A Bottom up Initiative: Meditation & Mindfulness 'Eastern' Practices in the "Western" Academia

The process of globalisation has also influenced the curriculum of Psychology discipline in the Nordic countries to some extent. There are new sub disciplines and themes in the contemporary courses which have been brought about by both top down as well as bottom up initiative. This paper covers a case of bottom up initiative, where the students themselves have demanded inclusion of non- conventional psychosocial interventions illustrated by meditation and mindfulness as Eastern psychological practices, thus filling the gap related to the existential, spiritual approaches. The western psychological hegemony has made such transformations difficult and contentious in some universities in Denmark, whereas others are more open towards an integrated form of knowledge originating from different geographical contexts.
The initiative taken by the psychology students in Århus University, the specific course dynamic developed and the evaluation is to be delineated in the paper. In addition, both pedagogical psychological aspects and long term consequences of such initiatives are discussed. Lastly implications for future integration of knowledge in a globalised world are perspectivised through interplay of Eastern and Western psychology in a level field.