on Evidence-Based Perspectives on the Psychophysiology of Yoga and Its Applications provides research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of yoga therapy and its physiological effects from diverse, evidence-based viewpoints. The book adds in-depth information regarding the (1) physiological effects of yoga; (2) neurobiological effects of yoga meditation; (3) psychological benefits related to yoga, such as mental wellbeing; (4) molecular changes associated with yoga practice; and (5) therapeutic applications (for lymphedema, mental health disorders, non-communicable diseases, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and trauma, among other conditions). Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as pain management, psychotherapy, and trauma treatment, this book is ideally designed for yoga practitioners, physicians, medical professionals, health experts, mental health professionals, therapists, counselors, psychologists, spiritual leaders, academicians, researchers, and students.

Download or read book Mindfulness Based Intervention Research written by Christian U. Krägeloh and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-04-12 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides an outline and critical discussion of the characteristics of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) research. Since the first reports on the use of mindfulness practices in health interventions, a large body of research literature has emerged to document the effectiveness of MBIs for reducing psychological distress and to increase well-being. The integration of mindfulness into very diverse psychological theories makes it a unique concept in psychology that has generated a large amount of interest both in academic research but also the broader media. With this growing literature, mindfulness researchers have also recognised the need to be more critical of its developments, such as how MBIs are presented to the public or what types of research methods are used to test claims of an MBI’s effectiveness. This book examines the large variety of approaches in which MBIs have been studied, including an outline of the philosophical underpinnings of MBI research, definition and measurement of mindfulness, the use of qualitative and quantitative research methods, research design, and research that addresses cultural and religious factors. The book contributes to increased awareness of the current direction of MBI research and thus seeks to contribute to further methodological refinement and sophistication of the research field. This book on the characteristics of research on MBIs is a must read for any researcher or practitioner interested in this fascinating topic.

Download or read book How to Overcome Digital Distraction written by Swami Vireshananda and published by Advaita Ashrama (A Publication House of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math). This book was released on 2023-12-31 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today human beings are living more in the parallel world known as the “Digital World” or the “Virtual World”. This computer-based online community environment has no doubt its incredible benefits and advantages, not even dreamt of by our preceding generations. At the same time, it has also the frightening potential to make human beings mentally sick, and isolated, and suppress all those healthy elements which make human beings human. Today, it is a fact that this digital or virtual world is something which cannot be done away with. This being so, the only option left to us is to develop the art or skill of using it intelligently, without endangering the mental and physical well-being of the individual and the society. How to handle this “digital distraction” caused by “digital slavery” is the focus of this book, the importance of which doesn’t need to be emphasised. The book endeavours to address this important issue from various angles, through articles written by experts and thinkers from various backgrounds. Published by Advaita Ashrama, a branch of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, India.

Download or read book Spirituality and Mental Health Across Cultures written by Alexander Moreira-Almeida and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-08-02 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religiosity and spirituality (R/S) represent a very important factor of daily life for many individuals across different cultures and contexts. It is associated with lower rates of depression, suicide, mortality, and substance abuse, and is positively correlated with well-being and quality of life. Despite growing academic recognition and scientific literature on these connections this knowledge has not been translated into clinical practice. Part of the expanding Oxford Cultural Psychiatry series, Spirituality and Mental Health Across Cultures is a timely exploration of the implications of R/S on mental health. Written and edited by 38 experts in the fields of spirituality and mental health from 11 countries, covering a wide range of cultural and geographical perspectives, this unique resource assesses how mental health relates to world religions, agnosticism, atheism, and spiritualism unaffiliated with organised religion, with a practical touch. Across 25 chapters, this resource provides readers with a succinct and trustworthy review of the latest research and how this can be applied to clinical care. The first section covers the principles and fundamental questions that relate science, history, philosophy, neuroscience, religion, and spirituality with mental health. The second section discusses the main beliefs and practices related to world religions and their implications to mental health. The third reviews the impact of R/S on specific clinical situations and offers practical guidance on how to handle these appropriately, such as practical suggestions for assessing and integrating R/S in personal history anamnesis or psychotherapy.

Download or read book Intentional Transformative Experiences written by Sarah Perez and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2024-09-23 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers new theoretical insights into religious, esoteric, and philosophical practices and narratives that deal with "intentional transformative experiences." Exceptional life-changing experiences are often believed to be beyond the individual's control--they are thought to "simply happen." However, many individuals actively and self-reflectively search for transformative experiences. Intentional Transformative Experiences provides analyses of such intentionally sought experiences in different spiritual, religious, and esoteric milieus. Case studies range from South and Central Asian traditions to Western esoteric practices, compare autobiographical narratives of self-cultivation, and explore attempts to systematize intentional transformative experiences. Next to applying established theoretical frameworks, such as the cognitive science of religion and philosophy, this volume also includes considerations on subsets of transformative experiences such as the dichotomy of intentionality and unintentionality, risk and failure, as well as the transformation of others instead of one's own self. The result is an important contribution for researchers who deal with narratives or practices that include "transformative experiences."

Download or read book Interoception Contemplative Practice and Health written by Norman Farb and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2017-02-07 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is an emergent movement of scientists and scholars working on somatic awareness, interoception and embodiment. This work cuts across studies of neurophysiology, somatic anthropology, contemplative practice, and mind-body medicine. Key questions include: How is body awareness cultivated? What role does interoception play for emotion and cognition in healthy adults and children as well as in different psychopathologies? What are the neurophysiological effects of this cultivation in practices such as Yoga, mindfulness meditation, Tai Chi and other embodied contemplative practices? What categories from other traditions might be useful as we explore embodiment? Does the cultivation of body awareness within contemplative practice offer a tool for coping with suffering from conditions, such as pain, addiction, and dysregulated emotion? This emergent field of research into somatic awareness and associated interoceptive processes, however, faces many obstacles. The principle obstacle lies in our 400-year Cartesian tradition that views sensory perception as epiphenomenal to cognition. The segregation of perception and cognition has enabled a broad program of cognitive science research, but may have also prevented researchers from developing paradigms for understanding how interoceptive awareness of sensations from inside the body influences cognition. The cognitive representation of interoceptive signals may play an active role in facilitating therapeutic transformation, e.g. by altering context in which cognitive appraisals of well-being occur. This topic has ramifications into disparate research fields: What is the role of interoceptive awareness in conscious presence? How do we distinguish between adaptive and maladaptive somatic awareness? How do we best measure somatic awareness? What are the consequences of dysregulated somatic/interoceptive awareness on cognition, emotion, and behavior? The complexity of these questions calls for the creative integration of perspectives and findings from related but often disparate research areas including clinical research, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, anthropology, religious/contemplative studies and philosophy.

Download or read book A Leap of Inter Faith written by Amber Mattingly and published by Energion Publications. This book was released on 2022-02-21 with total page 45 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can a spiritual practice from one spiritual tradition be used wisely, respectfully, and effectively in another? In this 46th volume in the Topical Line Drives series two authors, one ordained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and one a Christian Church/Disciples of Christ minister combine their talents, their passion, and their desire to serve by looking at one practice from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and how it might be practiced by Christians. They examine both the theoretical, theological, and religious aspects of responding positively to the possibilities in this sharing. At the same time, they are careful to respect one another’s faith traditions so that this sharing can be building and healing. Books in this series are by nature short and to the point. This is an introduction. But it is a powerful and helpful introduction, one that may lead the reader into new adventures of faith and spiritual life.

Download or read book Wellbeing and the Worshipper written by Mohamed Safiullah Munsoor and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-05-04 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a rare piece of empirical research, which reveals the workings of a spiritual order, its leadership, as well as their approaches, methods and tools. It demonstrates how the seekers, who were partly drug addicts and HIV patients, and the general segment of this Order, have been able to positively transform themselves. A multidisciplinary approach enlightens the analysis and discussion by bringing together spirituality, psychology, neuroscience as well as organisational development, to produce a rich tapestry of first hand insights. This book provides an integrated approach to understanding the landscape of a spiritual order primarily using a mixed method and a holistic approach with a particular focus on Islam. Qualitative examples include interpretivistic phenomenological approaches and neuro-linguistic programming. The book highlights the positive impact of worship by providing practical guidance and suggestions on how to spiritually improve oneself. This dualistic approach generated a working model for spiritual leadership and self-development. The unsuspecting but important link of spirituality to the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) is highlighted and discussed, which needs to be factored into the global development narrative. The text is primarily for researchers, yet has a secondary use for students and general readership given the comprehensive review establishing a conceptual framework for worship and morality.

Download or read book Introducing Contemplative Studies written by Louis Komjathy and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2017-11-29 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book-length introduction to an exciting new interdisciplinary field—written by an internationally recognized leader of the Contemplative Studies movement This is the first book-length introduction to a growing and influential interdisciplinary field focused on contemplative practice, contemplative experience, and contemplative pedagogy. Written by an internationally recognized leader in the area, Introducing Contemplative Studies seeks to provide readers with a deep and practical understanding of the nature and purpose of the field while encouraging them to find a place of their own in an increasingly widespread movement. At once comprehensive overview, critical reflection, and visionary proposal, the book explores the central approaches and issues in Contemplative Studies, tackles questions and problems that sometimes go unaddressed, and identifies promising new developments. The author also discusses contemplative pedagogy, an experiential approach to teaching and learning informed by and expressed as contemplative practice. This is a major introduction to a fast emerging interdisciplinary field that will be invaluable to those interested in the area. The only comprehensive introduction to the emerging, interdisciplinary field of Contemplative Studies Written by a distinguished leader in the Contemplative Studies movement who is founding Co-Chair of the Contemplative Studies Group of the American Academy of Religion Informed by ten years of research and practice, the book explores the field’s varied approaches and expressions Offers critical reviews of trends which will create discussions both within and outside the Contemplative Studies Liberally illustrated with both images and charts Introducing Contemplative Studies is a must-read for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, teachers and scholars in Contemplative Studies, as well as anyone who is curious about contemplative practice, meditation, contemplative experience, contemplative pedagogy, contemplative science, and, of course, the exciting field of Contemplative Studies generally.

Download or read book The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Empathy written by Heidi Maibom and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-02-03 with total page 841 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Empathy plays a central role in the history and contemporary study of ethics, interpersonal understanding, and the emotions, yet until now has been relatively underexplored. The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Empathy is an outstanding reference source to the key topics, problems and debates in this exciting field and is the first collection of its kind. Comprising over thirty chapters by a team of international contributors, the Handbook is divided into six parts: Core issues History of empathy Empathy and understanding Empathy and morals Empathy in art and aesthetics Empathy and individual differences. Within these sections central topics and problems are examined, including: empathy and imagination; neuroscience; David Hume and Adam Smith; understanding; evolution; altruism; moral responsibility; art, aesthetics, and literature; gender; empathy and related disciplines such as anthropology. Essential reading for students and researchers in philosophy, particularly ethics and philosophy of mind and psychology, the Handbook will also be of interest to those in related fields, such as anthropology and social psychology.