Abstract
This chapter discusses different connotations of meditation and what it truly means. It goes on to review the various forms of meditation used in contemporary research against the backdrop of Buddhistic and Hindu traditions. Meditation is an important step in the eight-step practice of yoga. It is the seventh of the eight steps involved in yoga practice. It is meant essentially to control the natural wanderings of the mind. In Buddhist meditation, concentration as well as mindfulness is practiced. They help to achieve a higher state of awareness where the mind is unobsessed, and free from the compulsions of the ego and the delusion of permanence. Buddhaghoṣa’s Viśuddhimagga is an important source book of Buddhistic meditation in the Theravāda tradition. Meditative techniques used in empirical research include (a) focused/concentrative form of meditation, (b) transcendental meditation (TM), (c) Benson’s relaxation response, (d) mindfulness or passive meditation, and (e) vipassanā and Zen meditation.
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Rao, K. (2017). What Is Meditation?. In: Foundations of Yoga Psychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5409-9_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5409-9_5
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