Vipassana Meditation Training

Term Paper # 100273

Asian Studies
Canadian Studies
Criminology > Criminal Justice and Corrections

This paper presents a proposal for the introduction of Vipassana meditation training in federal correctional institutions.

1,690 words () | 14 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that Vipassana techniques for federal correctional institutions stem from experiments in prisons in the Republic of India that prove helpful to timeservers suffering from addictions, mental illness and apathy. The paper explains how Vipassana meditation teaches participants to clear the mind, achieve a new orientation of one's situation and relate better to others. The paper explores the success of Vipassana courses in Western prisons and concludes that in the Canadian context, one sees no objective reason as to why it might be unsuited to a federal institution.

Outline:
Rationale
Involved Parties
What is Offered
Orientation
Variables
Closing Gaps in Practice and Planning
Vipassana in Western Prisons
Concluding Notes

From the Paper:

"This proposal was earlier developed for consideration by provincial corrections authorities and was suggested for a Federal facility. It pertains to basic Vipassana Meditation Training for timeservers to augment addictions and therapy modules that are presently provided in federal institutions. Vipassana techniques now taught in American and other prison settings stem from pioneering experiments in prisons of all kinds in the Republic of India to prove helpful to timeservers suffering from addictions, mental illness, and apathy. (Mazumdar 1981) Vipassana Meditation has shown its suitability in Third World and Western institutions. (See Fig II)"

Sample of Sources Used:

Bedi, K. It's Always Possible - Transforming One of the Largest Prisons in the World. New Delhi: Sterling, 1998.
Emavadhana, T. and C.D. Tori. "Changes in Self Concept, Ego Defense Mechanisms and Religiosity Following Seven-Day Vipassana Meditation Retreats." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 36. (1997): 194-206.
Epstein, M. Going on Being - Buddhism and the Way of Change - a Positive Psychology for the West. New York: Continuum, 2001.
Goenka, S.N. Code of Discipline for Prison Courses. Retrieved from Prison.Dhamma.Org on November 9, 2006. (See Fig I.)
Goldstein, J. and J. Korfield. Seeking the Heart of Wisdom - The Path of Insight Meditation. San Francisco: Shambala Publications, 1987.

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APA Citation:

Vipassana Meditation Training (2012, January 15). Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://www.academon.com/Term-Paper-Vipassana-Meditation-Training/100273