Measuring a Journey without Goal: Meditation, Spirituality, and Physiology

摘要: The secular practice of meditation is associated with a range physiological and cognitive effects, including lower blood pressure, cortisol, cortical thickening, activation areas the brain attention emotion regulation. However, in context spiritual practice, these benefits are secondary gains, as primary aim transformation. Despite obvious difficulties trying to measure journey without goal, aspects involved should also be addressed by experimental study. This review starts considering form relaxation response (a counterpart stress response), before contrasting mindfulness research that emphasizes role alertness meditation. contrast demonstrates how reference traditional texts (in this case Buddhist) can used guide questions involving Further considerations detailed, along proposal triangulate textual sources, first person accounts (i.e., neurophenomenology), physiological/cognitive measures order aid our understanding meditation, not only health benefits, but practice.