P1: KAE 0521857430c19 CUFX049/Zelazo 0 521 85743 0 printer: cupusbw November 6, 2006 16:32 CHAPTER 19 Meditation and the Neuroscience of Consciousness: An Introduction Antoine Lutz, John D. Dunne, and Richard J. Davidson Abstract The overall goal of this chapter is to explore the initial findings of neuroscientific research on meditation; in doing so, the chapter also suggests potential avenues of further inquiry. It has three sections that, although integral to the chapter as a whole, may also be read independently. The first sec- tion, “Defining Meditation,” notes the need for a more precise understanding of med- itation as a scientific explanandum. Argu- ing for the importance of distinguishing the particularities of various traditions, the sec- tion presents the theory of meditation from the paradigmatic perspective of Buddhism, and it discusses the difficulties encountered when working with such theories. The sec- tion includes an overview of three prac- tices that have been the subject of research, and it ends with a strategy for developing a questionnaire to define more precisely a practice under examination. The second sec- tion, “The Intersection of Neuroscience and Meditation,” explores some scientific moti- vations for the neuroscientific examination of meditation in terms of its potential impact on the brain and body of long-term prac- titioners. After an overview of the mecha- nisms of mind-body interaction, this section addresses the use of first-person expertise, especially in relation to the potential for research on the neural counterpart of sub- jective experience. In general terms, the sec- tion thus points to the possible contributions of research on meditation to the neuro- science of consciousness. The final section, “Neuroelectric and Neuroimaging Correla- tes of Meditation,” reviews the most relevant neuroelectric and neuroimaging findings of research conducted to date, including some preliminary correlates of the previously dis- cussed Buddhist practices. Introduction This chapter discusses possible contributions of meditation to the neurobiological study of consciousness and to cognitive and affective neurosciences in general. Empirical research on meditation started in the 1950 s, and as much as 1,000 publications on meditation already exist. 1 Despite such a high number 497 Proofs only. Expected Publication date: May, 2007