Consciousness-Based Education for Holistic Development and Special Education

Abstract

Stress amongst students is one of the most crucial existential problems in today’s time. Recent studies suggest that incorporating meditation practices in educational settings can lead to better cognitive function, reduced stress, and improved learning capabilities. This paper discusses the value and need for integration of emotional and spiritual quotient in current education system. It highlights the existing gaps in the modern education frameworks with reference to the emotional and spiritual development of students. It further discusses a model of education known as Consciousness Based Education which focusses on development of consciousness of students by integrating Transcendental Meditation(TM) into classroom teaching. This paper is a narrative review and includes peer-reviewed studies and longitudinal research on TM conducted in schools and universities in different parts of the world. The main purpose of this review is to synthesize the relevant empirical and theoretical literature assessing the impact of TM and Consciousness Based Education on education and special education with main emphasis on reduction of stress, cognitive performance, academic outcomes and emotional regulation. Relevant studies have been retrieved from academic databases and analysed thematically to identify underlying conceptual patterns. This literature review synthesizes current literature on the implementation and outcomes of TM programs in educational institutions and highlights the challenges, implications and future directions. The outcome of the analysis emphasises on the psychological and physiological benefits associated with Transcendental Meditation. Additionally, it discusses the implementational requirements to integrate such consciousness based education models in current educational systems.