Shamatha Project

Introductory remarks by Alan Wallace (profile at SBI, profile at Integral Naked) at the beginning of the Shamatha Project, arguably "the most sophisticated scientific study" of this type.



If you're interested in learning more, please listen to this series of podcasts on the Shamatha Project, giving a preliminary report of the findings.

The Science of Shamatha

An exquisite interview with B. Alan Wallace at Buddhist Geeks netcast. This is part 2 of the interview, for part 1 see here. This is a discussion

"...on the impact of the recently completed Shamatha Project. Dr. Wallace shares the astounding levels of concentration that were achieved during the 3-month retreats he led and tells us more about the achievement of shamatha. Find out how deep the students on this retreat went, and why nearly %20 of them decided to continue on with intensive retreat practice after it was over!

Dr. Wallace also discusses the potential impact that a study of this magnitude could have on the scientific community as well as the culture-at-large. Questions that the study aimed to answer included, "Is it possible to train attention?" & "Does meditation have an effect on ethics?". While the answers may be obvious to meditators, having them scientifically validated could have a major impact on the fields of education, mental health, and psychology."

Good stuff!

Retreat is a way to advance

Contemplative retreats are a fundamental mode of practice in all mystical traditions worldwide. Buddhist meditators in the West are also fond of this often misunderstood form of praxis. The good people at Buddhist Geeks have posted A Call for Advice: Tips and Suggestions for Retreats by Ryan Oelke. Keep an eye on how those tips develop. Or even better, share what you have learned for the benefit of one and all.