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How does a non-traditional Anapanasati meditator interpret their experiences of meditative absorption - an autoethnography and scoping review
Dissertation (MA in Psych)--University of Pretoria, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2026
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| _version_ | 1869484034447376384 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Davids, Eugene Lee |
| author_browse | Davids, Eugene Lee |
| author_facet | Davids, Eugene Lee |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MA in Psych)--University of Pretoria, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107501 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:08:28.583Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107501 How does a non-traditional Anapanasati meditator interpret their experiences of meditative absorption - an autoethnography and scoping review Davids, Eugene Lee u14206422@tuks.co.za None, None Mthembu, Ndabenhle S UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Non-traditional Anapanasati Mindfulness meditation Autoethnography Scoping review Meditation Dissertation (MA in Psych)--University of Pretoria, 2025. Background: Ānāpānasati, or mindfulness of breathing, is a Buddhist practice aimed at psychospiritual development through breath-focused meditation. Traditional accounts describe meditative absorption as a distinctive set of changes in mental states, traits, and contents, which both traditional and non-traditional practitioners report. However, non-traditional practitioners often lack the knowledge needed to interpret the non-rational aspects of these experiences, leading to difficulties in understanding and integrating the changes resulting from meditative absorption into their daily lives. This can negatively impact their well-being. Methodology: The study comprises two phases. Phase 1 is an autoethnographic phase in which a student, as a non-traditional ānāpānasati meditator, undertakes a research retreat and uses the Meditative Experience Report Form to document and interpret experiences of meditative absorption from three perspectives: meditator, participant, and researcher, drawing on both intuitive and analytical reasoning. Phase 2 is a scoping review of traditional and non-traditional literature on ānāpānasati meditation, alongside primary accounts of experiences of meditative absorption. The scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR guideline to search Scopus, EBSCOhost, and SAGE Journals, yielding three articles out of forty-five that met all inclusion criteria. Results: The findings show a wide range of perspectives and resources available to non-traditional ānāpānasati practitioners as they construct knowledge and meaning from the non-rational information encountered during meditative absorption. Consequently, the challenges of integrating meditative absorption experiences depend on how well a practitioner develops the capacity to interpret the unique non-symbolic information presented by meditative absorption. None Psychology Master of Arts in Psychology Unrestricted Faculty of Humanities None 2026-01-22T10:50:01Z 2026-01-22T10:50:01Z 2026-04-01 2025-09-01 Dissertation * A2026 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107501 https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.31068829 en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Non-traditional Anapanasati Mindfulness meditation Autoethnography Scoping review Meditation How does a non-traditional Anapanasati meditator interpret their experiences of meditative absorption - an autoethnography and scoping review |
| title | How does a non-traditional Anapanasati meditator interpret their experiences of meditative absorption - an autoethnography and scoping review |
| title_full | How does a non-traditional Anapanasati meditator interpret their experiences of meditative absorption - an autoethnography and scoping review |
| title_fullStr | How does a non-traditional Anapanasati meditator interpret their experiences of meditative absorption - an autoethnography and scoping review |
| title_full_unstemmed | How does a non-traditional Anapanasati meditator interpret their experiences of meditative absorption - an autoethnography and scoping review |
| title_short | How does a non-traditional Anapanasati meditator interpret their experiences of meditative absorption - an autoethnography and scoping review |
| title_sort | how does a non traditional anapanasati meditator interpret their experiences of meditative absorption an autoethnography and scoping review |
| topic | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Non-traditional Anapanasati Mindfulness meditation Autoethnography Scoping review Meditation |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107501 https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.31068829 |