Meditation to fit the person: Psychology and the meditative way
Only lately having recovered their bodies and feelings, Western devotees of various meditative practices are in increasing numbers striving to transcend both. Is such a turning inward healthy for individuals and our society? A full response requires both a clarifying discussion of exactly what medit...
| Published in: | Journal of religion and health |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer Science + Business Media B. V.
[1979]
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| In: |
Journal of religion and health
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| Further subjects: | B
Active Reception
B Personal Life B Full Response B Research Finding B Meditative Practice |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) |
| Summary: | Only lately having recovered their bodies and feelings, Western devotees of various meditative practices are in increasing numbers striving to transcend both. Is such a turning inward healthy for individuals and our society? A full response requires both a clarifying discussion of exactly what meditation is and a review of its effects. Meditation, essentially a way of life, is marked by four stages: preparation, attention, active reception, and higher consciousness. Even though the Western traditions aim finally at union with the Infinite and Eastern traditions seek primarily an internal unity through the negation of consciousness, both describe essentially the same four stages, reached through the meditative pathways of the intellect, emotions, body, and action. Present scientific research is only beginning to provide data on the effects of meditation upon the person. To date, most research findings point out psychophysiological changes during meditation, indicating a low-stress state. Meditative experience lends support to the conclusion that successful meditation also positively affects growth by touching man's inner life source, expanding his consciousness, and revealing personal life directions. |
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| ISSN: | 1573-6571 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of religion and health
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/BF01535368 |