As we demonstrate elsewhere on this site, meditation gives rise to benefits and fruits for the person who meditates and for society as a whole. The benefits refer to the practical, pragmatic gains that flow from the practice while the fruits refer to the deeper inner flourishing that ultimately transforms the person who meditates.
There is now a substantial international evidence base reporting the benefits and complexities of meditation programs in schools. On these pages we look at two such studies.
Dr Noel Keating, who initiated the promotion of meditation with children in Ireland, undertook doctoral research on the child’s experience of meditation in primary schools. He interviewed 70 children from four primary schools where all of the children in the school had participated in regular whole-school meditation. The children described to him how they experienced its practical benefits and its rich inner fruits in their lives. Click the buttons on the right to learn what the children said, in their own words.
The second study is a comprehensive international scoping review undertaken by the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross University, Australia, on behalf of the WCCM.
The full evidence review can be accessed by clicking on the image to the right.
For a short infographic summary capturing some key findings click here.
Both of these documents, which were published in May 2020, make a significant contribution to our understanding of the lasting benefits and fruits of meditation for children.
Further information on the work of the Centre for Children and Young People at SCU on meditation in schools is available here.
