Experience of Meditation: Experts Introduce the Major Traditions [Paperback]

Jonathan Shear (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 17, 2006

A fulfilled life and happiness is more than physical comfort or buying new things. It involves awareness and development of our inner being and consciousness. The major meditation traditions of the world, each in their own way, aim at the creation of an inner peace and happiness which provides a solid foundation for action and compassion in the world. This book describes the techniques and experience of the major meditation traditions impacting the West in the words of highly respected practioners of each tradition. Taken together, they constitute a solid overview of meditation and how the major traditions are similar or different from one another. >

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a superb collection not only for beginners who would like an exquisite introduction to meditation, but also for advanced practitioners who would like to refine their own understanding of this most precious gift of the great saints and sages of our human family. And if you have not yet started a meditation practice...take up this great experiment in depth, and I promise you, your life will never be the same again."—Ken Wilber, author A Theory of Everything: An Integral Vision for Business, Politics, Science, and Spirituality

"For years, I have been seeking a comprehensive and authoritative survey of the world's major meditation practices that I can recommend to students. Now I have one."—Peter Russell, author, From Science to God et al

"This is a superb collection not only for beginners who would like an exquisite introduction to meditation, but also for advanced practitioners who would like to refine their own understanding of this most precious gift of the great saints and sages of our human family. And if you have not yet started a meditation practice…take up this great experiment in depth, and I promise you, your life will never be the same again."—Ken Wilber, author A Theory of Everything: An Integral Vision for Business, Politics, Science, and Spirituality 

About the Author

Jonathan Shear was a Fulbright Scholar in philosophy of science at the London School of Economics, and a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley where he received his doctorate. He has enjoyed daily practice of Eastern procedures such as Zen, TM, taiji ("t'ai chi") and qigong for more than forty years, and is an internationally known expert on meditation experiences, publishing and lecturing in India and China as well as the West. For the past nineteen years he has taught philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. He was also a founding editor of the Journal of Consciousness Studies, is an experienced meditation instructor, and a formal disciple in one of China's major taiji systems.

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Paragon House (May 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155778857X
• ISBN-13: 978-1557788573
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #855,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart Book, November 11, 2006

By 

Italo (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Experience of Meditation: Experts Introduce the Major Traditions (Paperback)

Great overview of the major forms or meditation. This is the first time I have seen a book that so intelligently looks at meditation techniques and gives expert opinions about what they do and how they work. Ken Wilbur's intro is brilliant. This book is insightful. With interest in meditation becoming much more widespread in our culture I think that this book is an excellent addition to the many books out there on the subject.