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Section 1. Descriptions and Citations for the Typology of Meditation Practices and Related
Clinical Interventions
The following descriptions correspond to meditation practices and clinical interventions listed
in Table 1 of the main article. For illustrative purposes, we have provided one relevant citation
for each item. Please keep in mind that many practices listed below are hybrids and therefore
include elements of multiple families. This classification system groups practices according to
their primary cognitive mechanisms. The inclusion of individual practices in specific families is
not meant to indicate that they are exclusively related to attention, to the cultivation of
1 Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland
Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA
2 Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA
3 Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon, France
4 Lyon 1 University, Lyon, France
5 Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA
Attentional Family – Focused Attention (FA)
Jhana practice is a form of meditation found in classical Buddhism and widely practiced
single object such as the breath, or an affective state such as compassion [S1].
attention on the movements of the breath while mentally counting inhalations and
exhalations [S2].
Body awareness practices involve directing the attention toward specific areas of the
body, such as the point beneath the navel, and sustaining awareness in that area for
extended periods of time. This form of practice is commonly found in many schools of
Buddhism. Note: this form of practice is distinct from body awareness practices that
involve scanning the body rather than sustaining focus on one point or area [S3].
of experience. This object could be a sensory percept, such as a visual object or physical
Mantra recitation is practiced in most major religions and involves the repetition of a
sacred word or phrase, through which the mind becomes increasingly still and subtle
aspects of consciousness are accessed. This style of meditation is perhaps most widely
2 | Supplementary Materials for Dahl, C.J. et al. (2015) Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Self. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences.
practiced in Transcendental Meditation (TM), though TM also involves elements of the
prosoche. Like the practice of choiceless awareness described below, the cultivation of
experience [S6].
3 | Supplementary Materials for Dahl, C.J. et al. (2015) Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Self. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences.
meditation-related practices that foster present-moment awareness of cognitive,
Buddhism. This practice involves releasing the orientation of attention toward an object
Buddhism, involves systematically cultivating and sustaining the active care and concern
object of one’s meditation, which may be oneself, another being, or all beings [S11].
Bodhichitta meditations are a body of practices, commonly practiced in both Zen and
Tibetan Buddhism, that revolve around cultivating both the aspiration and active
commitment to help all beings achieve complete freedom from suffering and
Centering Prayer is a contemporary practice drawn from the Catholic mystical tradition
that involves repeating a sacred word to connect to the presence of the divine [S13].
4 | Supplementary Materials for Dahl, C.J. et al. (2015) Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Self. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences.
Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) is a program that employs contemplative
[S14].
a secular training program that includes elements of all three families. The main
The Six Recollections are a traditional Theravada Buddhist practice that involves
The Four Thoughts are a traditional Tibetan Buddhist practice that involves
contemplating the preciousness of human life, death and impermanence, the principle
of causality, and the pervasive nature of suffering and dissatisfaction. The main goal of
an individual contemplates the fragility of life, the many circumstances that can bring an
end to life, and other topics that aim to put the meditator in touch with his or her own
mortality. There are various aims for these practices, including a calming of the mind
5 | Supplementary Materials for Dahl, C.J. et al. (2015) Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Self. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences.
and a stabilizing of attention, but one of the primary objectives is to reorient the mind
tradition that employs the imagination and creative visualization. One common
technique is to imagine oneself as an enlightened being who fully embodies wisdom and
compassion. The aim of these practices is to disrupt perceptual processes that are
oriented toward undesirable qualities and circumstances and to cultivate a view that
sees the world and other individuals as embodiments of wisdom and compassion [S19].
and currently practiced in the Theravada tradition. The main objective of this practice is
to undermine lust and sensual desire by imagining the human body in various states of
decay and also by mentally dissecting the body into its component parts. This is often
practiced by celibate monks and nuns in order to help maintain their monastic vows
[S16].
6 | Supplementary Materials for Dahl, C.J. et al. (2015) Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Self. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences.
First and Second Foundations of Mindfulness are classical Buddhist practices common
to all forms of Buddhism, but most widely practiced in the Theravada School. In the first
two of the four foundations, the emphasis is on bringing awareness to various aspects of
the body and to feeling states in order to realize, for example, their transient nature
[S20].
practiced in Theravada Buddhism, that aim to generate experiential insight into the
nature of experience. This class of meditations often includes elements of both object-
ontological beliefs and views, especially concerning the nature of the self [S22].
change their thinking, behavior, emotional responses, and the maladaptive self-schema
Therapy [S9].
7 | Supplementary Materials for Dahl, C.J. et al. (2015) Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Self. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences.
Third and Fourth Foundations of Mindfulness are classical Buddhist practices common
to all forms of Buddhism, but most widely practiced in the Theravada School. In the
third and fourth of the four foundations, the emphasis is on bringing awareness to
(dharmas) [S20].
Dzogchen and Mahamudra Analytical Meditation are Tibetan Buddhist practices, both
nature [S24].
Muraqaba is a contemplative practice found in the Islamic Sufi tradition in which one's
sense of individual identity dissolves and one merges with the divine. In practice, this
form of meditation proceeds in stages that involve gaining access to increasingly subtle
perceiver or agent that stands apart from the objects of consciousness is absent.
Following this introduction, the primary practice involves returning to this recognition
over and over again until it stabilizes and can be integrated with various activities and
Dzogchen is, like Mahamudra, a Tibetan Buddhist practice that emphasizes effortlessly
8 | Supplementary Materials for Dahl, C.J. et al. (2015) Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Self. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences.
Koan practice, commonly practiced in Zen Buddhism, employs paradoxical stories and
Shikantaza is a Zen Buddhist practice in which the simple act of sitting, without effort or
[S30].
Citations
S1 Gunaratana, H. (1995) The path of serenity and insight: an explanation of the Buddhist
Jhānas, Motilal Banarsidass.
S3 Loori, J.D. (2002) The eight gates of Zen: A program of Zen training, Shambhala
Publications.
S4 Swanson, E. and Rinpoche, Y.M. (2010) The joy of living: Unlocking the secret and science
of happiness, Random House.
S5 Yogi, M. (1995) Science of being and art of living: Transcendental Meditation, Meridian.
S6 Hadot, P. (1995) Philosophy as a way of life: Spiritual exercises from Socrates to Foucault,
Oxford: Blackwell.
S7 Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013) Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to
face stress, pain, and illness, Bantam.
9 | Supplementary Materials for Dahl, C.J. et al. (2015) Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Self. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences.
S8 Linehan, M. et al. (1999) Dialectical Behavior Therapy for patients with borderline
personality disorder and drug-dependence. Am. J. Additictions 8, 279–292
S10 Hayes, S.C. et al. (2006) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Model, processes and
outcomes. Behav. Res. Ther. 44, 1–25
S12 Rinpoche, Y.M. (2014) Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foundation Practices
of Tibetan Buddhism, Snow Lion Publications.
S13 Keating, T. (2012) Invitation to Love: The Way of Christian Contemplation, Bloomsbury
Publishing.
S15 Reddy, S.D. et al. (2013) Cognitive-Based Compassion Training: A Promising Prevention
Strategy for At-Risk Adolescents. J. Child Fam. Stud. 22, 219–230
S17 Halifax, J. (2009) Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the
Presence of Death, Shambhala Publications.
S18 Fava, G. a et al. (1998) Well-being therapy. A novel psychotherapeutic approach for
residual symptoms of affective disorders. Psychol. Med. 28, 475–480
S21 Goldstein, J. (2003) Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom, Shambhala Publications.
S22 Lama, D. (2014) The Middle Way: Faith Grounded in Reason, Wisdom Publications.
S23 Beck, A.T. (2005) The Current State of Cognitive Therapy. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 62, 953–
959
10 | Supplementary Materials for Dahl, C.J. et al. (2015) Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Self. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences.
S24 Rinpoche, D.P. (2003) Wild Awakening: The Heart of Mahamudra and Dzogchen,
Shambhala Publications.
S25 Azeemi, K.S. (2005) Muraqaba: The Art and Science of Sufi Meditation, Plato Publishing.
S26 Rinpoche, K.T. (2004) Crystal Clear: Practical Advice for Mahamudra Meditators,
Rangjung Yeshe Publications.
S29 Dogen, E. (2004) Beyond thinking: A guide to Zen meditation. (K. Tanahashi, Trans.)
Boston: Shambala., Shambhala Publications.
S30 Maharshi, R. (1985) Be as you are: The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, Arkana.
11 | Supplementary Materials for Dahl, C.J. et al. (2015) Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Self. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences.