It is a common belief that a man whose power of concentration is good and who can secure a perfect balance of mind at will can achieve better results than a person who is not so developed. There, are therefore, definitely many advantages that accrue to a person who undergoes a successful course of training in meditation, be he a religious man, an administrator, a politician, a businessman or a student.
Sayagyi U Ba Khin
Former Accountant-General of Burma and Vipassana Teacher.
Greater control over the physical and social environment must be attempted so as to ensure the continuity of practice.
Future studies should include:
1. Observation of compliance/non-compliance with the course instructions
2. Observations about meditating in the proper way.
Long-term follow-up studies at regular intervals should also be undertaken.
Standard psychological instruments should be developed to measure in-depth the direct changes in negative and positive qualities of mind. It is a challenge before the scientific world to confront all areas of the human mind including interactions of mind and matter and develop better tools/medical tests to assess the direct impact of Vipassana with greater reliability.
Officials attending courses at regular intervals and practicing Vipassana regularly should be studied separately at regular intervals to assess the specific effects of sustained and intensive meditation practice.
Many respondents of this study reported that there is no suitable environment at their residences to practice meditation regularly. Therefore, a congenial atmosphere should be provided in the government premises for Vipassana students. This can be achieved by reserving one room for meditation to enable the students to meditate before and after their duty hours.
The impact of Vipassana differs from person to person. Therefore, individuals should be studied. Changes in each individual should be observed thoroughly and critically analyzed at regular intervals for a long period of time. The individual should be encouraged to observe the changes in himself or herself objectively and to keep a record. A long-term, more intensive quantitative and qualitative study should be carried out by a team of investigators using ground theory approach and pattern of field research.
Long-term prospective studies are required for measuring the direct psychological benefits of Vipassana in homogenous groups in the general population, and in specific groups having special psychological problems.