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ARISING AND PASSING: THE EMBODIED AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF MEDITATORS A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES BY SAPNA PATEL, M.A. DENTON, TEXAS AUGUST 2018 Copyright © Sapna Jatin Patel, 2018. DEDICATION To the lineage of meditation masters who have preserved and passed on these teachings to the modern world ii ABSTRACT SAPNA PATEL ARISING AND PASSING: THE EMBODIED AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF MEDITATORS AUGUST 2018 Meditation has been recognized for centuries across cultures as a means for personal development and spiritual growth. Over the last 40 years, meditation practices have gained in popularity due to their therapeutic value (Ospina et al., 2007). Scientific research on meditation has grown significantly in recent years exploring the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual benefits of meditation (Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer & Toney, 2006; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Chiesa & Serretti, 2009; Grossman, Niemann, Schmidt, & Walach, 2004; Keng, Smoski, & Robins, 2011; Shapiro & Walsh, 2003). While there have been significant gains made in understanding the effects of meditation through quantitative studies on the concept of mindfulness, there remains a lack of in-depth phenomenological understanding within the scientific literature of the meditative process. Furthermore, there have been very few studies exploring the lived experiences of long-term meditators, including formal practice through meditation retreats. This study explored the lived experiences of eight practitioners of Vipassana meditation, a form of insight meditation. More specifically, the study aimed to understand the embodied and emotional experiences of Vipassana meditators through their accounts of intensive meditation practices. This inquiry used interpretive iii phenomenological analysis of semi-structured interviews to understand meditators’ experiences. Results yielded 10 major themes: Understanding of Meditation, Experience of Sensations, Experience of Emotions, Interpretation of Emotions and Sensations, Awareness, Equanimity, Processes of Change, Changes and Motivations, Challenges and Barriers and Individual Experiences. Each major theme was composed of subthemes, with 52 subthemes outlined in detail. The results were consistent with existing literature, while also adding to the theoretical and philosophical understandings of meditation. The investigator has provided additional interpretations in understanding the mechanisms of action and processes of change underlying meditation, as well as implications for research and practice. The findings of this study may guide the development of further research models and provide insight for clinical practice. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION ............................................................................................................. ii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ iii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 Background ...................................................................................................... 1 Statement of Purpose ....................................................................................... 6 Definition of Terms.......................................................................................... 7 II. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................... 10 Meditation ...................................................................................................... 10 Historical Definitions of Meditation ........................................................ 11 Contemporary Definitions of Meditation................................................. 13 Meditation Practices................................................................................. 14 Focused Attention Meditation............................................................ 15 Open Monitoring Meditation ............................................................. 15 Loving-Kindness Meditation ............................................................. 16 Self-Reflexivity ........................................................................................ 17 Discursive Self-Reflexivity ................................................................ 17 Embodied Self-Reflexivity ................................................................ 18 Vipassana Meditation............................................................................... 18 The Practice of Vipassana Meditation ............................................... 19 The Philosophy of Vipassana Meditation .......................................... 21 The Effects of Meditation ........................................................................ 25 State Changes ..................................................................................... 25 Trait Changes ..................................................................................... 26 Mindfulness.................................................................................................... 26 Historical Definitions of Mindfulness ..................................................... 26 Contemporary Definitions of Mindfulness .............................................. 27 Practices that Cultivate Mindfulness ....................................................... 28 Effects of Mindfulness ............................................................................. 29 Body Awareness ............................................................................................ 31 Interoception ............................................................................................ 32 v Interoceptive Awareness .................................................................... 33 Interoceptive Accuracy ...................................................................... 33 Meditation and Interoceptive Awareness........................................... 34 Disturbances of Embodiment ................................................................... 36 Psychopathology ...................................................................................... 36 Dissociation........................................................................................ 37 Trauma ............................................................................................... 37 Alexithymia........................................................................................ 39 Interoception and Emotion ..................................................................... 40 Meditation and Embodiment .................................................................. 41 Emotion .......................................................................................................... 42 Early Theories of Emotion ..................................................................... 42 Contemporary Theories of Emotion ....................................................... 44 Emotion Schemas............................................................................... 45 Types of Emotion ............................................................................... 46 Emotional Processing......................................................................... 48 Meditation and Emotion ......................................................................... 49 Meditation and Emotional Recovery ................................................. 50 Meditation and Emotion Regulation .................................................. 51 Meditation and Emotion Differentiation ............................................ 52 Meditation and Emotional Processing ............................................... 54 Rational for Current Project ........................................................................... 58 Research Questions ........................................................................................ 59 III. METHOD ............................................................................................................ 61 Researcher's Contributions ............................................................................ 61 Qualifications .......................................................................................... 61 Biases ...................................................................................................... 63 Predictions............................................................................................... 65 Data Collection .............................................................................................. 66 Participants .............................................................................................. 66 Instruments .............................................................................................. 69 Pre-screening...................................................................................... 69 Interview Guide ................................................................................. 69 Procedure ........................................................................................... 70 Data Analysis ................................................................................................