Benefits of Contemplative Practice
In the following section I briefly outline the benefits of contemplative practice in education as they relate to neuroscience, psychology and meditation research. In the neuroscience section I draw from the seminal work of the neuroscientists Richard Davidson and Sara Lazar and their colleagues, who delineate the neural correlates of sustained attention. Their work is representative of the past 40 years of this research field, which in recent years has grown exponentially. Much of Davidson and Lazar’s work is founded on a form of contemplative neuroplasticity focused in the frontal cortex of the brain. It is important to remember that results from neuroscience and meditation research are highly contested though as Cassie Vieten, director of the Noetic Society suggests, “There’s a big risk of over simplifying the findings but it is fair to say that science suggests it is possible to use intentional consciousness-based practices to make lasting changes in brain function and structure” (Personal correspondence, Vieten, 2009).
In brief, the work of Davidson, Lazar and their colleagues, and that of an increasing number of contemplative scientists, has shown that regular meditation practice is associated with altered resting electroencephalogram patterns, suggestive of long-term changes in brain activity. These changes are situated in the frontal cortex and relate to brain regions associated with heightened executive functions. Executive functions are a “family of mental operations that involve attentional and cognitive control, planning, and working memory. Both socioemotional competence and academic achievement depend on EF skills” (Blair & Razza, 2007, p. 149).
Davidson and his colleague’s research into the ‘attention regulation’ that can result from contemplative practice examines brain substrates associated with monitoring the focus of attention and detecting distractions, dis-engaging attention from the source of distraction, and re-directing attention to the object of focus. Reflecting on their own and a range of studies, Davidson et al. suggest that “several subcomponents of attention are best regarded as the product of trainable skills, and that Focused Attention Meditation represents a family of mental practices that are explicitly designed to train such attentional focus” (Davidson et al., 2008, p. 165).
Davidson and his colleague’s research into the ‘attention regulation’ that can result from contemplative practice examines brain substrates associated with monitoring the focus of attention and detecting distractions, dis-engaging attention from the source of distraction, and re-directing attention to the object of focus. Reflecting on their own and a range of studies, Davidson et al. suggest that “several subcomponents of attention are best regarded as the product of trainable skills, and that Focused Attention Meditation represents a family of mental practices that are explicitly designed to train such attentional focus” (Davidson et al., 2008, p. 165).
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Reflecting on their own and a range of studies, Davidson et al. suggest that “several subcomponents of attention are best regarded as the product of trainable skills, and that Focused Attention Meditation represents a family of mental practices that are explicitly designed to train such attentional focus” (Davidson et al., 2008, p. 165).
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Researching in a similar area, Sarah Lazar and her colleagues (2005) used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to examine the impacts of meditation on the right brain hemisphere, an area of the brain implicated in sustaining attention. Their findings suggest that the right anterior insula of long-term meditators is thicker than non-meditators, which is important here as this area of the brain is said to relate to bodily attention and increased visceral awareness (Lazar et al., 2005). In related psychology and meditation research, Daphne Davis and Jeffrey Hayes (2011) outline benefits of contemplative practice particularly relevant for students. They have shown that mindfulness meditation supports the development of effective emotion regulation as it promotes metacognitive awareness, decreases rumination and enhances attentional capacities through gains in working memory. Their findings corroborate much of the psychology and meditation research referenced in contemplative education theory.
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An important white paper in psychology and Contemplative Education research was written by the psychologist Shauna Shapiro and her colleagues in 2008 is Toward the Integration of Meditation in Higher Education: A review of research evidence written by. It provides a good overview of the field drawing on four decades of research into the benefits of meditation in education.
They divided their key findings into three categories: ‘Cognitive and Academic Performance’, where they found positive impacts on academic achievement; ‘Mental Health and Psychological Well-being’, showing that contemplation can help regulate emotional reactions, and what they term the ‘development of the whole person’, with contemplation enhancing interpersonal skills and creativity.
They divided their key findings into three categories: ‘Cognitive and Academic Performance’, where they found positive impacts on academic achievement; ‘Mental Health and Psychological Well-being’, showing that contemplation can help regulate emotional reactions, and what they term the ‘development of the whole person’, with contemplation enhancing interpersonal skills and creativity.
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These positive benefits of meditation are due in part, to a physical state resulting from contemplation called ‘physiological coherence’. The correlates of physiological coherence include a regular heart rhythm, decreased sympathetic nervous system activation, increased parasympathetic activity, and increased heart-brain synchronization. These physiological changes appear to result in highly efficient states of body, brain, and nervous system synchronisation. They’re thought to improve cognitive function, and provide other benefits described by Hart, “physiological relaxation and slowed metabolism, heightened self-awareness and feelings of calm, improved concentration, empathy, perceptual acuity, a drop in anxiety and stress symptoms, improved emotional response, cognition, and learning” (Hart, 2004, P. 31).
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The neuroscience and meditation research of Davidson and his colleagues support and expand Hart’s claims with their proposition that contemplative practices are a, “set of mental skills and socio-emotional dispositions that are central to the aims of education in the 21st century. These include self-regulatory skills associated with emotion and attention, self-representations, and prosocial dispositions such as empathy and compassion” (2012, p. 146). Finally, Davidson et al., portray contemplative practices as “structured and socially scaffolded activities that train skills by placing some constraint on a normally unregulated mental or physical habit” (2012, p. 147), in this case the constraint of focusing attention through mental or physical activities. Some of these activates that may be familiar are attention on the breath in meditation and attention on bodily action and breath in Yoga or Ti Chi. This type of training is what underpins the many benefits attributed to contemplation.
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Contemplative practices are a “set of mental skills and socio-emotional dispositions that are central to the aims of education in the 21st century. These include self-regulatory skills associated with emotion and attention, self-representations, and prosocial dispositions such as empathy and compassion” (Davidson et al., 2012, p. 146).
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It is important to note that while it may seem contradictory to suggest that there is an over emphasis in Education (and in some cases Contemplative Education theory) on the Natural Sciences and then only provide results from those sciences, there is currently very little research into the benefits of contemplative education in the Arts and Humanities. For example, I am only aware of four philosophers currently engaging this topic: Heesoon Bai and Deborah Orr in Canada, Rick Repetti in the US, and myself in Australia.
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It is also important to remember that there can be negative impacts from contemplative practice as they can be strong psychological exercises. This doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be used but care needs to be taken particularly when working with students new to contemplation, this includes giving them the option to opt out of the practices; those with significant mental health issues should consult their doctor before attending class; the introduction of practices should be paced, starting with short and less challenging ones at the beginning of a class or course, and lastly the contemplative pedagogue needs to be a contemplative practitioner.
