MOTIVATIONS FOR MEDITATING

Abstract

Abundant research quantifies the effects of different meditation practices, however little work has been done to investigate the motivations individuals have for starting or continuing their practice. This study investigated individuals' motivations for starting and continuing meditation practice through an online, open-ended survey. Participants were 401 adult, Englishspeaking practitioners from 33 states and 27 countries with any kind of meditation practice. Using grounded theory, seven over-arching themes for practicing meditation were identified. The study supported previous work demonstrating that motivations for practicing meditation move along a continuum of self-regulation to self-exploration to self-liberation over time (Shapiro, 1992). The study also revealed increases in altruistic motivations over time, suggesting that over time motivations for meditating become less self-focused. These results have implications for motivational models of how meditation practices are established and maintained.