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Northeastern University College of Science NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Psychology Department Psychology & Meditation – PSYC 2366 Spring, 2014 Professor Cohen TA’s: Nawar Al Barak & Vansa Bali Office: 149 NI Phone: (617) 373-3049 Email: [email protected] Required Text: Smalley, S.L. & Winston, D. (2010), Fully Present, DaCapo Press, Philadelphia, PA. All additional readings/handouts are posted under “readings” on Blackboard. Overview: This course examines the interface between meditation and psychological research. The focus will be on mindfulness meditation, the type of meditation practice that is of most research and theoretical interest. The course is divided into three sections that address three general questions: 1. What are contemplative practices and mindfulness meditation in particular? 2. What are the psychological and neuropsychological underpinnings of mindfulness meditation? 3. What are the practical benefits of mindfulness meditation in clinical settings, education, athletics and for personal wellbeing? During the semester, I or a guest speaker will present material in a lecture/demonstration/discussion format during the first part of each class. The second part will usually be student-led discussions of questions/case studies related to that lecture or a recent one. The questions/case studies will be prepared by class members and distributed before they are discussed. Class Participation: Your class participation grade has three parts: attendance, contribution to teacher-led and student-led discussions, and completion of homework and online assignments on time. If you do three, you will receive full “participation” credit. Full participation credit can have the effect of increasing your grade by one-half point (e.g., C+ to B-). Student Discussion Groups: The class roster will be divided into 19 groups of 3 students each. Group membership is posted on Blackboard. Each group will stay in touch with one another via Blackboard and in class. Before a prescribed class meeting, one member of a group will post on blackboard, reading-related questions/case studies. The posting will identify each group member by name together with his/her particular contribution. All three members of the group will take turns leading the discussion for that class. Group #1 will be the first to post and present. The next time, group #2 will post and present followed by # 3 and so forth. Each group will have an opportunity to post and lead discussion once during the semester. Questions must be posted the night before the designated class. Those posting for Tuesday must do so by Monday before midnight. Those posting for Friday must do so by Thursday before midnight. If a posting is not done on time, the group will not receive credit. Preparing for Group Discussion: The discussion questions should pertain to the readings case studies or lecture material assigned for that day’s class. Questions should promote reflective and critical thinking about a research finding, a conceptual/theoretical issue, a clinical/educational application, use of terminology and should not be worded in a simple “yes/no” format. Each group member will discuss his/her thoughts on the question/issues and why he/she raised it and then open the floor for discussion of the topic. It is important that you posit your question to the class with an open mind so it can be considered from different angles. Extra Credit Opportunity: If your group is not assigned to creating questions or leading discussions for a particular day, you may submit a blackboard response for one point of extra credit before noon of the day of the class. Post under the question that you are considering. You can earn an extra credit point throughout the semester for every class that includes a student-led discussion. Homework Assignments: All assignments must be handed-in during the weeks that they are due to receive any credit. All assignments can be no longer than one typed page. Longer ones will not be accepted. Homeworks will be posted on blackboard. Please type all homework assignments and put your name and the date in the top left corner of the page! You need to complete at least 7 or 8 assignments to receive full credit (80 points) Midterm and Final Exam: Study topics for the midterm exam will be posted on Blackboard. There are no makeups. The final will be a 3-4 page write-up of a take home research project. Grade: Your final grade will be based upon the midterm, “take home” final exam research project, attendance, group work, and homework assignments sprinkled throughout the semester. Grades will be scaled on a curve. The following points will be assigned to your course work. Plus and minus grades are possible. Item Points Mid-term exam 100 Final Research Project (Take Home Final) 200 Group Work (blackboard & in-class contributions) 60 Homeworks (8@10) 80 Attendance 20 Total 460+ any extra credit Introduction Jan 7: Overview of course objectives and materials. Meditation and related contemplative practices have developed as part of all major spiritual, religious and wisdom teachings and traditions. Have you tried to meditate? Do you have a meditation practice? Has a particular teacher, teaching or tradition inspired your interest in meditation? Spiritual/Religious Roots of Meditation Jan 10 Meditative Experiences and Practices: Christian, Buddhist, Jainism. Jan 10: This meeting discusses meditative experiences and practices in three traditions: Zen Buddhism, Christian Centering Prayer and Jain Meditation. Religious and spiritual traditions access the meditative experience in many ways (e.g., service to others, rituals, chants, imagery, mantras, postures, movement). Read: Zen Buddhism Suzuki, Prologue on Beginner’s Mind, A meditative experience is a calm, unified and empathic awareness in the moment. It involves “being with whatever arises in the moment without grasping it, without labeling it, without pushing it away, whether it is a thought, a sensation or a feeling tone. The great Zen master, Shunryu Suzuki, referred this in-the-moment awareness as “beginner’s mind” because it is an instantaneous, direct awareness of a thought, a feeling tone, or a sensation that is untainted by a sense that it is “me” or “mine”. Are you familiar with this type of experience? Is this something that you have experienced? Christian Centering Prayer: Trappist Monk, Thomas Keating Jain Meditation: Gurudev Shree Chitraubanu , Jain Master and Former Monk Jan 14 Meditative Experience and Practices continued: Islam, Religious Society of Friends (Quakerism). Today we have guest Speakers From Northeastern Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service: Alex Kern, (Executive Director), Beau Scurich (Spiritual advisor) & Naila Baloch (Spiritual Advisor). They will discuss meditation and meditative practices in their traditions. Jan 17 What are Some Buddhist Practices for Cultivating the meditative experience? In this course, we focus on Buddhist meditation practices because they are the most widely studied by researchers. The first part of the Olendski reading on “meditation” (we will discuss the second part of the paper on mindfulness meditation next week) describes what are called “concentration” or “samadhi” practices. These practices strengthen meditative awareness by repeatedly bringing that meditative awareness to a particular object. Common objects include awareness of inhalation/exhalation of breath, a sound, repetition of a word or contemplation (mantra), and of an activity (e.g., walking, standing).The Olendski paper describes “jhana” experiences that happen with extensive concentration meditation practice. Reading: Olendski, Mindfulness and Meditation, pp 37-44 Jan 21 Demonstrations of Some Buddhist Meditation Concentration Practices Readings and classroom demonstrations examine and describe concentration practices that allow one to “rest’ awareness on a particular object. Common objects include , experiences a breath, sound, repetition of a word(s) or of an activity(e.g., counting, walking, standing).The readings by Bhante Gunaratana(a Buddhist monk and scholar) and Sharon Salzburg( a meditation teacher) discuss some common misconceptions about meditation, what it is and why do it. We will defer discussion of “mindfulness meditation” discussed in these readings to the next class. As we will see, mindfulness meditation includes but is not limited to concentration practice. Readings: Gunaratana & Salzburg Jan 24 Mindfulness Meditation: Cultivating Awareness Behind Everyday Conscience Experiences These readings (Smalley & Winston, Chapter 1, also see earlier readings by Olendski, Gunaratana & Salzburg) and demonstrations are examples of mindfulness meditation and explain how it is related to concentration practices discussed earlier. We will also discuss how the word “mindfulness’ means something quite different when used by psychologists than when it is used in a meditative context. What is the difference? The Langer article describes “mindfulness” as a psychological process. Readings: Langer, Mindful Learning & Chapt 1, S&W Jan 28 Demonstrations of Mindfulness Meditation Practice: The readings (same as last class) and demonstrations for this class examine mindfulness meditation and its benefits. We will also discuss some of the classical/common factors that “hinder” or undermine mindfulness meditation practice: 1) Sense desire: Craving for pleasure or aversion to discomfort. 2.) Anger or ill-will: Feelings of malice directed toward self or others 3.)Sluggishness or boredom: Half-hearted action with little or no concentration. 4.) Restlessness-worry: Inability
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