Toward a unifying taxonomy and definition for meditation

Abstract

One of the well-documented concerns confronting scholarly discourse about meditation is the plethora of semantic constructs and the lack of a unified definition and taxonomy. In recent years there have been several notable attempts to formulate new lexicons in order to define and categorize meditation methods. While these constructs have been useful and have encountered varying degrees of acceptance, they have also been subject to misinterpretation and debate, leaving the field devoid of a consensual paradigm. This paper attempts to influence this ongoing discussion by proposing two new models which hold the potential for enhanced scientific reliability and acceptance. Regarding the quest for a universally acceptable taxonomy, we suggest a paradigm shift away from the norm of fabricatIng new terminology from a first-person perspective. As an alternative, we propose a new taxonomic system based on the historically well-established and commonly accepted third-person paradigm of Affect and Cognition, borrowed, in part, from the psychological and cognitive sciences. With regard to the elusive definitional problem, we propose a model of meditation which clearly distinguishes “method” from “state” and is conceptualized as a dynamic process which is inclusive of six related but distinct stages. The overall goal is to provide researchers with a reliable nomenclature with which to categorize and classify diverse meditation methods, and a conceptual framework which can provide direction for their research and a theoretical basis for their findings.

Beyond Frontiers: Meditative Practice, Clinical Practice and Scientific Research

“…We can refer to fact we also found the various states of consciousness that occur in meditative practices [5] in clinical practice.…”

“…Given that first person testimony may be less than unreliable, it therefore also appears to be necessary to do research from, for examples, the perspective of the "third person semantic paradigm". There are proposals aimed at doing this; they consist of establishing methods with instructions, strategies and techniques in different meditative states which can also include supportive neuroscientific findings [4,5]. There are pioneering theoretical propositions in this vein [8,9].…”

“…Others aim at the creation of new technology based on first-person subjectivism and the indiscriminate use of the word "meditation" and, therefore, propose distinguishing between method and state, while taking into account the difficulty of capturing the essence of these ancient practices [5]. The complexity increases if qualities like compassion, kindness, and so on come into play.…”

“…The divergences may reach levels like "Mindfulness is the heart of the Buddhist teaching" -Hanh (1998) in (7). Some researchers used the word "meditation" in relation to different practices and proposed a guide to clarify this process [5]. Other researchers use meditation-mindfulness for the aforementioned experiment on the SB in which the boundary between inside and outside disappears in long term meditators [10].…”

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Transcendental Meditation: Current State of Research

“…35 Much like there are many activitiesbowling, basketball, swimming, etc. -listed under the category "sports," there are many subcategories of meditation with different methods, goals and results.…”