Adult development, meditation, wisdom, and unlearning: Toward a science of advanced meditation
Abstract
Contemplative science is entering a “third wave” that investigates advanced meditative development, including the study of advanced states and practitioners and the phenomenology and neurocognitive correlates of enduring trait transformations (meditative development). This paper argues that these research directions would benefit from the systematic inclusion of adult cognitive-developmental theory. However, we identify structural limitations in current developmental models that privilege hierarchical, ascending growth while overlooking complementary dynamics of release or letting go emphasized in contemplative theory, wisdom traditions, and psychotherapy. We propose an expanded developmental framework that balances ascending integration with descending or apophatic processes of deconstruction or surrender. This bidirectional model illuminates persistent confusions in the field—such as distinctions between state and stage, characteristics of late-stage achievements (toward “awakening”), how spiritual adepts can be unethical, and potential adverse effects of meditation or premature transformation. By integrating contemplative science with developmental and psychological theory, we aim to provide a more complete account of human cognitive and spiritual maturation that adds conceptual tools to clarify empirical research questions, psychological assessments, and intervention design.
Related
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BibTeX
@misc{murray2026adult,
title = {{Adult development, meditation, wisdom, and unlearning: Toward a science of advanced meditation}},
author = {Tom Murray and Thomas McConkie and Matthew Sacchet},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/97h8z_v3},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/97h8z_v3/},
note = {CC0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Adult development, meditation, wisdom, and unlearning: Toward a science of advanced meditation
AU - Tom Murray
AU - Thomas McConkie
AU - Matthew Sacchet
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/97h8z_v3
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/97h8z_v3/
AB - Contemplative science is entering a “third wave” that investigates advanced meditative development, including the study of advanced states and practitioners and the phenomenology and neurocognitive correlates of enduring trait transformations (meditative development). This paper argues that these research directions would benefit from the systematic inclusion of adult cognitive-developmental theory. However, we identify structural limitations in current developmental models that privilege hierarchical, ascending growth while overlooking complementary dynamics of release or letting go emphasized in contemplative theory, wisdom traditions, and psychotherapy. We propose an expanded developmental framework that balances ascending integration with descending or apophatic processes of deconstruction or surrender. This bidirectional model illuminates persistent confusions in the field—such as distinctions between state and stage, characteristics of late-stage achievements (toward “awakening”), how spiritual adepts can be unethical, and potential adverse effects of meditation or premature transformation. By integrating contemplative science with developmental and psychological theory, we aim to provide a more complete account of human cognitive and spiritual maturation that adds conceptual tools to clarify empirical research questions, psychological assessments, and intervention design.
ER -