Nirbhay N. Singh (ed): Psychology of Meditation

Excerpt

There is a growing interest in mindfulness meditation in the Western world. Hardly a day passes without an article or story in the print and visual media on mindfulness meditation. Meditation practices come from ancient wisdom traditions. Evidence of meditation practices 5,000 years ago was found in archeological artifacts in the Indus Valley. Virtually all the world’s religions have included meditation in their spiritual practices, albeit in different forms and methods: Kabala in Judaism, Tafakkur in Islam, meditation in Hinduism and Buddhism, and the rosary or the Lectio divina in Christianity (e.g., sustained reading of a passage with focus and attention). However, it appears that most individuals lack proper understanding of the roots and foundations of mindfulness meditation and the transformative gains to be accrued through its proper practice. This book provides a comprehensive review of meditation practices, citing evidence-based literature to update ones knowledge in this field, both theoretical and practical. …