You know, when Goleman says “Meditation is not withdrawal but return,” he’s hitting on a huge misconception. Most people think meditation is about checking out, but it’s the complete opposite. It’s about checking in, deeply, with what’s actually happening right now.
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Meaning
At its heart, this quote flips the script on what we think meditation is. It’s not an escape from reality. It’s a homecoming to it.
Explanation
Let me break this down for you. The “withdrawal” part is what everyone gets wrong. They picture someone on a mountain top, detached from the world, shutting everything out. But that’s not it. Not at all. The real work, the magic, happens in the “return.” You’re not running away from your chaotic thoughts, your stress, your to-do list. You’re turning *towards* it all with a gentle, curious awareness. You’re returning to the raw, unfiltered data of your present moment experience—the feeling of your breath, the sound of a distant siren, the tightness in your shoulder. That’s the “what is real.” You’re not trying to change it. You’re just learning to be with it. And that changes everything.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Spiritual (229) |
| Topics | presence (80), reality (19) |
| Literary Style | poetic (635) |
| Emotion / Mood | deep (8), serene (54) |
| Overall Quote Score | 86 (262) |
Origin & Factcheck
This gem comes straight from Daniel Goleman’s 1988 book, The Meditative Mind: The Varieties of Meditative Experience, written and published in the United States. Sometimes you might see this sentiment floating around attributed to Buddhist teachers, which isn’t wrong in spirit, but the specific phrasing is Goleman’s.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Daniel Goleman (125) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | The Meditative Mind: The Varieties of Meditative Experience (60) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Modern (530) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Daniel Goleman is a psychologist and bestselling author whose journalism at The New York Times brought brain and behavior science to a wide audience. He earned a BA from Amherst and a PhD in psychology from Harvard, and studied in India on a Harvard fellowship. Goleman’s research and writing helped mainstream emotional intelligence, leadership competencies, attention, and contemplative science. He co-founded CASEL and a leading research consortium on EI at work. The Daniel Goleman book list includes Emotional Intelligence, Working with Emotional Intelligence, Primal Leadership, Social Intelligence, Focus, and Altered Traits.
| Official Website
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Meditation is not withdrawal but return—to what is real |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 1977 (originally as The Varieties of Meditative Experience, revised 1988 as The Meditative Mind); ISBN: 9780874778335; Last Edition: Tarcher/Putnam 1988; Number of pages: 320. |
| Where is it? | Approximate page from 1988 edition, Chapter 7: Paths and Goals |