Meditação na universidade: A motivação de alunos da UFRGS para aprender meditação

Abstract

Sitting and silent meditation training has been increasingly used in educational contexts. In this study we propose to investigate the interest and motivation of undergraduate students to take part in a sitting and silent meditation training. An online survey has been carried out, using a sociodemographic questionnaire with an open question about the motivation to participate in the training, and the Self Report Questionnaire to identify minor psychiatric disorders. 524 students, from 42 courses participated (M= 25 years, DP=5,16, 64,3% female). Most were single (88%), with an income between 1 and 5 minimum wage (51,8%), from different religions (n=20), and without psychiatric symptoms (73%). The main reasons for training meditation were emotional benefi ts (25,59%), interest in the subject (24,67%), cognitive benefi ts (16,02%), and curiosity and interest in the research proposal (15,11%). The interest in meditation is not restricted to undergraduates with specifi c sociodemographic characteristics or with a certain belief or psychiatric problems.