EXAMINING THE CONTENT AND CONTEXT OF MEDITATION - A CHALLENGE FOR PSYCHOLOGY IN THE AREAS OF STRESS MANAGEMENT, PSYCHOTHERAPY, AND RELIGIONVALUES

Studies have primarily examined meditation's effects as a self-regulat ion strategy for stress management. Fewer studies have examined its ut ility as a self-exploration strategy for enhancing psychological healt h in psychotherapy and behavior change. And, few studies have examined meditation's effect regarding its original religious purpose as a sel f-liberation strategy to enhance spiritual growth and wisdom, and cult ivate compassionate service. This article examines the reasons underly ing this differential proportion of studies on each of the above varia bles and details the merits and limitations of research that attempted to remove the religious and philosophical context of meditation in or der to focus on its content. The article then examines why it has been necessary to reintroduce the context of meditation as a variable, whe ther that context be stress management, psychotherapy, or a religious perspective. Finally, based on the mentalist and cognitive revolution, this article asks: ''Is God always a confounding variable in meditati on research?''