Quantifiable constituents of spiritual growth

This project is an extension of the Shamatha Project, the most comprehensive scientific study of intensive meditation conducted to date. In 2007, the Shamatha Project research group assessed experiential, psychological, cognitive, emotional, neurophysiological, and hormonal changes during and after two, three-month, full-time meditation retreats. This study involves collecting new data six years after the original retreats to examine long-term effects of intensive meditation training.

The project will deepen our understanding, from a multidisciplinary perspective, of how the intra-personal and inter-personal dynamics of meditation training affect the quality of life for self and others. The results will interest a wide audience, including mindfulness-based therapists, parents raising children with physical or mental disabilities, and educators promoting focused attention and prosocial behaviour in schools.

Researcher

Dr Baljinder Sahdr

Start date

01 March 2013

End date

28 February 2016 

Funding body

John Templeton Foundation

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