In view of mankind's never-ending search for emotional stability, contentment and peace of mind, it is surprising that so little research has been undertaken in the investigation of the practice of meditation which - according to the claims of its practitioners, ancient and modern - can bring about just these effects- Meditation can be defined as a narrowing of the field of attention in a manner, and for a time determined by the will. The mind is made one-pointed, does not waver, does not scatter itself, and it becomes steady like the flame of a lamp in the absence of wind. (Conze, 1969, p. 19) The object of meditation may be a physical object, a mental image, a phrase or an idea, the choice within these categories being determined by the supposed effect of the object upon the consciousness of the meditator.

published_or_final_version / Buddhist Studies / Master / Master of Buddhist Studies

D.Litt et Phil. / The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a contemplation meditation intervention aimed at developing great compassion on the psychological well-being of a group of adolescents. A supporting aim of this study was to elucidate conceptualisations of psychological well-being and contemplation meditation (Mahayana Buddhist analytical meditation and placement meditation) theory. The subjects of happiness and well-being have been focused upon in the East for thousands of years in philosophical theorisation and methodology (e.g. Buddhism) (Gyatso, 1995, 2000, 2001a, 2002a, 2005, 2007, 2010). In the West, although comparatively lagging behind, there has been increased interest in these topics since the advent of positive psychology (Compton, 2005; Peterson & Seligman, 2004; Ryff & Singer, 2008). In the past two decades, Eastern wisdom has also become more incorporated into Western psychology. For example, mindfulness meditation has been extensively integrated into Western stress reduction and clinical therapies (e.g. Kabat-Zinn, 1982, 2003, 2009; Schroevers & Brandsma, 2010). Less is known, however, about other forms of meditation, particularly contemplation meditation. Specifically, Mahayana Buddhist theory explains that contemplation and meditation on compassion and wisdom leads to permanent inner peace and optimal happiness, which has largely been overlooked in psychology. Furthermore, regarding Western positive mental health interventions, there is still limited research on how to foster well-being specifically in adolescents. Moreover, Huebner and Diener (2008) have noted that subjective well-being research in adults exceeds subjective well-being research in youth. Additionally, there is minimal research on psychological well-being as understood from the eudaimonic perspective, in comparison to hedonic subjective well-being (Keyes, 2009). The present study thus attempts to expand knowledge on increasing psychological well-being in adolescents by also drawing on Eastern theorisation and methodology.

Meditation includes a variety of techniques that share a common conscious effort to focus attention in a non-analytic way. In terms of its goals, meditation is a state of completely focused attention devoid of external thoughts--a state of heightened choice-less awareness. This study was designed to: (1) Identify and critically review professional literature on the effectiveness of meditation; (2) Provide an overall measure of effectiveness through the statistical meta-analysis technique; (3) Provide a classification of findings through the voting method; and (4) summarize and integrate highlights and major findings for the purpose of generating implications for future research and practice in counseling and psychotherapy.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, November, 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

This qualitative study is an exploration of advanced meditators' understandings of how the personal traits developed through meditation have influenced their relationships. The term meditation refers to self-regulation practices that train attention and awareness. A "meditative trait" refers to the lasting effects in sensory, cognitive and self-referential awareness that continue whether or not the practitioner is actively engaged in meditation. These traits may have some influence on meditators' close relationships, but there has been little research of this effect to date. Seven participants were interviewed about their experiences of meditative traits, and how they have seen these traits affect their relationships. The meditative traits that the participants identified were (1) awareness of body sensations and emotions; (2) disidentification from emotions and thoughts; (3) acceptance of situations, oneself, and others; and (4) compassion and loving kindness for oneself and others. The relational effects of these traits were (1) less reactivity in relationships, (2) greater freedom and safety for the participants and the others with whom they are in relationship, (3) a new understanding of the nature of connection between people, which included an awareness of the unity and separation that exists among people, and a deepened experience of intimacy and independence within relationships. Also included are a discussion of the connections between these themes and the existing literature, the strengths and limitations of this study, and the implications for future research and family therapy practice. / Master of Science

No description available.

In this thesis I seek to establish an understanding of Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM), and to identify and evaluate the effects on wellbeing, that are claimed by practitioners and previous research. The context in which the thesis sits is the current focus on finding ways to improve wellbeing in the general public, to which LKM has the potential to contribute, given its unique focus on affect and connectedness, and their associated links with wellbeing. A mixed methods design was developed following a review of the limited current literature base. The review revealed discrepancies in how LKM was being employed. This included whether LKM was studied alone or in conjunction with other practices, the duration of exposure to LKM, and which aspects of the practice that were focused on during the practice. These differences may account for the variation in efficacy and the range of outcomes observed across the literature bases. As such, a programme exploring the impact of LKM on wellbeing, to test and affirm this assumption from theory and previous research findings, that employed a form of LKM that was reflective of realistic, everyday practice, was seen as useful. Two qualitative based studies were therefore used to establish an understanding of the practice, with practitioners who had a range of experience with LKM. The first study looked to clarify what the main aspects of the practice are, by interviewing very experienced LKM practitioners. Three themes emerged which spanned all aspects of the practice. Combined, these indicated that there was variation in how the practice is engaged with across the sample, with key components of the practice such as it being viewed more as a way of being, and elements such as connectedness and wholeness emerging as core underlying factors of the practice. The second study built on this, by expanding the sample to see whether the perception and understanding of the practice established from study one was consistent, or whether it was a viewpoint held by practitioners with extensive practice. To maintain depth of understanding, while identifying patterns of similar views, Q methodology was employed to sample a wide range of LKM practitioners. The resulting analysis indicated that there were consistent views held by the whole sample, evidenced by the placement of a few statements regarding the importance of the practice as a whole, as well as the self and enemies in the same area of the grid by all participants. This served to confirm, as well as add to, the key factors of the practice that had been observed in study one. The outcomes from the first two studies therefore fed into the design of the second two, which were more quantitative in design, and explored the impact of LKM in settings that were high in ecological validity; one online and one face to face. The third study made use of an existing programme, to explore the effects of the practice, as much of the previous literature focuses on interventions and programmes developed for purpose. The findings showed increases in wellbeing related measures, with exploratory analyses suggesting that self-compassion may be a key variable in linking LKM to improvements in wellbeing. The fourth study built on the findings from each of the previous studies, and explored the effects of an LKM programme developed to be in line with how existing practitioners engage with LKM. Additionally, to explore whether the focus of LKM resulted in different changes to other practices, a Mindfulness group was included as an active control. Findings suggested that LKM could impact positively on wellbeing related measures, with a measure of connectedness differing between the LKM and MM group in terms of magnitude of change. This indicated that connectedness is a core part of the LKM practice, compared to Mindfulness. Combined, the four studies complement one another in presenting a holistic understanding of LKM practice; how it can be understood, how it is practised, as well as what impacts the practice has. The thesis concludes by presenting the core components of the practice, but emphasises that connectedness is key. This was the factor that differentiates it from other practices such as mindfulness, the connection with the self and others may be one of the underlying mechanisms for how LKM results in positive change in the practitioner, and was a concept that was raised in every study in the thesis. In addition to this, the conclusions also suggest that given this core component of the practice, and the positive findings from the two studies that tested the impact of LKM, that the practice could be encouraged as a way of maintaining and improving wellbeing in the general public.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-74).

Negative affect and emotions such as anger and anxiety, are risk factors related to sexual offending (Howells, Day, & Wright, 2004; Serran & Marshall, 2006). Consequently, most sexual offender treatment programs teach offenders how to cope with situations that produce negative emotionality (Pithers et al., 1989; Marshall, Marshall, Serran, 2006). A review of mindfulness meditation, a positive therapeutic approach, has demonstrated utility in improving emotional management skills (Baer, 2003), however meditation has yet to be considered as a treatment for sexual offenders. The present study is a pilot attempt at exploring the feasibility of using meditation in working with sexual offenders. Results show that participants were receptive to meditation, thought it may be beneficial, and were able to concentrate and relax during an experiential session. The potential benefits of mindfulness for improving emotional management in sexual offenders will be discussed and directions for future research will be explored.