360掳: Contemplative Traditions
This 360掳, taught by professors of chemistry, psychology, and East Asian Languages and Cultures (formerly East Asian Studies), examined the history, science and practice of meditation and other mindful practices.
This 360掳, taught by professors of chemistry, psychology, and East Asian Languages and Cultures (formerly East Asian Studies), examined the history, science and practice of meditation and other mindful practices.
Meditation is a hot commodity in contemporary American popular culture. Ever widening circles of people are becoming interested in the benefits that meditation can offer in stress-relief, regulation of blood pressure, pain control, and so on. While meditation can be seen as a neutral technology, free of ties to any one spiritual path or worldview, we examine these practices through the cultural and religious contexts that gave rise to them.
This 360掳, taught by professors of chemistry, psychology, and East Asian Languages and Cultures (formerly East Asian Studies), examined the history, science and practice of meditation and other mindful practices. 360掳: Contemplative Traditions comprised three classes that share an interest in contemplative or mindfulness traditions and practice. The courses brought together historical, cultural, psychological, and religious perspectives. Travel for the course included a trip to Japan to explore Eastern traditions. Locally, 360掳 participants worked with Philadelphia high-school students wrestling with the challenge of growing up in a sound-bite world in which multitasking reigns supreme.
The study trip for the 2013 cluster was supported by a generous grant from the 's Japan-America Collegiate Exchange Travel Program.
The study trip for the 2016 cluster was supported by a generous LIASE implementation grant from the Henry Luce Foundation.