The Phenomenology of Meditation
Carlos Henrique Do Carmo Silva
The Oxford Handbook of Meditation February 10, 2021 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198808640.013.20
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMeditation 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.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | Meditation in Western Christian and Hindu Yoga Sūtras traditions, while having essential differences, converges in exercises of focused concentration and a hierarchy of consciousness states that progressively transform the sense of self, and is best understood as an art of mind transformation rather than a science for well-being. |
Abstract
Abstract The aim of the chapter is to compare meditation in the Western Christian tradition with the Hindu tradition, particularly from the Yoga Sūtras. Its main focus is to highlight the essential differences between meditation in these two traditions. One can find various contrasts as well as unexpected convergences, such as the description of exercises involving focused concentration and the development of a hierarchy of states of consciousness where the sense of self is progressively transformed. The chapter ends with a critical appraisal of how meditation is popularly understood today, with its healing and psychobiological emphasis. Although meditation is not a science, it can be considered an art of mind transformation: ultimately desiring and thinking minds are no longer in control but become the ferment that meditation operates on. To use St. Teresa of Ávila’s metaphor, this meditative process is like watching “a windmill that grinds without stopping” independently of the will. It is in this sense of mind transformation that meditatio and dhyāna can be conceived as rich traditions of creative human spirituality, which are radically different from the domesticated versions used today for well-being purposes.