Contemplative Currents

    Contemplative Currents is an online magazine for public scholarship that advances contemplative knowing, practicing, and living.

    Contemplation +

    is an ongoing series of dialogues that explores intersections of contemplation with diverse topics.

    All Dialogues

    What is Contemplation?

    is a series that interviews leading scholars in Contemplative Studies to address this driving question.

    All Interviews
    • JCS Editor • January 23, 2026

      Contemplation + Education

      An Interview With Robert W. Roeser

      JCS: Welcome! Can you tell me a bit about your background in contemplation and education? RR: I’m trained as a PhD in Developmental Science and Education, and I also hold master’s degrees in clinical social work and religion. My research…
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    • Noah Brown, Harvard Gazette • November 21, 2025

      Had a bad experience meditating? You’re not alone.

      Altered states of consciousness through yoga, mindfulness more common than thought and mostly beneficial, study finds — though clinicians ill-equipped to help those who struggle

      Altered states of consciousness associated with practices such as yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and breath work are far more common than expected, according to new research by a team including investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital. Although many people surveyed for the…
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    • JCS Editor • October 30, 2025

      Fall Contemplative Conferences

      ISCR & AAR 2025 Conferences

      International Society For Contemplative Research (ISCR) Conference The 3rd Conference of the International Society for Contemplative Research (ISCR) will be held on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from November 3-6, 2025. The ISCR 2025 Conference is an international…
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    • JCS Editor • October 30, 2025

      Reflections on SENSEmaking

      A Symposium on Contemplative Technologies

      SENSEmaking: A Symposium on Contemplative Technologies was held by the Contemplative Sciences Center and its Contemplative Innovation + Research Co-Lab (CIRCL) on October 9th and 10th. Contemplative practices in esoteric and religious traditions have long sought to explore the horizon…
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    • Josh Brahinsky, Jonas Mago, Mark Miller, and Michael Lifshitz • October 23, 2025

      Two Paths, One Spiral

      Comparative Insights from Jhāna Meditation and Speaking in Tongues

      Jhāna meditation and the practice of speaking in tongues could hardly look more different. In jhāna, the body settles into stillness: quiet, seated, composed. From the outside, nothing stirs—an almost austere calm, cultivated through generations of Buddhist teaching that has…
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    • JCS Editor • October 16, 2025

      Special Issue Announcement

      Special Issue #09: Contemplative Computing

      The JCS Editors are delighted to announce Special Issue #09: Contemplative Computing, with guest editors Angela Orebaugh (University of Virginia), Alex Soojung-Kim Pang (Stanford University), and Gunter Bombaerts (Eindhoven University of Technology). This Special Issue invites scholars to explore the…
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