A qualitative study of motivations for meditation in anthroposophic practitioners
PLoS ONE September 13, 2018 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203184 via OpenAlex
Summary
An overview of motivations among 30 Anthroposophic meditators was conducted through thematic analysis of their experiences. The study identified 14 themes organized into three main motivation categories: external, internal, and service. It suggests a developmental trajectory from external and internal motivations to service-oriented motivations, enhancing an existing framework by distinguishing between self-related and other-related motivations.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Anthroposophic meditators |
| Key finding | A developmental trajectory from external and internal motivations to service motivations was indicated among the meditators. |
Abstract
Research on meditation is advancing, but few studies about the motivations of meditators exist. Additionally, many forms and traditions of meditation have yet to be investigated. This study addresses both of these issues by presenting an overview of different forms of motivations found in contemporary Anthroposophic meditation practice. 30 Anthroposophic meditators were interviewed about their meditation experiences. The interviews were examined using thematic analysis. 14 data-driven themes were extracted and organized within a framework consisting of three superordinate theory-driven forms of motivation: External, internal and service. A developmental trajectory running from external and internal to service motivations is indicated. This approach improves upon a scheme developed by Shapiro by including additional types of motivations and being able to differentiate between forms of motivations that are fundamentally different: Self-related (heteronomous and autonomous) motivations and other-related motivations.