Book SummaryAltered Traits, by Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Altered Traits

In Altered Traits, Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson discuss the progress of the West’s scientific study of meditation. With a focus on identifying rigorous studies, they separate the signal from the noise to clarify what we do and don’t know about how meditation can change the mind—and, therefore, the meditator.

As they put it, meditative practices have long proven difficult to understand and explain. For instance, hucksters and modern businesses seeking to capitalize on the popularity of meditation often overhype its benefits. This difficulty in understanding meditation spills over into research, where it muddies the waters of understanding and casts doubt on the results of academic studies.

To address this dilemma, the authors define meditation and...

Altered Traits Summary Meditation: Definitions, Origins, and Contemporary Manifestations

To start with, we’ll cover how the authors define meditation, explain its traditional origins, and discuss what meditation has become in the modern West.

Meditation Is a Field of Practice

To begin, the authors make one key clarification: Meditation isn’t a single thing, but rather a field of practice. That is, “meditation” is similar to “athletics,” in that it refers to a wide variety of techniques and approaches. Different forms of athletics train your body in different ways, just as different forms of meditation train your mind in distinct ways.

As the authors explain, this means that the specific kind of meditation you choose corresponds to the results you get. So if you want to research or practice meditation, you need to get precise about what kind you’re interested in. Pick a specific kind with means and ends that appeal to you. That way, it’ll be much easier to stick with your research or practice because you’ll enjoy the effort and the payoffs.

For instance, you wouldn’t practice barre to get a bodybuilder’s physique. In the same way, you wouldn’t prioritize loving-kindness meditation (which centers on cultivating compassion) if you want to train your...

Altered Traits Summary How Meditation Became a Field of Study

Now that we’ve shared how the authors define meditation, we’ll explain why it’s been so challenging to study. As they say, meditation research is a young and rapidly growing field, and much of the difficulty in understanding meditation arises from confusion about what it is, how to distinguish the forms it takes, and how to properly measure its effects.

In this section, we’ll detail the broad basis for meditation research (neuroplasticity, or the brain’s innate ability to adapt to stimulation). We’ll also describe the common misunderstandings and mistakes made in meditation research. Last, we’ll explain why it’s crucial to remain vigilant against hype when evaluating research and claims about meditation.

Meditation Induces Neuroplasticity to Change the Brain

When the authors first pushed to study meditation, the conventional academic perspective was against them. Most serious research scientists thought that meditation was too subjective or woo-woo, and that the mind was a black box—impossible to study rigorously.

Despite this resistance, the authors hypothesized early on that **meditation could produce the titular “altered traits”—lasting changes to people’s basic...

Altered Traits Summary Meditation: What We Know and What We Don’t

Up to this point, we’ve discussed what meditation is and why it’s essential to carefully assess research and stay vigilant to hyperbole. Next, we’ll look at what the best studies do say about the effects that meditation has on the mind and the meditator.

Effect 1: Meditation Can Train Your Attention

Broadly put, meditation trains your attention, and this can improve related cognitive functions as you age. Different practices can boost various aspects of attention, and lasting benefits come with sustained practice, much as lasting muscular changes require continual training. According to the authors, both traditional and secular ways of meditating have been found to influence different aspects of attention:

• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training, a popular modern method that Jon Kabat-Zinn created, can temporarily strengthen selective attention (your ability to choose what you focus on). MBSR is a secular eight-week program that aims to reduce stress, anxiety, pain, and other ills.
• Insight meditation (vipassana) may produce a trait change related to selective attention. Research suggests that consistent, long-term practice can make it...

Shortform Exercise: Plan How You Might Meditate

In this exercise, consider the authors’ description of the different depths of meditation practice, their benefits, and how you might work a meditation practice into your life.

First, consider how seriously you might want to meditate. Are you interested in committed spiritual seeking through traditional means, or do you have more practical goals (achievable through secular means)?