Meditation: Empirical Research and Future Directions

A Call for the Inclusion of Spirituality in Yoga Research

“…The definition of yoga offered by this journal is a salient example-as stated on the journal webpage, yoga is "the practice of attaining physical and mental health through meditation and physical exercise" (http://www.omicsonline.org/jypthome.php; retrieved July 25, 2013). The same trend has been observed in how meditation in general is defined in the current research [12]. Though the exclusion of spirituality is somewhat understandable since it is a construct that historically has been associated with religion which itself has been viewed as falling outside the purview of scientific inquiry [13], such a trend in how yoga is operationalized and investigated may be seen as unfortunate as a burgeoning body of theory and research indicates that spirituality is not only an important component of human functioning that has a substantive impact on health [14] but also that its incorporation into meditative interventions results in improved outcomes above and beyond what is seen with more secularized meditation [15,16] .…”

Enhancing Attention by Synchronizing Respiration and Fingertip Pressure: A Pilot Study Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

“…The desired meditative state stresses a balanced state of relaxation while focusing on attention, and this state is considered an essential factor in improving the efficacy of exercise on cognitive function (Walsh and Shapiro, 2006; Macdonald et al, 2013). The HAM paradigm was designed to help novices maintain this balanced state in terms of the following aspects.…”

Beyond Four Forces: The Evolution of Psychotherapy

“…Other mindfulness activities and spiritual practices that aim to enhance awareness and expand consciousness have been central to transpersonal therapies for decades (e.g., Grof, 2012;Rodrigues & Friedman, 2013;Walsh, 2014). Hundreds of empirical studies have documented various health and psychological benefits of engagement in the regular practice of meditation; for a review of this research in the context of transpersonal psychology, see MacDonald, Walsh, and Shapiro (2013); for summaries and discussions of research studies demonstrating the benefits of other interventions commonly used in transpersonal approaches, see Friedman and Hartelius (2013). To their credit, from the 1970s onward, transpersonal psychologists have encouraged a transcultural approach to therapy, one that respects cultural differences and invites collaboration with psychological and spiritual and religious traditions and practices from around the world (Boorstein, 1980;Walsh, 2001;Walsh & Vaughan, 1993; also see Friedman, Krippner, Riebel, & Johnson, 2010).…”