Meditation

Last updated Feb 1, 2022 Edit Source

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• PHIL451A

# A Traditional Account1

• bhāvanā = “bringing into being” certain types of mental states, qualities, and traits through repeated practice
• śamatha(calm, tranquility): a state of sustained and stable attention, concentration.
• Classical mindfulness, attempting to achieve states of
  • Remembering/recollecting (smṛti): holds an object in mind so as to prevent the mind from drifting away from it.
  • Clear comprehension (samprajanya): clear knowing through alert awareness of experience.
• Nondual mindfulness
  • present-centred open awareness with “mere nondistraction”

# A Cognitive Science Approach1

• Focused Attention
  • Directing attention towards an object (e.g. breathing)
  • Detecting mind wandering/distractions
  • Disengagement of attention from distractors
  • Leads to effortless sustained attention and ability to monitor attention and notice mind-wandering
  • Study showing that focussed attention led to extreme increases in perceptual dominance both during and after meditation
• Open Awareness
  • No explicit focus on objects
  • Nonreactive
  • Leads to acute awareness of phenomenal qualities of experience without ‘grasping’ (approach/avoidance).