An integral investigation into the phenomenology and neurophysiology of Christian Trinity meditation

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title An integral investigation into the phenomenology and neurophysiology of Christian Trinity meditation
 
Creator Edwards, Stephen D. Edwards, David J.
 
Subject Practical Theology: Pastoral Counselling Christian Trinity meditation; integral investigation; neurophysiology; phenomenology; practical theology
Description This integral investigation explored phenomenological and neurophysiologic, individual and collective dimensions of Christian Trinitarian meditation experiences in a volunteer, convenience sample of 10 practicing Christians, 6 men and 4 women, with a mean age of 48 years and an age range from 21 to 85 years. Participants meditated for a minimum period of 15 minutes, during which neurophysiologic data in the form of electroencephalographic (EEG), electromyographic (EMG), blood volume pulse (BVP) and respiratory activity were recorded. A phenomenological analysis indicated that the meditation process generally involved a movement from body to mind to spirit as evident in reports of an increasingly relaxed, contented and focused state of consciousness characterised by Christian Trinitarian imagery, wonder, surrender, peace, bliss, openness and formlessness. The neuropsychological findings indicated significant increases, from baseline to meditation recordings, in the alpha and beta range, accompanied by increasing mean trends in the theta and gamma range, and decreasing mean trends in the delta range, EMG, BVP and respiration. Integrative findings indicated the practical theological value of small doses of Christian Trinity meditation to enhance spiritual life for those forms of waking, thinking, conscious behaviour needed in everyday world involvement and healing. Findings were discussed in relation to further integrative investigations and interventions with practical theological implications.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor University of Zululand National Research Foundation
Date 2012-03-12
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Integral investigation; AQAL approach; interpretive and positivistic paradigms; phenomenological and thematic content analysis; non-parametric statistical analysis which included the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test for the quantitative data
Format text/html application/octet-stream text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v68i1.1053
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 68, No 1 (2012); 9 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/1053/2231 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/1053/2236 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/1053/2232 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/1053/2230 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/downloadSuppFile/1053/742 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/downloadSuppFile/1053/743
 
Coverage — — 10 practicing Christians; 6 men and 4 women, with a mean age of 48 years and an age range from 21 to 85 years
Rights Copyright (c) 2012 Stephen D. Edwards, David J. Edwards https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ADVERTISEMENT

International Tel: 021 975 2602

15 Oxford street, Durbanville, Cape Town, 7550 (South Africa)
Copyright © AOSIS (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved.
No unauthorised duplication allowed