Body, Soul, and Spirit: An Explorative Qualitative Study of Anthroposophic Meditation and Spiritual Practice
Religions June 26, 2020 DOI: 10.3390/rel11060314 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractLong-term practitioners of Anthroposophic meditation report experiences organized into seven main themes: self, cognition, perception, affect, sleep, embodiment, and environment, with 32 subthemes. This previously unstudied form of meditation, originating in the early 20th-century German-speaking world, emphasizes cognition, self-development, and pro-social action. The findings suggest both overlaps with current meditation research and new areas for inquiry, including personal development focused on strengthening the self, introspective inquiry, sensed presences, phenomenological atmospheres, consciousness during sleep, embodied meditation experiences, the connection between practice and daily life, and meditation challenges.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Long-term practitioners of Anthroposophic meditation |
| Intervention | Anthroposophic meditation |
| Keywords | Psychology Philosophy |
| Citations | 12 |
| Key finding | Seven main themes characterize the experiences of long-term Anthroposophic meditation practitioners: self, cognition, perception, affect, sleep, embodiment, and environment. |
Abstract
This article presents the results of a qualitative study of Anthroposophic meditation, which arose in the German-speaking world in the early 20th Century focusing on cognition, self-development, and pro-social action. The objective was to explore this previously unstudied form of meditation. The current sample (N = 30) consists of long-term practitioners of Anthroposophic meditation. Semi-structured interviews, focusing on demographics, background, and phenomenology and interpretation, were conducted with these practitioners. The material gathered was investigated using thematic analysis. Seven main themes were found: Self, cognition, perception, affect, sleep, embodiment, and environment, and, among these, 32 subthemes. Potential avenues for further research are outlined. Some of these overlap with current approaches to meditation while others represent new areas of inquiry: Personal development with a focus on strengthening the self, introspection or contemplative inquiry, sensed presences, the experience of phenomenological atmospheres, consciousness in the sleep state, embodied aspects of meditation experience, the relationship between practice and daily life, and meditation challenges.