Monastic Analytic Collaborative

Project #1:  Elucidating the biobehavioral markers of Tibetan analytic meditation

 

Context and vision

In recent years, the scientific community’s interest into studying the nature and clinical implications of mental training exercises derived from Buddhist practices has increased exponentially. To date, various forms of concentrative meditation, (e.g., shamatha) have undergone intensive study within neuroscience and psychology--resulting in greater understanding of the neurobehavioral bases of these practices as well as secular clinical implementations for a wide variety of physical and emotional disorders. In many respects, efforts to establish a secular ethics based upon Buddhist concentrative meditation practices have been a resounding success.

 

By contrast, much less is known about a particular family of practices common within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition (e.g., memorization, debate, & analytical meditation).  Whereas concentrative practices are foundational in all forms of Buddhism as a means of training and/or familiarizing ourselves with our mind, Tibetan monastics regard analytic meditation as a means to apprehend the true nature of reality beyond clear reason.  Although the practice of analytical meditation involves careful study and memorization of Buddhist texts, the exercise is not merely academic. Part of the study and memorization is a process of contemplation on the text, such that the meaning becomes part of one’s being. This embodied knowledge is then tested and refined in an intense dyadic interaction where a Challenger poses questions that the Defender must successfully answer.  Through this process, the interlocutors work in tandem to cultivate a sense of selflessness within the context of this debate to achieve this deeper understanding into the nature of reality.  Thus, an important gap remaining  within the field of contemplative science is to undertake a careful study of analytic meditation, as it relates to the individual, and importantly, in terms of the dyadic and relational nature of the practice.

 

The goal of the work described in this proposal is to initiate a program of research that will bring the same degree of scientific curiosity and rigor that has characterized contemplative science thus far, to the study of analytic meditation.  Investigating these practices will not only further our understanding of the complete spiritual path practiced in Tibetan Buddhism but also may have implications for education and could help to inform the development of the secular ethics program. Importantly, we will develop these studies not merely by running a set of psychological paradigms on Tibetan monastics, but actively involve them in the development, execution, and interpretation of the studies. In this way, we intend to let Eastern and Western scholarship cross-fertilize each other.  We are also committed to utilizing first, second, and third person methodology in conceptualizing and and executing our research program.

 

Aims

 

1. Elucidate the neurobehavioral  mechanisms involved in the preparation and practice of debate

   1. Examine the effect of memorization and analytical meditation on cognitive and emotional skills

   2. Identify the cognitive and emotional skills enacted during debate

   3. Examine whether neurobehavioral relatedness and synchrony between debaters is associated with superior resolution of the debate and greater understanding for the individuals

 

1. Develop an enduring research and scientific education collaboration with our Tibetan monastic counterparts

   1. Create a truly interdisciplinary science bridging Western scientists and Tibetan monastics

   2. Work jointly with Tibetan monastics in the development, execution, and interpretation of scientific studies

   3. Increase the scientific literacy throughout the Tibetan monastic community through our direct involvement with these Tibetan monastics as well as the science training they bring back to their monasteries

 

Proposed Research Studies

 

Participants:  Obtain a sample of individuals who fall into one of three groups:  Experienced Tibetan monastics, Novice Tibetan monastics, Non-monastic individuals participating in a shedra program for Westerners that takes place yearly in Nepal under the guidance of Khenpo Namdrol  (http://www.rigpashedra.org; matched for age, gender and interest in Tibetan Buddhism).

 

Study 1:  What are the neurobehavioral capacities cultivated by preparing for- and participating in analytic meditation/debate?

Proposed Method (to be developed in consultation with Tibetan monastic collaborators)

Approach:  Assess the three groups on a battery of tasks that broadly assess domains including attention, working memory, organization of episodic memory, emotional reactivity/interference

Hypotheses:  Monastics will show superior attention, working memory, and emotion regulation abilities as compared to lay individuals.  Greater monastic experience will be associated with greater performance on study tasks. Analytical meditation has greater benefits than non-analytical shamatha meditation for memory performance.

 

Study 2:  What are the neurobehavioral capacities enacted during debate? To what extent is physiological relatedness/synchrony associated with superior debate resolution?

Proposed Method (to be developed in consultation with Tibetan monastic collaborators)

Approach:  Monitor time locked electrodermal activity (EEG), gaze, and peripheral psychophysiology while debaters are engaged in debate.  Survey debaters for subjective and objective measures of debate resolution.

Hypotheses:  Monastics as compared to lay individuals will evidence superior attention, working memory, and emotion regulation skills during the conduct of debate.  Greater physiological relatedness/synchrony among the  debaters (e.g., EEG, peripheral physiology, eye gaze) will be associated with greater objective and subjective resolution of the debate.  More monastic experience will be associated with greater physiological relatedness during debate.  More familiarity of the debaters will be associated with greater physiological relatedness during debate. The understanding developed as a result of the debate increases with physiological connectivity during the debate.