Philosophy of meditation 2500-PL-PS-FO-46

Contemporary research reveals that meditation is more than relaxation - it is a conscious exercise of awareness that challenges our assumptions about self, perception and value. Philosophical insights reveal that meditation connects phenomenology with ethics, metaphysics and epistemology offering unique insights into how the mind creates meanings and norms. Familiarizing ourselves with texts from the field of philosophy of meditation, we will take an interdisciplinary journey in which meditation becomes an object of cognition understood as a source of ethics and personal transformation.
We will pose the questions: how do we define “here and now”; what does it mean to be mindful; how do meditation practices shape responsibility to self and others; does mindfulness foster empathy and justice?
Our goal will be independent and group reflection on meditation. During our discussions together, we will touch on its Buddhist and yogic roots, make connections to Zen, Western philosophy (Stoicism) and modern psychology of meditation. We will consider whether meditation changes the way we experience reality? How does Husserl's phenomenology and relate to the practice of mindfulness? Through short meditation sessions, we will experience how philosophy becomes practice and theory becomes lived experience.

Topics of interest include:
- the relationship of body and mind from the point of view of the meditation experience;
- is mindfulness only an inner practice, or also a path to moral sensitivity?

Benefits:
- deepening knowledge of practical philosophy and contemplative psychology;
- ability to critically evaluate contemporary narratives about meditation in mass culture;
- inspiration to develop an original research project devoted to meditation;
- to learn about a variety of approaches to meditation (from ancient Eastern practices to contemporary Western currents);
- gain tools to work on one's own mind (which can contribute to increased concentration, stress reduction and overall improvement of quality of life);
- the seminar will create a space to exchange thoughts and views and look at meditation from different perspectives.

Join us and find out that meditation is not just a relaxation technique, but a profound philosophical practice - a path to understanding ourselves and the world we live in. Meditation, as a subject of study,
requires both intellectual precision and personal commitment. We invite all who are ready to take on this challenge, combining an academic approach with an openness to interdisciplinary dialogue.