Educating through (Re)connection: Contributions of contemplative sciences and meditative practices for a new mindset in education

Abstract

Deep and meaningful learning experiences are a privilege for human beings and nowadays, we live in a complex, rich, and full of learning opportunities. Education is evolving in many ways, and new generations of youngsters are writing new paths to the future of humankind but still, we need a new perspective that ends the divisions between Nature and Humanity that have occurred in recent decades, and reconnects us with Nature again, promoting a sustainable mindset at all levels of education, and using transdisciplinary and innovative approaches. In this paper, using literature review and essayistic reasoning, influenced by future research methods, we envision a possibility of contemplative science and meditative practices at the core of this fundamental shift in education. We will analyze the potential of meditation, with some focus on the recently constructed research by the science called nature-based mindfulness, to dilute the Human/Nature dichotomy and promote a global mindset and sustainability and argue that this should be a unifying path for all professionals at all educational levels and in all educational interventions, formal, non-formal or informal. We finish proposing guidelines for the integration of contemplative sciences and meditative practices connected to existent frameworks of sustainable mindset.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/ptoketheeducati-077