The Oxford Handbook of Meditation (Oxford Library of Psychology)

This is the most comprehensive volume to date on the science and history of meditation. Written in an accessible language by world-leading experts, it describes the various meditation practices employed to modify the self, such as concentration, recitation, breathing, and visualisation, and its effects on the mind and body. It includes debates and controversies on its varied results and aims – including liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth, union with the divine, salvation of the soul, wellbeing, and the achievement of supernatural powers. The volume starts out by summarising the current understanding of meditation and half a century of scientific findings (Part I). It then describes the development of meditation practices across Eastern and Western religious traditions, and the varieties of techniques, experiences, and aims (Parts II-III). Part IV of the volume consists of state-of-the-art accounts from various disciplines, including psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and anthropology. The therapeutic and social implications of meditation are then reviewed (Part V), and the concluding section (Part VI) discusses meditation’s potential for challenging and adverse effects. This book is the ideal guide for all interested in meditation, including teachers, clinicians, therapists, and researchers. Meditation techniques, including mindfulness, have become popular wellbeing practices and the scientific study of their effects has recently turned 50 years old. But how much do we know about them: what were they developed for and by whom? How similar or different are they, how effective can they be in changing our minds and biology, what are their social and ethical implications? The Oxford Handbook of Meditation is the most comprehensive volume published on meditation, written in accessible language by world-leading experts on the science and history of these techniques. It covers the development of meditation across the world and the varieties of its practices and experiences. It includes approaches from various disciplines, including psychology, neuroscience, history, anthropology, and sociology and it explores its potential for therapeutic and social change, as well as unusual or negative effects. Edited by practitioner-researchers, this book is the ultimate guide for all interested in meditation, including teachers, clinicians, therapists, researchers, or anyone who would like to learn more about this topic. This handbook is currently in development, with individual articles publishing online in advance of print publication. At this time, we cannot add information about unpublished articles in this handbook, however the table of contents will continue to grow as additional articles pass through the review process and are added to the site. Please note that the online publication date for this handbook is the date that the first article in the title was published online