The Teacher Matters: The Role and Impact of Meditation Teachers in the Trajectories of Western Buddhist Meditators Experiencing Meditation-Related Challenges
Nicholas K. Canby, Jared R. Lindahl, David J. Cooper, N. J. Joseph, Roman Palitsky, Willoughby B. Britton
Contemporary Buddhism April 22, 2025 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1080/14639947.2025.2485677 via OpenAlex
Summary
Meditation teachers can significantly influence Western practitioners facing meditation-related challenges, with effects ranging from highly beneficial to highly detrimental. A study involving 68 practitioners and 33 experts highlighted that beneficial relationships often involve access to well-qualified teachers who provide appropriate guidance, especially those trained in psychology. Conversely, negative experiences stemmed from factors like teacher unavailability, unsupportive responses, and mismatched dynamics. The findings also reflect how the integration of psychological principles into Buddhist meditation affects these relationships.
Study at a glance
| Design | mixed-methods study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 101 |
| Population | 68 meditation practitioners and 33 experts (teachers and clinicians) from various Buddhist lineages |
| Key finding | The impact of meditation teachers on practitioners navigating challenges can vary widely, being either highly beneficial or highly detrimental. |
Abstract
Although meditation is often treated as an individual practice, meditation teachers can play an important role. Drawing on the mixed-methods dataset of the Varieties of Contemplative Experience project, this paper examines the role of meditation teachers and their impacts on Western practitioners who are navigating meditation-related challenges. Quantitative and qualitative results from 68 meditation practitioners and 33 experts (teachers and clinicians) from a range of Buddhist lineages indicate that the impact of teachers on practitioners navigating challenges ranged from highly beneficial to highly detrimental. Key characteristics in beneficial student-teacher relationships included having access to and receiving appropriate guidance from a well-qualified teacher, as well as having a teacher whose approach to working with challenges was informed by training in psychology or mental health. Other factors described as unhelpful or leading to additional distress included a lack of availability or teacher access; limited student tracking or disclosure; invalidating, unsupportive, victim-blaming, or scripted teacher responses; a lack of perceived teacher expertise; or mismatched interpersonal or cultural dynamics. These findings also illustrate various ways in which the psychologization of Buddhist meditation in the West influences student-teacher relationships and establishes certain expectations that are made particularly apparent in the context of meditation-related challenges.