The Oxford Handbook of Meditation

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.