Terje Sparby | Rudolf Steiner University College (original) (raw)

Papers by Terje Sparby

New ideas in psychology, Dec 1, 2024

Mindfulness, May 22, 2024

Objectives The jhānas are series of advanced concentrative absorption meditative (ACAM) states br... more Objectives The jhānas are series of advanced concentrative absorption meditative (ACAM) states brought about by meditation. While previously cultivated mostly in monastic settings, a series of modern meditation manuals both openly discuss the jhānas and describe how they may be attained by laypeople. Simultaneously, the phenomenological and neuroscientific investigation of the jhānas is advancing. Although the descriptions of the jhānas in contemporary jhāna manuals to some degree overlap with one another, there are also significant disagreements. Here our objectives are to identify common features of jhāna in meditation manuals, to identify and discuss disagreements, and to offer an account of jhāna that is both comprehensive and consistent. Methods A literature search and review was conducted. The search resulted in eight meditation manuals that provide phenomenologically rich accounts of the full range of the jhānas. Common characteristics and discrepancies in the different accounts of the jhānas have been identified by comparing terms and descriptions. Results We offer a general definition of jhāna, distinguish three types of jhāna, and investigate phenomenological dimensions that may be necessary to address in order to comprehensively articulate the experience of ACAM. Conclusions To ensure scientific rigor, the study of jhāna needs to be informed by both commonalities and differences in the existing accounts of jhāna. While differences exist, these may also be systematically unified in a way that yields a comprehensive account of ACAM.

Mindfulness, Apr 17, 2024

Objectives Practitioners in contemplative traditions commonly report experiencing an awareness th... more Objectives Practitioners in contemplative traditions commonly report experiencing an awareness that is distinct from sensory objects, thoughts, and emotions ("awareness itself"). They also report experiences of a void or underlying silence that is closely associated with this awareness. Subjects who carry out the Headless Way exercises frequently report an experience of emptiness or void at the same time as other contents (void-like experiences). The goals of this study were to (1) assess the reliability of these methods in eliciting the recognition of awareness and void-like experiences in participants who had no prior exposure to these techniques, (2) investigate the prevalence of these experiences in these tasks, and (3) to differentiate these experiences from closely related and potential precursor experiences. Method Twenty adults participated in in-depth individual interviews in which they were guided through the Headless Way exercises. A thematic analysis was conducted on the interview transcripts. Results Twelve of the participants reported a void-like experience, and five participants reported an experience of awareness itself. These experiences were respectively categorized as subsets of the more general categories of perceptual absences and the sense of not being person-like. Another novel finding was the real-time reports of awareness and void-like experiences during the exercises. Conclusions Our findings provide preliminary evidence that the Headless Way exercises can effectively induce experiences of emptiness and awareness in participants without prior experience. The findings suggest that such experiences can be elicited outside of a traditional meditation context, including in non-meditators. Furthermore, the experience of not being person-like and of perceptual absences may be precursors and more general forms of recognizing awareness itself and the void-like nature of the mind. Preregistration This study is not preregistered.

Frontiers in psychology, Mar 12, 2024

There are two basic aspects of attentional control. The ability to direct attention toward differ... more There are two basic aspects of attentional control. The ability to direct attention toward different objects is typically experienced as a fundamental indicator of attentional freedom. One can control what one attends to and directing attention is a relatively simple task. In contrast, sustaining attention on a chosen object proves to be difficult as mind-wandering seems to be inevitable. Does the problem of sustaining attention, mean that we are fundamentally unfree? We discuss this issue in light of an introspective study of directing and sustaining attention, looking specifically into the question of whether it is possible to experience the source of attention, i.e., the subject enacting freedom through attention. The study involved six persons performing different attention tasks over the course of about a month. Common experiences and contrasting reports are presented. This forms the basis for a discussion of the method of introspection and in particular of how to approach conflicting reports.

Constructivist Foundations, 2019

Cerebral Cortex

Jhanas are profound states of mind achieved through advanced meditation, offering valuable insigh... more Jhanas are profound states of mind achieved through advanced meditation, offering valuable insights into the nature of consciousness and tools to enhance well-being. Yet, its neurophenomenology remains limited due to methodological difficulties and the rarity of advanced meditation practitioners. We conducted a highly exploratory study to investigate the neurophenomenology of jhanas in an intensively sampled adept meditator case study (4 hr 7T fMRI collected in 27 sessions) who performed jhana meditation and rated specific aspects of experience immediately thereafter. Linear mixed models and correlations were used to examine relations among brain activity and jhana phenomenology. We identified distinctive patterns of brain activity in specific cortical, subcortical, brainstem, and cerebellar regions associated with jhana. Furthermore, we observed correlations between brain activity and phenomenological qualities of attention, jhanic qualities, and narrative processing, highlighting ...

Mindfulness

Millions of people globally have learned mindfulness meditation with the goal of improving health... more Millions of people globally have learned mindfulness meditation with the goal of improving health and well-being outcomes in both clinical and non-clinical contexts. An estimated half of these practitioners follow mindfulness teachers’ recommendations to continue regular meditation after completion of initial instruction, but it is unclear whether benefits are strengthened by regular practice and whether harm can occur. Increasing evidence shows a wide range of experiences that can arise with regular mindfulness meditation, from profoundly positive to challenging and potentially harmful. Initial research suggests that complex interactions and temporal sequences may explain these experiential phenomena and their relations to health and well-being. We believe further study of the effects of mindfulness meditation is urgently needed to better understand the benefits and challenges of continued practice after initial instructions. Effects may vary systematically over time due to factors...

Psychologie, Bewusstseinsforschung und Heilung im Kontext westlicher Spiritualität, 2016

Religions, Sep 11, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 2022

This article presents and discusses the method of micro-phenomenological selfinquiry. Micro-pheno... more This article presents and discusses the method of micro-phenomenological selfinquiry. Micro-phenomenology is usually performed with two persons, one interviewer and one interviewee. Micro-phenomenological self-inquiry consists of one person investigating their own experience. The different aspects of the regular micro-phenomenological interview are reviewed in relation to the process of selfinquiry. Examples of recent studies that apply micro-phenomenological self-inquiry are presented. Finally, there is a discussion of some methodological problems and objections. Advantages and disadvantages of micro-phenomenological self-inquiry are considered. Suggestions are given for what kind of research and research contexts that micro-phenomenological self-inquiry may be particularly suitable for.

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology

Studies in Spirituality, 2017

The academic study of anthroposophy is a nascent field of research. This article presents an over... more The academic study of anthroposophy is a nascent field of research. This article presents an overview of the core features of Rudolf Steiner’s conception of meditation and spirituality based on an analysis of Steiner’s work. The main aim of this form of meditation is to connect divinity and nature through the human being. This aim is realized through a three-step process of freedom, surrender, and unification. First the human being liberates itself from its dependence on material conditions, then it surrenders and connects with a greater reality beyond it, and finally it brings back the knowledge and capacities gained through the meditative practice to help inform scientific inquiry and to reshape the world. The emphasis on thought, nature, strengthening the self, and sociocultural renewal sets Steiner’s conception of meditation apart from other contemplative traditions and current conceptions of meditation, which tend to have a different and even opposite focus. Hence the study of Steiner’s conception of meditation provides a novel perspective on the significance of meditation and spiritual practice that challenges how meditation is conceived both traditionally and in contemporary culture and research.

Norsk filosofisk tidsskrift, 2011

Hegels åndsbegrep har vært gjenstand for uensartede fortolkninger innenfor ulike filosofiske retn... more Hegels åndsbegrep har vært gjenstand for uensartede fortolkninger innenfor ulike filosofiske retninger, noe som har resultert i uklarhet med hensyn til hvorvidt dette begrep først og fremst er intersubjektivt (a), om det tilhører et kartesiansk paradigme (b), eller representerer en erkemetafysisk forestilling om en «kosmisk ånd» (c).

Visual experiences occurring during meditation are central to many different religious, contempla... more Visual experiences occurring during meditation are central to many different religious, contemplative, and esoteric traditions. This is also true for anthroposophy. In Rudolf Steiner’s work, meditative visual experiences, or ‘imaginations’ as they are often called, are understood as potential perceptions of a concrete spiritual reality. Hence imaginations form the bedrock of the anthroposophic project of cultural renewal based on spiritual perception. The imaginative consciousness is, however, many-faceted, and sometimes Steiner’s descriptions of it can be confusing and contradictory. This article gives an outline of a systematic account of the phenomenology of the imaginative consciousness in Steiner. It traces the development of the term, presents its different aspects, and tries to resolve some conflicting statements by introducing three different areas of imagination: sensory imagination, imagination in the in-between area, and supersensible imagination. This introduction lays t...

Complementary Medicine Research, 2019

Background: The investigation of the specific connections between different techniques of meditat... more Background: The investigation of the specific connections between different techniques of meditation and their respective effects depends upon a classification of the meditative activity involved. Universal systems of classification need to be developed based both on traditional sources and contemporary science. In this article, a system of classification for anthroposophical meditation is proposed. Methods: The system was developed from a close textual analysis of meditation instructions given by Rudolf Steiner. The system of classification arising from the investigation was compared to three other classificatory systems that have recently been suggested. Results: The analysis resulted in a system of classification with two main branches: (1) the shared features of anthroposophical meditation and (2) the different aspects of specific anthroposophical meditations. The first branch contains the following sub-categories: understanding, internal conditions, external conditions, sequenc...

Complementary Medicine Research, 2019

New ideas in psychology, Dec 1, 2024

Mindfulness, May 22, 2024

Mindfulness, Apr 17, 2024

Frontiers in psychology, Mar 12, 2024

Constructivist Foundations, 2019

Cerebral Cortex

Mindfulness

Psychologie, Bewusstseinsforschung und Heilung im Kontext westlicher Spiritualität, 2016

Religions, Sep 11, 2022

Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 2022

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology

Studies in Spirituality, 2017

Norsk filosofisk tidsskrift, 2011

Complementary Medicine Research, 2019

Før Rudolf Steiner utformet antroposofien var han aktiv filosof, og filosofien han utformet, dann... more Før Rudolf Steiner utformet antroposofien var han aktiv filosof, og filosofien han utformet, danner grunnlaget for antroposofien. Mange stiller seg positive til det sosiale aspektet ved Steiners virke, men antroposofien har blitt møtt med kritikk. Det er avgjørende ved vurderingen av kritikken er hvordan man bedømmer Steiners virke som filosof. Hvis antroposofien er filosofisk velbegrunnet, står den sterkere enn hvis den mangler et tankemessig fundament.
Utenfor antroposofenes kretser har Steiners verk, særlig hans filosofi, i liten grad vært gjenstand for undersøkelse. Dette er i ferd med å forandre seg. I denne boka får vi en inngående fremstilling av hovedtrekkene i Steiners tenkning, inkludert overgangen fra filosofi til antroposofi. Det er nødvendig å forstå Steiners filosofi for å å få klarhet i hva som er det spesielle ved Steiners verk.

Foruten tekster av bokas redaktør og Steiner selv, finner vi denne boka bidrag fra Trond Berg Eriksen, Terje Sparby, Helge Salemonsen, Richard Eriksen, Hjalmar Hegge, Hans Kolstad, Dag Østerberg og Torbjørn Eftestøl.

Når man nærmer seg spørsmål om ting som vanligvis regnes som å tilhøre religionens område, og det... more Når man nærmer seg spørsmål om ting som vanligvis regnes som å tilhøre religionens område, og dette på en måte som fortrinnsvis er vitenskapelig, nærmer man seg noe som kan kalles en kulturens skygge-side. En fri intellektuell tilnærming til det åndelige er nemlig noe som i lang tid har blitt avvist både fra offisielt kirkelig hold, så vel som fra vitenskapen generelt. Nyere forskning på esoterikkens historie har vist at strukturelt sett så finner man igjen de samme formene for gjendrivelse av esoterikere, kjettere, osv., innenfor kirketradisjonen, som man finner innenfor vitenskapens kritikk av nyreligiøsitet i den senere tid. Gjendrivelsene er som regel preget mer av retorikk enn argumentasjon. Religionen og vitenskapen danner altså på dette feltet en allianse, i det minste i den vestlige verden, som grunnleggende sett har en felles identitet gjennom det at de skiller ut og undertrykker det esoteriske. Uten å forsone denne splittelsen tror jeg ikke mennesket vil kunne komme fullt og helt til seg selv som et vesen som vil vite, altså et vesen som driver vitenskap på et fritt grunnlag. Denne boken er et forsøk på å bidra til denne forsoningen

Morgenbladet, Jan 13, 2006

Helge Salemonsens bok Under Kunnskapens Tre tar tak i to velkjente og mye omtalte emner, nemlig i... more Helge Salemonsens bok Under Kunnskapens Tre tar tak i to velkjente og mye omtalte emner, nemlig individualisme og evolusjon. Men gjennom måten han kobler disse sammen, blir han derimot en sjelden fugl som flyr høyt. Boken tar for seg individets utviklingshistorie i lys av kulturens egen utvikling. Det vil si, den handler like mye om deg og meg som om Salemonsen selv, og hvordan vi har blitt til gjennom en felleskulturell utvikling.

Review of "Rudolf Steiner som filosof" by Tobias Ossmark

Meditation is typically investigated to uncover its potential health benefits. Some recent studie... more Meditation is typically investigated to uncover its potential health benefits. Some recent studies, however, indicate that certain challenging, negative or adverse effects may be connected to meditation practice. Breathing changes, such as irregularities and breath cessation, are an example of this. Other studies and traditional sources view breath cessation in a positive light, connecting it to deep absorption. The present study, which is a case study involving diary reports, micro-phenomenological self-inquiry and SPO2 measurements, describes a transformative experience: Breath irregularities and cessation events during meditation were initially experienced as challenging and fearful, but, after a period of 15 years, became associated exclusively with positively valenced effects such as bliss. The challenging experiences consist of for example unrest, panic, and a sense of suffocation, the latter of which possibly has a physiological cause as indicated by the SPO2 measurements. This highlights the importance of considering meditation effects in relation to larger developmental trajectories – otherwise one runs the risk of identifying an effect as negative or adverse, which may turn out to be a challenging experience with a beneficial outcome. It is also hypothesized that the cause of the breath related problems may be related to too strong concentrative effort, i.e. an imbalance of arousal and rest on a psychological level, and respiration and metabolism on a physiological level.