Summary: Buddhist meditation practices have made an important entrée into Western discourses about science and belief: they are often portrayed as being entirely, and exceptionally, compatible with science, while simultaneously offering a spiritual teaching that is consistent with humanistic norms and values. Although relationships between religion and science are often described in terms of “conflict” or “compatibility” narratives, the commingling of religious antecedents and scientific authority that have become a hallmark of “Buddhist Modernism” make room for a variety of alternate configurations to this relationship. Buddhist meditation has steadily grown in influence in secular and spiritual settings over the past half-century. Accordingly, narratives concerning religion and science among meditation practitioners have on the whole become a more significant part of the public discourse. Furthermore, the navigation of these narratives is of particular relevance for meditators who experience challenging, distressing or functionally impairing effects from their practice.

This project examines scientific and religious worldviews among practitioners of Buddhist meditation in the West who have experienced meditation-related challenges. Through a secondary analysis of data from the Varieties of Contemplative Experience project, comprised of over 130 hours of interviews from 68 meditators and 32 meditation teachers, the primary aims of the project are: (1) to identify and describe the language that meditation practitioners use to interpret their challenging experiences in relation to religious and scientific frameworks, as well as the ways in which these worldviews change on account of undergoing meditation-related challenges; (2) to examine how religious and scientific worldviews both impact and are impacted by practitioners’ responses to meditation-related challenges.

Analyses include thematic content analysis of practitioner interviews in which worldviews are reported as impacting the nature and trajectory of their meditation-related challenges. These analyses offer a unique glimpse into the lives of meditators experiencing challenges. They address a vital gap in current understandings of the interaction of religion and science among individuals practicing Buddhist meditation in the West—a growing segment of the population. This research is expected to yield at least two peer-reviewed journal article submissions and one international conference symposium, as well as pilot data for a career development award from the National Institutes of Health. In addition, outcomes from this project will contribute to ongoing efforts to provide didactic and therapeutic tools for meditation related challenges among Westerners, whether they are practicing meditation in secular settings and holding a scientific worldview or in the context of a religious path.