Contemplative Studies: Prospects for a New Field
Teachers College Record September 1, 2006 H. Roth 12 citations
It is time to reenvision higher education to foster deeper knowledge of human existence in an interrelated world. Developing a new academic field, “contemplative studies,” would bridge the humanities, sciences, and creative arts. This field would take account of emerging scientific work on the neurological foundations of concentrated and relaxed states attained by meditation and other endeavors, applying them directly to life rather than studying them as objects divorced from experience. The goal is to identify varieties of contemplative experiences, find meaningful scientific explanations, cultivate firsthand knowledge, and critically assess their nature and significance.