Impact of Experiential Neuroscience of Meditation Course on Attitudes Toward Meditation and Science

An interdisciplinary, intensive, and experiential course on Neuroscience of Meditation was designed to fulfill a general education science requirement. Class activities included lecture, class discussion of the textbook and scholarly articles, laboratory experimentation, and practicing 15 different forms of meditation. Laboratory investigations included sheep brain dissection, physiological measurements of the autonomic nervous system, electroencephalogram, salivary enzyme assays, attention testing, and psychological questionnaires. The Determinants of Meditation Practice Inventory (DMPI) and My Attitude Toward Science (MATS) scales were administered at the beginning and conclusion of the course; barriers to meditation were reduced and positive attitudes toward school science were increased. Comments on course evaluations praised this incorporation of contemplative pedagogy into a neuroscience course.