Monitoring Emotion Through Body Sensation: A Review of Awareness in Goenka's Vipassana.

Author: Zeng X, Oei TP, Liu X.
Affiliation: School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, XinJieKouWai St., HaiDian District, Beijing, 100875, People's Republic of China.
Conference/Journal: J Relig Health.
Date published: 2013 Jul 12
Other: Word Count: 101



Awareness is one of the two most important abilities cultivated in Goenka's Vipassana meditation, which refers to sensitivity to subtle bodily sensations and the associated psychological processes. This sensitivity and its derived function of monitoring emotion are not of notable concern in modern mindfulness-based psychotherapies. Evidence supports that Vipassana meditation truly enhances sensitivity to bodily sensations, but further study is required to assess the awareness of psychological processes. The value of monitoring mental processing has been widely accepted in psychology, as has enhanced sensitivity along with the potential dangers to mental health. Implications for practice and future studies are discussed.
PMID: 23846450