The Science of Meditation
Asian Traditions of Meditation October 31, 2016 Are Holen
Scientific research on meditation began in the 1970s with a focus on the physiology of relaxation, while a second ongoing wave emphasizes modes of attention and their neural correlates. Anglo-American scientists have dominated both waves, yet the meditation practices studied have almost exclusively Asian origins. This essay argues that the shifting focus of meditation research is shaped not only by available scientific methods but also by the specific form of meditation under investigation and by influences from society and popular culture.