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Contemplation in Education

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Handbook of Mindfulness in Education

Part of the book series: Mindfulness in Behavioral Health ((MIBH))

Abstract

In recent years the connection between contemplation and learning has become increasingly appreciated, and contemplative practices are finding their way into many secular educational settings from kindergarten, elementary and high schools, to community colleges, universities, and professional schools. Starting from the Western philosophical tradition, I explore the relationship between contemplation and knowing with a special emphasis on cognitive and affective development. The role of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society in the post-secondary contemplative education context is described and the principles of contemplative course design are discussed. I also identify the need for a deeper theoretical understanding of contemplative pedagogy and its particular contribution to education.

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The Handbook of Mindfulness in Education: Emerging Theory, Research, and Programs

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Notes

  1. 1.

    William James, the Principles of Psychology (NY: Henry Holt, 1890) vol. 1, p. 424.

  2. 2.

    Dreyfus points out that only a small number of monks become committed practitioners, even if the central importance of meditation is recognized.

  3. 3.

    See http://med.brown.edu/education/concentrations/contemplative.html

  4. 4.

    www.cultivatingemotionalbalance.org

  5. 5.

    For example, Joel Upton, Amherst College, http://vimeo.com/9007209

  6. 6.

    CCARE at Stanford University, http://ccare.stanford.edu/content/scientific-explorations-compassion-and-altruism. And also http://ccare.stanford.edu/programs/research-projects

  7. 7.

    The full report can be found at the Center website www.contemplativemind.org

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mind and Life Institute, Hadley, MA, USA

    Arthur Zajonc

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  1. Arthur Zajonc
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Correspondence to Arthur Zajonc .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept Educational & Counselling Psyc, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl

  2. Portland, Oregon, USA

    Robert W. Roeser

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Zajonc, A. (2016). Contemplation in Education. In: Schonert-Reichl, K., Roeser, R. (eds) Handbook of Mindfulness in Education. Mindfulness in Behavioral Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3506-2_2

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