The Phenomenology of Meditation
The Oxford Handbook of Meditation February 10, 2021 Carlos Henrique Do Carmo Silva 2 citations
Meditation in Western Christian and Hindu Yoga Sūtras traditions shares unexpected convergences, such as exercises in focused concentration and a hierarchy of consciousness states where the sense of self transforms progressively. Yet essential differences remain. The chapter critically appraises today's popular understanding of meditation, which emphasizes healing and psychobiology. Meditation is not a science but an art of mind transformation: desiring and thinking minds become the ferment meditation works on, no longer in control. Using St. Teresa of Ávila's metaphor, the process is like a windmill grinding independently of the will. Thus meditatio and dhyāna are rich traditions of creative spirituality, radically different from domesticated versions used for well-being.