Consciousness and Education: A Neurophenomenological Take on Contemplative Pedagogy
Journal of Philosophical Investigations January 26, 2026 Zeinab Mahdavi, Bakhtiar Shabani-Varaki, Tahereh Javidi-Kalateh-Jafarabadi
Contemplative pedagogy, grounded in a neurophenomenological understanding of consciousness as irreducible, embodied, and emergent, can reframe educational paradigms by integrating first-person experiential insights with third-person perspectives on neural, bodily, and environmental dynamics. The framework operates across four dimensions: internal awareness through self-exploration techniques, embodied action via autopoiesis and enaction, intersubjective empathy and compassion, and engagement with social and institutional contexts. This multidimensional approach cultivates consciousness holistically, suggesting education can foster deeply embodied and relational understanding, transforming learning into a process rooted in contemplative consciousness.