Toward a Scientific Model of Meditative Endpoints (MEND). Extremes of Human Experience and Development and the Case of Nirvana

Meditation can lead to advanced meditative endpoints (MEND), often called awakening, enlightenment, or nirvana. Different Buddhist traditions and contemporary mindfulness teachers describe nirvana in conflicting ways: as ultimate reality beyond awareness, as pure awareness itself, as the cessation of suffering, as ultimate happiness, as ineffable, or as paradoxical. These varied views make it difficult to study nirvana scientifically. The authors propose an integrated taxonomy that unifies these perspectives by distinguishing between ways of entering MEND, MEND events, and persistent MEND. This framework provides a starting point for investigating MEND beyond the specific case of nirvana.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Meditation, in particular advanced meditation, develops toward meditative endpoints (MEND), sometimes referred to metaphorically as awakening, enlightenment or salvation. A well-known instance of such an endpoint is called nibbāna (Pali) or nirvana (Sanskrit). Contemporary mindfulness teachers and diverse Buddhist traditions present differing views of nirvana. Some define nirvana as the ultimate reality beyond awareness, while others define it as liberated or pure awareness itself. Some descriptions of nirvana focus on the cessation of various mental phenomena (and particularly the cessation, or end, of suffering) and others based on affirmations (e.g., ultimate happiness). Nirvana has also been defined as ineffable, or as paradoxical (e.g., as neither existence nor non-existence). These, and other, different views and descriptions of nirvana make it challenging to understand this construct, and to establish a science of advanced meditation including meditative endpoints (MEND). Here, we propose an integrated taxonomy that unifies the different views and descriptions. It differentiates between ways of MEND entry, MEND events, and persistent MEND. The proposed taxonomy hence provides a unified view, a framework for differentiating and relating distinct approaches to MEND in the sense of nirvana, and a starting point for investigating MEND beyond the case of nirvana.