The Psychology of Meditation

This Oxford University Press volume, edited by Michael A. West, is a serious academic survey of what researchers and clinicians actually know about meditation. Contributors — who include both researchers and practitioners — cover EEG studies, clinical applications for depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and addiction, personality variables, and uses in schools and workplaces. The unusual touch is that contributors also share personal accounts of their own practice, which keeps the book grounded. It's not for general readers — the prose is dense and the framing assumes graduate-level background. Faith-minded readers should know meditation is treated as a psychological tool across Buddhist, Hindu, and secular traditions, not as a spiritual practice in any one tradition. For its intended academic audience, it's authoritative and comprehensive.