Defining Bhāvanā through the PAL framework: grounded theory insights from long-term IAM®-35 practitioners
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications September 25, 2025 S. Devadas Pillai, Hemaa Manimaran, Glenn B. Mannheim et al.
Bhāvanā, an ancient contemplative principle meaning 'bringing into being,' remains under-defined in empirical research despite its presence in classical Indian texts. This study provides the first practitioner-grounded model of Bhāvanā, based on interviews with 27 long-term practitioners of the IAM®-35 meditation practice. Using Grounded Theory methodology with open, axial, and selective coding, the authors developed the PAL framework: Prerequisites for practice, Aspects of the meditation process, and Levels of Bhāvanā experience. Participants described Bhāvanā as an immersive internal process integrating awareness, memory, and multisensory engagement, fostering transformative experiences of personal and spiritual unity. The framework bridges ancient contemplative principles with modern experiential insights.