A Brief History of Contemplative Science and Contemplative Studies |
As we enter the second decade of the millennium, the developing field of Contemplative Science and the nascent interdisciplinary field of Contemplative Studies are poised to grow significantly. The last 10 years in particular have seen exponential growth in the number of studies and centers researching the mind and the effects of contemplative practices. At Mind and Life, we have witnessed this growth firsthand as we have transformed from hosting small private meetings with His Holiness, organized by the pioneering efforts of Francisco J. Varela and Adam Engle, to create large-scale public conferences and events, here and internationally. To better understand the evolution and direction of the field of Contemplative Studies, a quick look at the history of research in this area is helpful.
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| | Francisco Varela and HH Dalai Lama |
Scientific research on meditation and contemplative practices dates back to the middle of the 20th century. In the 1950s and 1960s, Eastern teachers such as Suzuki Roshi, various rinpoches, teachers from Burma and even Alan Watts were teaching and writing about Zen, Vipassana, Vajrayana, and other traditions in which contemplative practice plays a central role. Many people were attracted to these teachings during that era, and some initial studies on meditation and its effects were conducted. However, studies on meditation during the 60s and 70s, including studies on Transcendental Meditation, often had methodological flaws that prevented unambiguous interpretation.
First, the study designs usually lacked adequate control or comparison groups. Second, at that time meditation was often considered a homogeneous practice, and research often failed to distinguish between the different styles and goals of various meditation practices. These shortcomings led to skepticism in the scientific community, and for a time credible research on meditation all but ceased.
However, some of the younger people who became interested in contemplative practices in the 60s and 70s were also scientists who, over the years, developed successful lines of mainstream research and established academic and research credibility. As their careers progressed and their study of contemplative practices deepened, they were able to conduct better-designed investigations that were increasingly accepted by the scientific community. Some of these scientists, including MLI board member Richie Davidson, are now the most influential investigators in the current field of Contemplative Science.
In addition to scientific research, MLI board member Jon Kabat-Zinn's introduction of MBSR in the 80s and 90s brought awareness to the medical community of the potential utility of meditative practices for pain management and emotion regulation. Programs such as MBSR allowed for another shift in the research. The defined protocol of MBSR has made it possible to institute pre- and post-training designs. When coupled with randomized assignment to the training versus a control condition, this allowed for greater ability to interpret outcomes as specifically related to the training itself. By contrast, previous studies comparing long-term meditators to non-meditators presented the challenge of discerning whether or not the effects were attributable to the meditation practice itself or related to personal attributes of people who self-select into meditation practice.
Computers, developments in applied nuclear physics, and advances in solid-state circuit technology have produced unprecedented functional brain imaging methods capable of measuring subtle changes in blood flow, and in electrical and magnetic activity in the brain. Scientists' ability to now observe, in real time, what is occurring in brain physiology during meditation has also contributed significantly to advancing this field of research and gaining increased attention from the neuroscience community.
With an increase in rigorous research, the interest in sharing, learning and networking among scientists studying contemplative practices grew. In response to the need for a forum to explore the research and encourage new investigators, MLI founded the Summer Research Institute (MLSRI) and accompanying Varela Awards in 2004. MLSRI helped to further expand and legitimize the field by giving scientists and contemplatives a place to share, learn, network and innovate. Ideas that often grew out of MLSRI interactions were eligible for pilot grants in the form of Varela Awards. These awards not only seeded the field through research at Universities, Colleges and laboratories across the country and the world, but also helped stimulate an explosion in research that has been published in a range of highly respected peer-reviewed scientific journals. Since 2004, 45 articles such articles have been published by Varela Awardees, and $12 million in follow-on funding from federal and private grant sources has directly resulted from the Varela Awards.
During the first decade of this millennium, the term Contemplative Science was used to describe the collaboration between research and contemplative practices, and properly so, as rigorous scientific investigation has, to date, been primarily responsible for helping us understand the correlates, mechanisms, and benefits of contemplative practices. However, as we continue and deepen the investigation, the need to include the humanities, philosophy, social sciences, and education, and to rigorously integrate first-person and historical perspectives has become clear. These elements are critical in developing a comprehensive understanding of contemplative practices, including their phenomenology, origins, and social implications, and most appropriate modes of instruction within developmental and cultural contexts. Therefore, the term Contemplative Studies is increasingly being used to more accurately reflect the totality of research and investigation in the field at present.
Looking ahead, the next steps in Contemplative Studies include continuing investigation of meditation effects on brain and behavior from neuroscientific and other basic science perspectives, increasingly rigorous research on the potential role of meditation in clinical and educational settings, and increasingly sophisticated studies of the first-person experience of meditation practice across different cultures, and often in combination with third-person scientific observations.
MLI is currently looking for ways to bring the humanities, philosophy, and social sciences into greater interaction and collaboration with basic and clinical contemplative science to generate a richer and more sophisticated understanding of the correlates and consequences of contemplative practices. Simultaneously, MLI has been exploring ways to encourage high-quality research in developmental science and in school, college, and university settings in which contemplative practices are being explored. Although MLI initially focused its initiatives within North America, international efforts in Europe and Asia are currently underway.
In academic settings, interest in the potential for an interdisciplinary field of Contemplative Studies, including contemplative basic science, clinical science, social science, philosophy, humanities, and education has been gaining momentum. Fifteen years ago, only a few scientists and scholars were systematically studying contemplative practices. Today, many well-known and respected research centers and groups at prestigious institutions are fully engaged in this inquiry.
Although the availability of funding for new and ongoing research initiatives depends in part on the economy, the evidence is clear that in the long run, Contemplative Studies is on its way to playing a greater role in academic institutions throughout the world. New faculty positions, specifically recruiting scientists and scholars engaged in Contemplative Science and Studies, and the promotion and tenure of faculty members who focus on contemplative science and scholarship, are increasingly common.
As the interdisciplinary field of Contemplative Studies continues to grow, the demand for well-trained scientists and scholars who collaborate with contemplative practitioners will also continue to grow. And as the generation of scientists and academics who studied with the initial wave of contemplative teachers move toward retirement, the need for qualified new scientists and scholars will increase.
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| Participants at ML XIV (2007) in Dharamsala | |
The impact of Contemplative Studies on culture and society has also been growing. Directly and indirectly, scientific and scholarly studies of contemplative practices have likely played a role in the increase in Dharma centers, sanghas, and non-sectarian mindfulness and meditation centers and workshops. Contemplative Studies have helped bridge the gap between contemplative practice traditions of the East and the scientific and skeptical culture of the West. Also, specific contemplative-based interventions, such as MBSR or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for various clinical conditions, have contributed to a growing interest in contemplative practices within medical and mental health settings.
MLI is committed to encouraging and deepening excellence in Contemplative Studies. We expect the next decade to produce an even greater growth in research and application as rigorous and sophisticated investigations reveal both the potential and the limitations in how contemplative practices may enhance individual and societal mental fitness, alleviate suffering and increase well-being.
Varela Awardees in The New York Times
An accompanying trend in the recent growth of Contemplative Studies is an increase in press. Many MLSRI faculty and researchers have received popular press coverage for their research, as have several Varela Awardees.
A recent piece in The New York Times well.blog health section featured the work of Britta Hölzel, a psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and a former MLSRI Research Fellow. Along with some of her co-authors: James Carmody, Ph.D. (2008 MLSRI Faculty), Christina Congleton (2005-2007 MLSRI Research Fellow), Tim Gard (2006, 2009, 2010 MLSRI Research Fellow), Sara W. Lazar (2004-2008 MLSRI Research Fellow), Hölzel published findings on how mindfulness practice is related to increases in regional brain gray matter density.
"I'll admit I'm a skeptic," Bhanoo said, "but now, scientists say that meditators like my husband may be benefiting from changes in their brains...For now, I'm more than happy to support my husband's little experiment, despite the fact that he now rises at 5 a.m. and is exhausted by 10 at night."
Hölzel's study, (http://www.psyn-journal.com/article/S0925-4927(10)00288-X/abstract) was a controlled, longitudinal investigation of pre–post changes in brain gray matter concentration following participation in an MBSR program. The results suggest that participation in MBSR is associated with changes in gray matter concentration in brain regions involved in learning and memory processes, emotion regulation, self-referential processing, and perspective taking.
Another Varela Awardee (2003), Arnaud Delorme, Ph.D., was published in the January issue of NeuroImage. The study: Lost in thoughts: Neural markers of low alertness during mind wandering, used neuroimaging to explore spontaneous shifts during concentration tasks (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=delorme%20braboszcz).
Delorme is a principal investigator at the CNRS CERCO laboratory in Toulouse, France. He studies neural correlates of neurofeedback learning as well as meditation experience using spectral analysis and independent component analysis of the electro-encephalography (EEG) signal. Delorme spends half the year in San Diego collaborating with Scott Makeig at the institute of Neural Computation at UCSD developing EEGLAB software for EEG analysis. http://sccn.ucsd.edu/~arno/CV_arno_english.html
Varela Awardee Laura Labelle Investigates MBSR in Cancer Patients
Laura Labelle, M.Sc., is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Calgary. Her recent research has focused on understanding how MBSR can reduce symptoms of stress and mood disturbance among cancer patients. She is exploring the hypothesis that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) may affect outcomes through increased mindfulness and improved emotion regulation.
In addition to her academic and scientific pursuits, Laura's interest and commitment to her research draw from both personal experience with cancer in a loved one and her meditation practice.
"My dual interest in mediation and psychosocial oncology developed simultaneously," Laura said. "I have had a personal meditation practice since I was about 18, and since then have been very interested in exploring different types of meditation. At the same time, my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, and witnessing her cancer journey had a powerful effect on me. She obtained support through the Department of Psychosocial Resources at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, which started my interest in this field of study."
As an undergraduate, Laura studied psychology at the University of Victoria. "Following undergrad, I looked for research opportunities in the area of health psychology," she said, "and was given the opportunity to work with Drs. Linda Carlson and Tavis Campbell in Calgary, both who evaluate behavioral and psychosocial interventions in chronic illness populations. Dr. Carlson also has a strong focus in meditation and mindfulness. This presented an amazing opportunity for me to include meditation in my research in the area of psychosocial oncology. "
Laura's current research lies at the interface of addressing the emotional needs of cancer patients and evaluating the effects of mindfulness meditation in an oncology population. She is exploring possible mechanisms of action for MBSR.
"We are using questionnaires to tap some of the constructs that might lead to changes in mood and stress," Laura said. "We expect that as patients become more mindful, they will show improved emotion regulation. They will be better able to influence the experience and expression of their own emotions in a healthy manner. Our model is suggesting that improved emotional regulation and psychological function result from becoming more mindful. We are also evaluating change across multiple time points, not just before and after MBSR, which allows us to assess temporal change in mediators and outcome variables. For example, we expect that increases in mindfulness will temporally precede decreases in symptoms of stress. This would provide stronger evidence that mindfulness is in fact a mediator of the impact of MBSR on psychological functioning."
Laura intends to use the findings to defend her dissertation this fall and to publish the study. Her next steps will be to continue to contribute to research investigating mechanisms of action of meditation interventions and to seek out a position where she can integrate her clinical and research interests.
"The Varela Award helped me tremendously," Laura said. "It provided me with the resources to run the study and manage data, and enabled me to attend a workshop to learn the statistical approach necessary to evaluate the data."
Mind and Life congratulates Laura on her research and academic success to date and wishes her all the best in the years to come!
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We recognize that the health, well-being and happiness of individuals and societies is primarily dependent on our individual and collective thoughts, emotions and decisions. Most of the problems facing humankind today stem from the minds of people-wars, environmental degradation, social and economic inequality. These are not natural disasters. To deal effectively with these issues it is critical to understand how the human mind works and to develop programs and practices that train our minds to be mentally and emotionally healthy. Science has shown that physical fitness is vital to health and well-being. It is now time for science to demonstrate that mental and emotional fitness are equally as essential to health and well-being.
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