Contemplative practices, like mindfulness meditation, have long been intertwined with morality. But does engaging in these practices actually make us more moral? That’s a question that scientists have been trying to answer. So far, the research has been focused on specific aspects of morality, which may not fully capture the complex interplay between contemplation and moral behavior. However, a new approach is emerging. By using a multifactor construct, researchers are able to examine the effects of contemplative interventions on multiple dimensions of moral cognition and behavior. This allows for a more comprehensive investigation into how contemplative practices impact our moral actions. Preliminary findings suggest that mindfulness meditation does have positive influences on morality, but there can also be some negative influences as well. With further research in this area, we may be able to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between contemplative practices and morality, and how we can harness their power for personal growth and ethical living!

Contemplative practices are a staple of modern life and have historically been intertwined with morality. However, do these practices in fact improve our morality? The answer remains unclear because the science of contemplative practices has focused on unidimensional aspects of morality, which do not align with the type of interdependent moral functioning these practices aspire to cultivate. Here, we appeal to a multifactor construct, which allows the assessment of outcomes from a contemplative intervention across multiple dimensions of moral cognition and behavior. This offers an open-minded and empirically rigorous investigation into the impact of contemplative practices on moral actions. Using this framework, we gain insight into the effect of mindfulness meditation on morality, which we show does indeed have positive influences, but also some negative influences, distributed across our moral functioning.

Read Full Article (External Site)