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spectrum-meditation

Trigger: /spectrum-meditation

A structured meditation sequence that traverses the full spectrum of awareness — from the gross physical body through the subtle energetic field to the causal witness, culminating in a nondual pointer that invites rest in open awareness prior to any object. Based on the integral meditation framework of Ken Wilber and informed by contemplative neuroscience.

Agents

  • Integral Researcher - Three-body framework research and neuroscience evidence
  • Integral Guide - Meditation sequence design and facilitation language
  • Content Writer - Practice scripts, transitions, and closing integration
  • Ethics Guardian - Safety review and honest evidence claims

Inputs

InputRequiredDescription
focusYesIntention or theme for the session (e.g., "clarity", "open awareness")
durationNo15, 25 (default), 40 minutes
levelNobeginner, intermediate (default), advanced
bodyNoStart from a specific body: gross, subtle, causal

Outputs

  • spectrum-practice.md - Complete guided meditation script with timed phases
  • evidence-brief.md - Research context with honest evidence levels per phase
  • audio-timing.json - Timing cues for audio recording or facilitation

Examples

Standard 25-minute spectrum practice:

/spectrum-meditation "open awareness"

Beginner 15-minute practice with clarity focus:

/spectrum-meditation "mental clarity" --duration 15 --level beginner

Advanced 40-minute practice:

/spectrum-meditation "dissolution into presence" --duration 40 --level advanced

Starting from the subtle body:

/spectrum-meditation "energy and aliveness" --body subtle

Three-Body Practice

The spectrum sequence moves through three bodies, each revealing a different dimension of experience, followed by a nondual pointer:

PhaseBodyDescriptionDuration (25 min)
1. SettlingGrounding, breath orientation, arriving3 min
2. Gross BodyPhysicalSensory awareness, interoception, physical form, breath and body sensations6 min
3. Subtle BodyEnergeticFelt sense, emotional tone, energy currents, luminous awareness6 min
4. Causal BodyWitnessPure witnessing awareness, the one who observes, formless presence6 min
5. Nondual PointerRecognition that awareness and its objects are not-two; open, self-releasing3 min
6. IntegrationGradual return, grounding, brief reflection1 min

Gross body practices rest on well-researched foundations of focused attention meditation — deliberate, sustained attention on a chosen object such as the breath or body sensations.

Subtle body inquiry moves into the felt sense and emotional field. Evidence here is more preliminary; the "subtle body" as a phenomenological construct is widely reported across traditions but does not map directly to a single neuroscientific referent.

Causal body practice cultivates the witness perspective — resting as the observing awareness rather than identifying with any particular content. This parallels open monitoring or "choiceless awareness" practices with growing neuroscientific study.

Nondual pointer invites a recognition rather than a practice — a brief, non-effortful pointing toward the awareness in which gross, subtle, and causal all arise. This is theoretical and tradition-based; it is not evaluated as a discrete technique in controlled research.

Research Basis

Evidence level: Mixed — Research-supported (focused attention, open awareness); Preliminary (subtle body); Theoretical (integral sequence)

Focused attention meditation (gross body phase) has extensive empirical support for attention regulation, stress reduction, and neuroplasticity (Lutz et al., 2008; Tang et al., 2015). Open monitoring / choiceless awareness (causal witness phase) is supported by growing contemplative neuroscience literature (Brandmeyer et al., 2019). Subtle body awareness lacks direct RCT validation as a construct; practices involving somatic and felt-sense awareness show preliminary support in therapeutic contexts (Levine, 2010; Gendlin, 1978). The integral three-body sequence as a structured progression is a theoretical framework synthesized by Wilber (2006) and has not been evaluated as an integrated protocol in controlled trials. The nondual pointer is drawn from non-dual contemplative traditions (Advaita Vedanta, Dzogchen, Zen) and remains phenomenologically reported rather than empirically operationalized.

Quality Gates

Before output is finalized:

  • All three body phases present and sequenced correctly
  • Nondual pointer framed as invitation, not instruction or claim
  • Evidence levels labeled per phase; theoretical status of sequence noted
  • "Subtle body" presented as phenomenological description, not verified mechanism
  • Beginner scripts avoid tradition-specific jargon without explanation
  • Advanced scripts may include tradition-specific language with context
  • Medical disclaimer present; not a substitute for mental health treatment
  • Permission to rest in any phase without moving forward included
  • Grounding instructions at beginning and end

The spectrum is not a ladder to climb. It is the full range of what you already are, waiting to be recognized.