Kristeller – LSI – 2007 – 5-16-07 1 Quiet Mind, Meditative Mind and Emerging Wisdom: A Transtheoretical Model of the Wisdom Process Jean L. Kristeller, Ph.D. The concept of wisdom is increasingly being examined as a psychological construct (Sternberg, 1990; Sternber & 2005; Baltes & Staudinger, 2000); the discussion, while primarily informed by Western and intellectual perspectives of what is meant by this term, acknowledges certain core elements, primarily the ability to fruitfully engage conflicting knowledge or aspects of a situation or goal, as central to what is meant by wisdom. This paper will extend that discussion by positing that “wisdom” is an emergent process that occurs when habitual, generally self-protective reactions of the conditioned mind are suspended and transcended, allowing integration of more complex processing to occur. The paper will then examine the degree to which this process of emergence of wisdom can be cultivated through meditative and contemplative practices. This perspective on “wisdom” is informed both by Buddhist psychology and contemporary psychological principles. Furthermore, it is consistent with a transdiciplinary approach to knowledge and with the growing need to engage increasingly complex and disparate perspectives on understanding and problem solving. Wise Thought, Wise Action Although the term ‘wisdom’ is most often associated with more profound choices or intellectual discourse, a broader model of wise choice or action posits that wisdom may appear within any realm of functioning, from everyday activities (wise eating; wise friendship) to the transcendent (spiritual wisdom). In fact, looking at wise choice within more mundane tasks may help us to understand the emergence of wisdom within loftier arenas. How do I balance desire for ice cream versus health concerns? Creating rules (“I’ll never eat ice cream again”) may