Class 1 figure candidates — reference scan

Automated pass over the 52 papers in module-1-pdfs/ (plus the course markdown) looking for figures worth reworking into the Class 1 explainer. 96 candidates across 11 course sections/buckets — deliberately erring toward too many rather than too few, per request. Each card links to the rendered screenshot, a full-size version, and the exact page of the local source PDF. The already-built figures (Lindsay et al. monitor+accept cortisol chart, Baten et al. 2026 brain figure) are intentionally excluded — nothing here duplicates those.

This is a rough-cut reference list, not a finished design pass — confidence badges reflect how visually "explainer-ready" the raw figure already is, not how important the underlying research is. Many Low items are included purely for topical completeness (e.g. dry PRISMA/forest plots, dated stats-package plots) and would need a redraw if used at all.

1 — Welcome (1 candidate)

8. Scientific American hero image: meditator dissolving into mountain landscape
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8. Scientific American hero image: meditator dissolving into mountain landscape

Sacchet & Brewer, 2024 ("Advanced Meditation Alters Consciousness and Our Basic Sense of Self," Scientific American) — Dr. Sacchet is the co-instructor of this course, and the article is exactly about advanced meditation and the sense of self. · p.1

Shows: A striking rainbow-gradient photo illustration of a meditator's silhouette dissolving into/superimposed on a misty mountain landscape.

Why engaging: Genuinely beautiful, professionally-produced hero art (not a data figure but a mood-setting illustration) — perfect as a section-opening visual, and doubly relevant since it's literally authored by the course's own instructor.

Open source PDF (p.1) → Full-size image →

3 — Meditation and healthcare professionals (17 candidates)

5. Meditative development and mental health transformation (Ehmann et al. 2025b, Fig. 1)
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5. Meditative development and mental health transformation (Ehmann et al. 2025b, Fig. 1)

**Ehmann et al. 2025b** — this is the exact paper cited in the Class 1 outline, section 5 ("qualitative study of 28 advanced meditators... describing global shifts") · p.24

Shows: A conceptual diagram plotting "mental health transformation" against "meditative development," showing recurring cycles of meditative states/stages culminating in sudden "meditative endpoint" shifts, plus a callout box listing six positive mental health themes (improved wellbeing, positive affect, mental clarity, etc.).

Why engaging: This is a beautifully designed, purpose-built conceptual figure (not a data plot) that visually narrates exactly the "global shifts" story the course wants to tell — directly anchors section 5 and could likely be reused/adapted almost as-is.

Section note (as written by scanner): Advanced meditation and deep transformation
Open source PDF (p.24) → Full-size image →
Figure 1 — Overview of PubMed hits for "burnout" (1970–2019)
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Figure 1 — Overview of PubMed hits for "burnout" (1970–2019)

De Hert, 2020 — not named in Class 1 outline by name, but directly supports Section 3's clinician-burnout narrative · p.2

Shows: A simple combined bar/line chart showing the number of PubMed publications on "burnout" growing from 0 (1970) to 2,145 (2019).

Why engaging: A clean, striking "explosive growth of scientific interest" chart — same visual grammar as the meditation-research-growth story, applied to burnout.

Open source PDF (p.2) → Full-size image →
Figure 2 — 12-stage model of burnout (Freudenberger)
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Figure 2 — 12-stage model of burnout (Freudenberger)

De Hert, 2020 · p.3

Shows: A circular wheel diagram of the 12 sequential stages of burnout (compulsion to prove oneself → working harder → neglecting own needs → ... → depression → burnout syndrome at the center).

Why engaging: Visually distinctive circular/wheel diagram — much more engaging than a bulleted list, good candidate for an explainer callout on "what burnout looks like."

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
Figure 2. Amygdala BOLD signal pre- vs. post-MBSR in social phobics
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Figure 2. Amygdala BOLD signal pre- vs. post-MBSR in social phobics

Desbordes et al., 2015 (reproducing data from Goldin & Gross, 2010) · p.31

Shows: A line chart of amygdala activity over time while reacting to negative self-beliefs then shifting to breath-focused attention, before vs. after 8 weeks of MBSR — post-MBSR the amygdala response is much lower and recovers faster.

Why engaging: Directly visualizes "MBSR calms the brain's threat response" with a real before/after brain-signal chart — strong evidence-based visual for the MBSR mechanism story.

Open source PDF (p.31) → Full-size image →
Figure 3 — Simplified 5-stage model of burnout
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Figure 3 — Simplified 5-stage model of burnout

De Hert, 2020 · p.4

Shows: A clean 5-arrow horizontal timeline (Honeymoon → Onset of Stress → Chronic Stress → Burnout → Habitual Burnout), with overlaid gradient bars for physical vs. mental/emotional exhaustion.

Why engaging: Extremely clean, modern-looking arrow/timeline graphic — probably the single most "ready to reuse" figure in this whole batch.

Open source PDF (p.4) → Full-size image →
Figure 6 — Job Demand-Control Model (Karasek, 1979)
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Figure 6 — Job Demand-Control Model (Karasek, 1979)

De Hert, 2020 (citing Karasek 1979) · p.7

Shows: A 2×2 colored quadrant diagram (job demands × decision latitude) defining Low Strain / Active / Passive / High Strain jobs, with diagonal arrows toward "motivation" vs. "risk for psychological/physical stress."

Why engaging: Classic, visually clean 2x2 framework diagram — very reusable/redrawable and intuitively explains why some clinical jobs are especially burnout-prone.

Open source PDF (p.7) → Full-size image →
Figure 7 — Effort-Reward Imbalance Model (Siegrist, 1996)
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Figure 7 — Effort-Reward Imbalance Model (Siegrist, 1996)

De Hert, 2020 (citing Siegrist 1996) · p.7

Shows: A literal seesaw/balance illustration with "Effort" (workload, time pressure...) on one side and "Reward" (salary, esteem, promotion...) on the other, tipping out of balance.

Why engaging: A fun, intuitive metaphor-as-diagram (a seesaw) — very easy to reskin for a course explainer and instantly understandable without reading any text.

Open source PDF (p.7) → Full-size image →
Lebares et al. (2019) — Brain activation during emotion regulation in surgical trainees
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Lebares et al. (2019) — Brain activation during emotion regulation in surgical trainees

Lebares et al., 2019 (Mindful Surgeon trial) — not explicitly named in Class 1 outline but a strong, on-theme empirical anchor for the "MBSR/MBCT for healthcare professionals under stress" narrative · p.5

Shows: A four-panel figure showing colorful fMRI brain-surface renderings of surgical trainees' emotion-regulation activity before/after a modified MBSR program, plus a schematic of the task timeline.

Why engaging: Visually rich, colorful brain renders combined with a clear task-design diagram — exactly the kind of "science made visual" figure that elevates a slide, and it's about surgeons specifically (very on-theme for a healthcare-professional audience).

Open source PDF (p.5) → Full-size image →
17. Subdivisions of empathy (Derksen et al. 2013, Fig. 1)
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17. Subdivisions of empathy (Derksen et al. 2013, Fig. 1)

Derksen et al. 2013 — not named in the Class 1 outline, but directly on-topic for the clinician-wellbeing/patient-outcomes theme (section 3) · p.2

Shows: A simple flowchart breaking "Empathy" down into Attitude/Competency/Behaviour, which in turn map to Empathic skills/Communication skills/Skill to build a trustful relationship.

Why engaging: Clean, minimal box-and-arrow diagram — a good visual definition of "empathy" for the section on why clinicians benefit from cultivating it, much more digestible than prose.

Open source PDF (p.2) → Full-size image →
Figure 5 — External and internal etiological factors for burnout
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Figure 5 — External and internal etiological factors for burnout

De Hert, 2020 · p.6

Shows: Two clean checklist columns — "External Factors" (workload, poor teamwork, lack of resources...) vs. "Internal Factors" (perfectionism, need for recognition, overestimating one's ability to cope...).

Why engaging: Simple two-column contrast graphic that would translate well into a lightweight explainer callout on "why clinicians burn out."

Open source PDF (p.6) → Full-size image →
2. Amygdala reactivity before/after MBSR training (Desbordes et al. 2015, Fig. 2)
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2. Amygdala reactivity before/after MBSR training (Desbordes et al. 2015, Fig. 2)

Desbordes et al. 2015; figure reproduced from Goldin and Gross (2010) — thematically relevant background, not a Class-1-listed citation · p.12

Shows: A line graph of amygdala BOLD signal reacting to negative self-belief phrases before vs. after 8 weeks of MBSR, showing faster emotional recovery post-training.

Why engaging: A clean two-line time-series chart with clearly labeled "React / Breath-Focus / Rate" phases — good concrete evidence that meditation training changes emotional recovery speed.

Section note (as written by scanner): Meditation and healthcare professionals (MBSR) / Not just concentration
Open source PDF (p.12) → Full-size image →
Fig. 1 — Mediation of meditation practice time → mindfulness → symptom/stress/well-being change
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Fig. 1 — Mediation of meditation practice time → mindfulness → symptom/stress/well-being change

Carmody and Baer, 2008 — not named in the Class 1 outline, but classic MBSR mechanism paper, directly relevant to Section 3 (MBSR history/mechanism) · p.8

Shows: Three path diagrams (a, b, c) showing that increases in mindfulness fully or partially mediate the relationship between meditation practice time and decreases in psychological symptoms/stress and increases in well-being.

Why engaging: Gives a visual causal chain ("practice → more mindfulness → less stress") that's easy to translate into a simple explainer arrow-diagram; as printed it's fairly dense statistical notation.

Open source PDF (p.8) → Full-size image →
Fig. 1 — Most common mindfulness-based interventions at academic medical centers
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Fig. 1 — Most common mindfulness-based interventions at academic medical centers

Barnes et al., 2016 — not in the Class 1 outline by name, but directly supports "medical associations/institutions embracing mindfulness" · p.3

Shows: A simple bar chart of how many Academic Mindfulness Centers (out of 33 surveyed, at US medical schools) offer each type of program (Mindfulness Meditation, MBSR, Mindful Movement, MBCT, etc.).

Why engaging: Concrete evidence that mindfulness has an organizational foothold inside mainstream academic medicine; clean, simple bar chart.

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
Fig. 3 — Level of trainee involvement in academic mindfulness centers
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Fig. 3 — Level of trainee involvement in academic mindfulness centers

Barnes et al., 2016 — same as above, thematically relevant background · p.4

Shows: Bar chart of what percentage of academic mindfulness centers formally involve medical students, residents, psychology/psychiatry trainees, etc.

Why engaging: Shows mindfulness is being formally taught to the next generation of clinicians, not just offered as a side perk; simple, readable bar chart. (Fig. 2 on the same page — revenue sources — is on this same rendered image but is less relevant/interesting.)

Open source PDF (p.4) → Full-size image →
Figure 4 — Symptoms across the stages of burnout
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Figure 4 — Symptoms across the stages of burnout

De Hert, 2020 · p.5

Shows: The same 5-stage arrow structure as Figure 3, but each stage now lists its specific symptoms (e.g., stage 3 "chronic stress": persistent tiredness, cynical attitude, alcohol/drug consumption).

Why engaging: Good detail-view companion to Figure 3, but denser/more text-heavy — best used as a secondary/expandable panel rather than the hero image.

Open source PDF (p.5) → Full-size image →
Kriakous et al. (2021) — PRISMA flow diagram
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Kriakous et al. (2021) — PRISMA flow diagram

Kriakous et al., 2021 (systematic review of MBSR for healthcare professionals — thematically matches Class 1 section 3, though not explicitly named in the outline) · p.4

Shows: A standard PRISMA diagram tracing the review's search-and-screening process from 1042 records down to the final 30 included studies on MBSR for healthcare professionals.

Why engaging: A clean, familiar visual shorthand for "this is a rigorously reviewed evidence base of 30 studies," useful for briefly establishing credibility without a wall of citations.

Open source PDF (p.4) → Full-size image →
Figure. Participant Flow Diagram (MBSC health care worker trial)
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Figure. Participant Flow Diagram (MBSC health care worker trial)

Ameli et al., 2020 — not explicitly named in the Class 1 outline, but directly on-topic (mindfulness intervention for health care professionals' stress) · p.3

Shows: A standard CONSORT-style flow diagram of participant recruitment/allocation/attrition for a mindfulness-based self-care trial at NIH.

Why engaging: Concretely shows a real mindfulness-for-clinicians RCT existed at NIH; visually it's a fairly generic/dry flow chart though.

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →

4 — How did meditation go mainstream? Three waves of meditation research (14 candidates)

16. Growth in scientific publications on meditation/mindfulness, 1970–2016 (Goleman & Davidson, *Altered Traits*, 2017)
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16. Growth in scientific publications on meditation/mindfulness, 1970–2016 (Goleman & Davidson, *Altered Traits*, 2017)

Goleman & Davidson 2017 — not one of the enumerated citations, but this is precisely the "nicer real chart of meditation research/publication growth over time" the brief explicitly asked for in section 4 · p.18

Shows: A scatter/line chart titled "Publication Count for Scientific Studies on Meditation or Mindfulness, 1970–2016," showing near-zero output through the 1980s–90s and a steep exponential rise after ~2005, reaching over 1,100 publications/year by 2016.

Why engaging: This is a ready-made, on-topic replacement for the placeholder "Google-Trends-style" growth chart mentioned in the brief — clean, simple, and it directly supports the "three waves" / mainstreaming narrative.

Open source PDF (p.18) → Full-size image →
Fig. 1 — Monopolar EEG scalp recording, Shri Ramanand Yogi during meditation
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Fig. 1 — Monopolar EEG scalp recording, Shri Ramanand Yogi during meditation

Anand et al. (Anand, Chhina & Singh), 1961 — explicitly cited in Class 1 outline (Section 4, "1960s first studies") · p.3

Shows: Side-by-side raw EEG traces from a yogi before vs. during meditation, showing that strong light/loud noise/vibration/touch all disrupt the resting alpha rhythm, but none of them disrupt it while he is in meditation (samadhi).

Why engaging: A genuinely striking historical "before/after" comparison — the literal founding data of the scientific study of meditation, on period analog EEG paper.

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
Figure 1 — Prevalence and 20-year trends in meditation, yoga, and guided imagery/progressive relaxation (2002–2022)
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Figure 1 — Prevalence and 20-year trends in meditation, yoga, and guided imagery/progressive relaxation (2002–2022)

Davies et al., 2024 — explicitly cited in Class 1 outline (Section 4, "nicer real chart of meditation... use over time") · p.3

Shows: A clean line chart of US national survey data (NHIS) showing meditation use rising from 5.0% (2002) to 18.3% (2022) of the population, compared with yoga and guided imagery/relaxation.

Why engaging: Exactly the "meditation goes mainstream" growth chart the brief calls out as wanted — real national data, clean multi-line trend chart with labeled percentages.

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
Kasamatsu & Hirai (1966) — EEG stage vs. years of Zen training
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Kasamatsu & Hirai (1966) — EEG stage vs. years of Zen training

Kasamatsu & Hirai, 1966 · p.10

Shows: A simple scatter plot showing that the "grade" of EEG change during Zen meditation (I–IV) tracks closely with years of Zazen training experience.

Why engaging: One of the earliest data points for "meditation skill scales with practice" — a simple, legible historical scatter plot that supports the course's proficiency/practice narrative.

Open source PDF (p.10) → Full-size image →
Kasamatsu & Hirai (1966) — Zen priest wired for EEG recording
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Kasamatsu & Hirai (1966) — Zen priest wired for EEG recording

Kasamatsu & Hirai, 1966 · p.3

Shows: A black-and-white photograph of Zen priests meditating in a training hall (Zendo) while wired with EEG electrodes, from the original 1966 study.

Why engaging: A striking, authentic historical photo — priests in robes with cables/electrodes — that visually captures "science meets contemplative tradition" better than any modern stock image.

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
Kasamatsu & Hirai (1966) — Zen sitting postures illustration
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Kasamatsu & Hirai (1966) — Zen sitting postures illustration

Kasamatsu & Hirai, 1966 (explicitly cited in Class 1 outline, section 4: "1960s first studies") · p.2

Shows: A hand-drawn illustration of the two traditional Zen sitting postures (full and half cross-legged) used in the original 1966 EEG study of Zazen.

Why engaging: A charming, historically evocative line illustration that visually anchors the "first wave" of scientific meditation research in a way plain text cannot.

Open source PDF (p.2) → Full-size image →
Lutz et al. (2004) — Gamma synchrony builds during meditation
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Lutz et al. (2004) — Gamma synchrony builds during meditation

Lutz et al., 2004 — thematically strong fit though not explicitly named in the Class 1 outline; a landmark "advanced/long-term meditator" neuroscience paper · p.2

Shows: A three-part figure: raw EEG traces from a long-term practitioner, then the time course of rising gamma-wave power, and rising cross-hemisphere synchrony, all increasing sharply once meditation begins.

Why engaging: The classic "monk brain lighting up" visual from contemplative neuroscience — a compelling, historically important demonstration that advanced practice produces measurable, dramatic brain changes.

Open source PDF (p.2) → Full-size image →
Microstate sequence "barcode" and dissimilarity matrix (Zanesco et al. 2021, Figure 3)
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Microstate sequence "barcode" and dissimilarity matrix (Zanesco et al. 2021, Figure 3)

Zanesco et al. (2021) — background only. · p.8

Shows: Colorful horizontal "barcode" style visualizations of brain-microstate sequences over time for meditators vs. controls, plus a color-coded matrix of how similar/dissimilar each person's brain-state sequence is to others.

Why engaging: Visually unusual and striking (looks like a genetic barcode or heat-strip), a good "here's what sophisticated brain-state analysis looks like" visual for illustrating research rigor.

Open source PDF (p.8) → Full-size image →
The Relaxation Response vs. sleep — oxygen consumption chart (Benson & Klipper 1975, Figure 11)
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The Relaxation Response vs. sleep — oxygen consumption chart (Benson & Klipper 1975, Figure 11)

Benson (1975), *The Relaxation Response* — explicitly named in the Class 1 outline (section 4, "Benson's Relaxation Response (1975)"). · p.69

Shows: A hand-drawn 1970s-style line chart comparing the drop in oxygen consumption during the "Relaxation Response" (fast, ~12% drop within minutes) vs. during sleep (slow, gradual ~8% drop over hours).

Why engaging: This is literally Benson's own original chart from the book that popularized meditation's physiological benefits in the West — a great historical/vintage visual directly tied to the cited source, showing meditation achieves in minutes what sleep takes hours to do.

Open source PDF (p.69) → Full-size image →
Fig. 2 — EEG hump activity during meditation
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Fig. 2 — EEG hump activity during meditation

Anand et al., 1961 — explicitly cited (Section 4) · p.2

Shows: Raw EEG trace of a yogi during meditation showing sustained 11–12 c/sec alpha activity with occasional "hump" waveforms in the parietal region.

Why engaging: Authentic period artifact reinforcing the historical-origins narrative; secondary to Fig. 3 above.

Open source PDF (p.2) → Full-size image →
Figure 2 — Sociodemographic breakdown of meditation growth (age, race, relationship, education)
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Figure 2 — Sociodemographic breakdown of meditation growth (age, race, relationship, education)

Davies et al., 2024 — explicitly cited (Section 4) · p.6

Shows: An 8-panel grid of line charts breaking down meditation's 2002–2022 growth by age, race/ethnicity, relationship status, and education level (both in raw % and % change from 2002).

Why engaging: Rich, real demographic detail on who is driving the meditation boom; more valuable as background/supplementary data than as a single hero visual since it's dense with 8 sub-panels.

Open source PDF (p.6) → Full-size image →
Lam et al. (2023) — Concerns about meditation apps
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Lam et al. (2023) — Concerns about meditation apps

Lam et al., 2023 — not in the Class 1 citation list; thematically relevant background on meditation's mainstream/tech footprint · p.8

Shows: A clean horizontal bar chart of the most common concerns meditators report about meditation apps (cost, effectiveness doubts, time, disinterest, etc.), with 95% CIs.

Why engaging: Simple, single-panel, immediately readable bar chart that could illustrate "meditation has gone mainstream via apps, but people still have real barriers."

Open source PDF (p.8) → Full-size image →
Six global EEG microstate topographies (Zanesco et al. 2021, Figure 2)
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Six global EEG microstate topographies (Zanesco et al. 2021, Figure 2)

Zanesco et al. (2021) — not explicitly named in the outline, but strong background for the neuroscience/Third Wave rigor narrative (section 4) and attentional-skill training (section 7). · p.7

Shows: Six labeled (A–F) red/blue "butterfly" head-shaped topographic maps representing recurring brain-electrical-activity patterns ("microstates") identified via EEG clustering.

Why engaging: The six colorful head-shaped topography icons alone are visually striking "brain fingerprints"; the surrounding grid of tiny repeated topographies is dense/skip-worthy but the six main icons are clean.

Open source PDF (p.7) → Full-size image →
18. Headspace revenue growth, 2016–2023 (Business of Apps, 2025)
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18. Headspace revenue growth, 2016–2023 (Business of Apps, 2025)

not an academic citation — background market-data source for "meditation goes mainstream" (section 4) · p.3

Shows: A simple data table of estimated Headspace annual revenue, from $30M (2016) rising to a peak of $235M (2022) before dipping to $195M (2023); a companion table (page 5, not separately saved) shows cumulative downloads growing from 6M (2016) to 80M (2023).

Why engaging: Note this PDF has **no rendered chart images** — pdfimages shows only a small logo — so this is a plain HTML table, not a graphic. Still flagged because the underlying numbers (steady revenue/download growth, illustrating the mainstreaming of consumer meditation apps) would make an easy, compelling custom bar/line chart for the explainer even though there's no existing figure to lift directly.

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →

5 — Advanced meditation and deep transformation (8 candidates)

Comparison of light/intermediate/deep jhāna radar charts (Sparby & Sacchet 2024, Fig. 2)
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Comparison of light/intermediate/deep jhāna radar charts (Sparby & Sacchet 2024, Fig. 2)

Sparby & Sacchet (2024) — thematically relevant background, not explicitly cited in Class 1 outline. · p.15

Shows: Two radar/spider charts comparing "light," "intermediate," and "deep" jhāna across dimensions like embodiment, self, concentration, and joy.

Why engaging: Radar charts are visually distinctive and instantly communicate "these are different flavors/intensities of the same experience" without needing statistics literacy.

Open source PDF (p.15) → Full-size image →
Figure 1. Generic representation of a typical physiological response to an emotional stimulus
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Figure 1. Generic representation of a typical physiological response to an emotional stimulus

Desbordes et al., 2015 — not named explicitly in the Class 1 outline, but directly supports the equanimity/affective-style framework referenced in Sections 5 and 8 · p.30

Shows: A conceptual curve diagram showing "magnitude" and "duration" of an emotional response, contrasting an equanimous/fast-recovery response against a "blunted" (too low) or "perseverative" (too prolonged) response.

Why engaging: A rare, genuinely elegant conceptual (non-data) diagram that visually explains what "equanimity" means as a curve shape — perfect for the equanimity/affective-style discussion.

Open source PDF (p.30) → Full-size image →
Jhāna factor trajectories (Sparby & Sacchet 2024, Fig. 1)
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Jhāna factor trajectories (Sparby & Sacchet 2024, Fig. 1)

Sparby & Sacchet (2024), "Toward a Unified Account of Advanced Concentrative Absorption Meditation" — thematically relevant background for advanced meditation/jhāna content (sections 5 and general Third Wave material), not explicitly named in the Class 1 outline. · p.14

Shows: A colorful line chart tracking four experiential qualities (concentration, pīti/rapture, sukha/joy, equanimity) as they rise and fall across pre-jhāna and the first four jhāna stages.

Why engaging: A rare quantified, colorful visualization of subjective meditative stages — reads like a "mood curve" and makes an esoteric contemplative map feel like real data.

Open source PDF (p.14) → Full-size image →
Taxonomy of basic and advanced meditation (Sparby et al., Fig. 2)
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Taxonomy of basic and advanced meditation (Sparby et al., Fig. 2)

Sparby et al. — background/thematic for section 5. · p.24

Shows: A clean branching tree diagram from "Meditation" down through "Basic" (effortful) vs. "Advanced" (effortless) branches to specific endpoint states (jhānas 1–8, insight stages).

Why engaging: Simple, uncluttered tree diagram — much cleaner than Figure 1 on the same theme, good as a schematic explainer of the basic-vs-advanced distinction.

Open source PDF (p.24) → Full-size image →
9. Brain "energy" (current density) across meditative states S1–S4
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9. Brain "energy" (current density) across meditative states S1–S4

Schoenberg et al., 2018 (EEG study of "unified compassionate awareness" states) — not in the explicit Class 1 citation list, but directly on-theme for section 5/6 (advanced meditation states, accessible meditative proficiency) · p.8

Shows: A simple line chart of EEG gamma-band "current density" (brain energy) in the anterior cingulate cortex, dropping sharply from baseline into meditation onset (blue arrow, "effortless" shift) then rising progressively across states 1–4 toward a stabilized "awakened"/unified-compassion state (green arrow).

Why engaging: Single clean line with only 6 data points and two annotated colored arrows telling a clear "settle down, then build up" story — much more digestible than the dense stats-heavy text around it, and visually supports the "advanced states involve a distinctive brain signature" narrative.

Open source PDF (p.8) → Full-size image →
4. Evidence matrix for attentional training effects (Ehmann 2025 review, Fig. 2)
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4. Evidence matrix for attentional training effects (Ehmann 2025 review, Fig. 2)

Ehmann 2025 — background/general, not explicitly cited in Class 1 outline · p.18

Shows: A summary table using arrow icons (strong/moderate/initial evidence) and checkmarks/no-entry symbols to show which attentional sub-domains (executive attention, orienting, alerting, sustained attention) show evidence of improvement in long-term meditators.

Why engaging: Uses an icon-based visual language (arrows of different sizes, checks, "no" symbols) rather than plain text, making a complex evidence summary skimmable at a glance.

Section note (as written by scanner): Advanced meditative states can be more accessible than previously thought / Dimensions of a meditative fitness program
Open source PDF (p.18) → Full-size image →
Overview of jhāna as concentration and absorption (Sparby & Sacchet 2024, Fig. 3)
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Overview of jhāna as concentration and absorption (Sparby & Sacchet 2024, Fig. 3)

Sparby & Sacchet (2024) — background only. · p.17

Shows: A classification tree plus labeled scales showing how "absorption" and "concentration" each range from ordinary experience to full merger/fully stable attention.

Why engaging: Useful as a reference diagram, but denser/more text-heavy than Figures 1–2 from the same paper.

Open source PDF (p.17) → Full-size image →
Overview of the definition of advanced meditation (Sparby et al., Fig. 1)
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Overview of the definition of advanced meditation (Sparby et al., Fig. 1)

Sparby et al. (defining advanced meditation) — directly supports section 5's three-framework narrative (clinical → positive psychology → advanced/contemplative), though not one of the explicitly named citations (Ehmann et al. 2025b is the one named). · p.4

Shows: A nested-box diagram placing "advanced meditation" within meditation, within consciousness-altering practices generally, distinguishing it from basic/mindfulness meditation and from non-meditative practices (yoga, breathwork).

Why engaging: Gives visual structure to "what makes advanced meditation different," but is fairly dense with small text — best as a simplified redraw.

Open source PDF (p.4) → Full-size image →

6 — Advanced meditative states can be more accessible than previously thought (4 candidates)

Early/late skill-development radar charts (Sparby et al., Fig. 3 — same page as Fig. 2)
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Early/late skill-development radar charts (Sparby et al., Fig. 3 — same page as Fig. 2)

Sparby et al. — background/thematic for section 5 and section 6 (skill-based proficiency). · p.24

Shows: Two radar charts comparing "early" vs. "late" skill development on effortlessness, intentional control, and self-attenuation for two different meditation types (ACAM vs. AIIM).

Why engaging: Radar charts visually dramatize skill growth over practice — directly supports the "quality/skill, not just hours" argument in section 6.

Open source PDF (p.24) → Full-size image →
Hypothesized influencing factors for advanced meditation (Sparby et al., Fig. 4)
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Hypothesized influencing factors for advanced meditation (Sparby et al., Fig. 4)

Sparby et al. — background/thematic. · p.29

Shows: A clean two-sided arrow diagram: beneficial factors (skill, calm environment, sleep, long duration, clear instructions) vs. detrimental factors (lack of skill, noisy environment, poor sleep, short duration) feeding into a "threshold" for accessing advanced meditation.

Why engaging: Extremely clean, color-coded (blue = helps, red = hurts), and doubles nicely as a "how to actually get the most from your practice" checklist graphic.

Open source PDF (p.29) → Full-size image →
Longitudinal changes in attentiveness, relaxation, and serenity across a meditation retreat (Zanesco et al. 2021, Figure 4)
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Longitudinal changes in attentiveness, relaxation, and serenity across a meditation retreat (Zanesco et al. 2021, Figure 4)

Zanesco et al. (2021) — background only. · p.10

Shows: Six scatterplots-with-trend-lines showing steady day-by-day increases in attentiveness, physical/mental relaxation, serenity, attentional stability, and attentional vividness over ~70 days of retreat training (vs. flat wait-list controls).

Why engaging: Clean, consistent small-multiples chart design with an obvious "trained group goes up, control stays flat" story across six different outcome measures — very persuasive and easy to read at a glance.

Open source PDF (p.10) → Full-size image →
Lutz et al. (2004) — Gamma activity correlates with lifetime meditation hours
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Lutz et al. (2004) — Gamma activity correlates with lifetime meditation hours

Lutz et al., 2004 · p.3

Shows: Colorful head-scalp topographic maps of gamma activity plus a scatter plot (r = 0.79) showing gamma synchrony rising with total hours of meditation practice (from ~15,000 to 45,000+ hours).

Why engaging: A rare, quantitative "dose-response" chart directly linking practice hours to a measurable brain-state change — an excellent visual for the "skill scales with practice, not just years" argument in section 6.

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →

7 — Dimensions of a meditative fitness program (24 candidates)

1. Equanimity as fast physiological recovery (Desbordes et al. 2015, Fig. 1)
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1. Equanimity as fast physiological recovery (Desbordes et al. 2015, Fig. 1)

Desbordes et al. 2015 ("Moving Beyond Mindfulness: Defining Equanimity as an Outcome Measure") — not explicitly named in the Class 1 outline, but directly on-topic for the equanimity theme (Dahl et al. 2015 taxonomy, section 7/8) · p.9

Shows: A simple generic curve of a physiological response to an emotional stimulus, showing an equanimous "fast recovery" response versus a "blunted" (too low) or "perseverative" (too prolonged) response.

Why engaging: Extremely clean, minimal line-drawing that visually defines "equanimity" in one glance — much easier to grasp than a paragraph of text, and reusable as a simple redrawn schematic.

Section note (as written by scanner): Dimensions of a meditative fitness program / Not just concentration — integrating warmth and acceptance
Open source PDF (p.9) → Full-size image →
2. ReSource Project training modules (three-pillar meditation curriculum diagram)
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2. ReSource Project training modules (three-pillar meditation curriculum diagram)

O'Malley et al., 2024 (testing Monitor and Acceptance Theory in the ReSource Project — same research program as Engert et al. 2017 / Valk et al. 2017, explicitly cited in section 7/8). Panel A is essentially a real-world instantiation of the Dahl et al. 2015 three-family taxonomy (Attentional/Presence, Constructive/Affect, Deconstructive/Perspective). · p.4

Shows: Panel A is a colorful three-box diagram (yellow/green/red) showing the three ReSource training modules — Presence (attention/interoceptive awareness), Perspective (meta-cognition), and Affect (compassion/care) — each with icons for their core meditation exercises (breathing meditation, body scan, observing-thoughts, loving-kindness, etc). Panel B is a cohort/timeline schematic of the study design.

Why engaging: Panel A is genuinely well-designed — colorful icons, parallel structure across three practice "families," directly visualizes the strength/cardio/flexibility-style analogy the course already wants to make for meditation skill families.

Open source PDF (p.4) → Full-size image →
3. Attentional functions schematic (Ehmann 2025 review, Fig. 1)
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3. Attentional functions schematic (Ehmann 2025 review, Fig. 1)

Ehmann 2025 ("Attention and meditative development") — thematically relevant background for the Attentional skill family (Dahl et al. 2015), not itself named in the Class 1 outline (distinct from "Ehmann et al. 2025b" used in section 5) · p.3

Shows: A four-quadrant illustrated diagram contrasting top-down vs. bottom-up, and external vs. internal attention, using simple cartoon figures (person at a computer, a distracting hunger thought) and brain diagrams.

Why engaging: Genuinely illustrator-quality schematic with friendly cartoon vignettes — far more engaging than a typical academic figure, and does a great job explaining "attention" concretely.

Section note (as written by scanner): Dimensions of a meditative fitness program (Attentional family)
Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
8. ReSource Project training modules and cortisol stress recovery (Engert et al. 2017, Fig. 1)
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8. ReSource Project training modules and cortisol stress recovery (Engert et al. 2017, Fig. 1)

**Engert et al. 2017** — explicitly cited in the Class 1 outline, section 7 · p.3

Shows: Panel A shows the three ReSource training modules (Presence/Attention, Perspective, Affect/Loving-kindness) with their component practices; panel C is a color-coded line chart of raw cortisol levels over time around a stress test, split by training group.

Why engaging: Panel A is a near-perfect visual match for the "three skill families" framework (Attentional/Constructive/Deconstructive) the course already teaches, and panel C is a clean, legible stress-response line chart — a strong candidate to crop/simplify.

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
Amygdala activation vs. looking time (Weng et al. 2018, Figure 2)
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Amygdala activation vs. looking time (Weng et al. 2018, Figure 2)

Weng et al. (2018) — related to section 7 compassion-training research. · p.7

Shows: A brain scan with the amygdala highlighted in red, next to a scatterplot showing that increased attention to suffering was linked to *decreased* amygdala activation after compassion training (opposite pattern after reappraisal training).

Why engaging: Combines an easily recognizable brain-scan image with a clean scatter plot showing two diverging trend lines — visually and conceptually clear contrast between two types of training.

Open source PDF (p.7) → Full-size image →
Attentional-blink task diagram (Slagter et al. 2007, Figure 1)
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Attentional-blink task diagram (Slagter et al. 2007, Figure 1)

Slagter, Lutz, Greischar, Francis, Nieuwenhuis, Davis & Davidson (2007) — not explicitly named in the Class 1 outline, but directly supports the "Attentional" skill family (section 7, Dahl et al. 2015 taxonomy) as a classic intensive-meditation attention study. · p.2

Shows: A step-by-step schematic of the "attentional blink" task — a rapid stream of letters flashing on screen with two hidden target numbers (T1, T2) participants must spot.

Why engaging: Immediately makes an abstract cognitive-psychology paradigm intuitive — you can see exactly what participants experienced, which sets up the surprising finding (meditators got better at catching the second target).

Open source PDF (p.2) → Full-size image →
Lee et al. (2012) — Distinct brain regions for focused-attention vs. loving-kindness meditation
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Lee et al. (2012) — Distinct brain regions for focused-attention vs. loving-kindness meditation

Lee et al., 2012 — exact match to Class 1 outline (section 7/8, attentional vs. constructive skill families) · p.7

Shows: Labeled brain slices showing that focused-attention meditation (FAM) and loving-kindness meditation (LKM) activate clearly different, non-overlapping brain regions during attention and emotion tasks.

Why engaging: Clean, clearly labeled (yellow arrows + region names) brain images that directly visualize the course's core claim that "meditation is not one skill" — different practices train different neural systems.

Open source PDF (p.7) → Full-size image →
Leung et al. (2013) — Increased gray matter in loving-kindness meditation experts
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Leung et al. (2013) — Increased gray matter in loving-kindness meditation experts

Leung et al., 2013 — exact match to Class 1 outline (section 7, brain-structure changes from lovingkindness training) · p.3

Shows: Three brain-surface renderings with red arrows pointing to regions (right angular gyrus, posterior parahippocampal gyrus, temporal lobe) where long-term loving-kindness meditators have measurably more gray matter than novices.

Why engaging: Visually clean 3D brain renders with a "glass brain" inset and clear region labels — an ideal illustration that meditation training measurably reshapes the brain, tied directly to the constructive/warmth skill family.

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
Quantifying visual attention to suffering (Weng et al. 2018, Figure 1)
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Quantifying visual attention to suffering (Weng et al. 2018, Figure 1)

Weng et al. (2018) — closely related to "Weng et al. 2013 compassion-training/altruism/brain study" explicitly named in section 7 (this is the 2018 follow-up using eye-tracking + fMRI). · p.5

Shows: Two real photographs (a suffering vs. non-suffering person) with red ovals marking "areas of interest," plus a simple formula for computing % looking time.

Why engaging: Uses real human photos and a dead-simple formula — extremely intuitive way to show how eye-tracking quantifies "visual attention to suffering," no stats background needed.

Open source PDF (p.5) → Full-size image →
Table 1 — Typology of Meditation Practices (Attentional/Constructive/Deconstructive)
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Table 1 — Typology of Meditation Practices (Attentional/Constructive/Deconstructive)

Dahl et al., 2015 — explicitly cited in Class 1 outline (Section 7, three-families taxonomy) · p.22

Shows: A table mapping the three meditation "families" (Attentional, Constructive, Deconstructive) to their subcategories and example practices (e.g., focused attention, open monitoring, compassion, insight).

Why engaging: This is the literal source table for the course's own "three skill families" framework — could be redesigned as a clean three-column infographic instead of a wall of text.

Open source PDF (p.22) → Full-size image →
The ReSource Model — three training modules (Singer et al. 2016, Figure 2.3 / 3.1.1)
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The ReSource Model — three training modules (Singer et al. 2016, Figure 2.3 / 3.1.1)

Singer et al. (2016), "The ReSource Project" — background for Engert et al. 2017, Valk et al. 2017, and the Weng/Singer compassion-training literature discussed in sections 7–8; not itself named in the outline. · p.27

Shows: A three-circle Venn-style diagram (Presence / Perspective / Affect) with each circle's target skills and its two core practice exercises (e.g., breathing meditation & body scan for Presence; loving-kindness meditation & affect dyad for Affect) with small icons.

Why engaging: A near-perfect visual analogy for the Dahl et al. 2015 Attentional/Constructive/Deconstructive taxonomy in the course outline — colorful, uses icons, and directly supports the "meditation is a family of distinct trainable skills" argument.

Open source PDF (p.27) → Full-size image →
Whole-brain cluster: anterior insula/OFC (Weng et al. 2018, Figure 3)
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Whole-brain cluster: anterior insula/OFC (Weng et al. 2018, Figure 3)

Weng et al. (2018) — related to section 7. · p.8

Shows: A colorful brain-scan overlay (orange/red/blue voxel clusters) showing where compassion vs. reappraisal training differentially changed brain responses to suffering.

Why engaging: Striking, colorful neuroimaging visual — reads as "hard science" evidence for compassion training's brain effects.

Open source PDF (p.8) → Full-size image →
6. Cortical thickness increases in long-term meditators (Engen et al. 2018, Fig. 1)
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6. Cortical thickness increases in long-term meditators (Engen et al. 2018, Fig. 1)

Engen et al. 2018 — thematically relevant to the loving-kindness/compassion brain-structure story (section 7, alongside Engert 2017 & Valk et al. 2017), not itself named in the Class 1 outline · p.4

Shows: Six-view brain renderings (lateral, medial, inferior, anterior, posterior) highlighting regions of increased cortical thickness in long-term loving-kindness/compassion meditators vs. controls.

Why engaging: Clean, colorful, multi-angle brain surface maps — visually striking and immediately reads as "meditation changed brain structure here."

Section note (as written by scanner): Dimensions of a meditative fitness program (Constructive family — compassion/loving-kindness)
Open source PDF (p.4) → Full-size image →
14. Loving-kindness meditation builds positive emotion over time (Fredrickson et al. 2008, Fig. 2)
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14. Loving-kindness meditation builds positive emotion over time (Fredrickson et al. 2008, Fig. 2)

Fredrickson et al. 2008 ("Open Hearts Build Lives" / upward-spiral LKM study) — not named in Class 1 outline, thematically relevant background to the loving-kindness/compassion training theme (section 7) · p.27

Shows: A simple line chart of self-reported positive emotions over 9 weeks, rising steadily in the loving-kindness meditation group relative to a flat control group.

Why engaging: Small in the original PDF but a genuinely clean "line going up" chart that visually proves the "meditation builds positive emotion over time" claim — easy to redraw larger/cleaner.

Open source PDF (p.27) → Full-size image →
7. Functional amplitude and structure-function overlap (Engen et al. 2018, Figs. 2–3)
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7. Functional amplitude and structure-function overlap (Engen et al. 2018, Figs. 2–3)

Engen et al. 2018 — same context as above · p.5

Shows: Two more sets of six-view brain renderings: functional amplitude differences during loving-kindness meditation vs. rest, and the overlap between structural and functional findings.

Why engaging: Same clean brain-rendering style as Fig. 1; the color-coded "structure/both/function" overlap legend at the bottom is a nice touch. Slightly more complex than Fig. 1 so offered as an alternate/supplement.

Open source PDF (p.5) → Full-size image →
9. Training effects on stress markers (Engert et al. 2017, Fig. 2)
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9. Training effects on stress markers (Engert et al. 2017, Fig. 2)

Engert et al. 2017 (same paper as above) · p.4

Shows: Seven small multiples (subjective stress, cortisol, and other physiological markers) each showing reactivity/recovery curves color-coded by training group (No training / Presence / Affect / Presence+Affect / Presence+Perspective).

Why engaging: Consistent color-coding across all 7 panels makes it easy to track how compassion-based (Affect) training outperforms attention-only training on stress recovery — good supporting/alternate chart to the Fig. 1 cortisol panel, though busier with 7 panels.

Open source PDF (p.4) → Full-size image →
Brain-resource reallocation to T1 (Slagter et al. 2007, Figure 5)
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Brain-resource reallocation to T1 (Slagter et al. 2007, Figure 5)

Slagter et al. 2007 (background/general) · p.5

Shows: Brain-wave (ERP) traces at electrode Pz plus small colorful scalp heat-maps showing where/when brain activity to the first target dropped after training.

Why engaging: The colorful head-shaped heat maps (panel D) are visually striking and instantly read as "brain science," even without following every statistic.

Open source PDF (p.5) → Full-size image →
Effects of intensive mental training on the attentional blink (Slagter et al. 2007, Figure 2)
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Effects of intensive mental training on the attentional blink (Slagter et al. 2007, Figure 2)

Slagter et al. 2007 (background/general, not in the explicit Class 1 citation list) · p.3

Shows: Bar charts comparing T2-detection accuracy in meditators vs. novices before and after a 3-month retreat; panel B is a clean grouped bar chart of average accuracy by group/session.

Why engaging: Panel B alone is a simple, legible "before/after, trained vs. control" bar chart — good evidence that meditation training improved a measurable skill.

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
Lee et al. (2012) — Percent signal change by brain region (bar chart)
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Lee et al. (2012) — Percent signal change by brain region (bar chart)

Lee et al., 2012 · p.8

Shows: A grouped bar chart of percent BOLD signal change (meditation vs. baseline) in three brain regions, comparing FAM experts vs. novices.

Why engaging: A secondary, more quantitative companion to the brain-slice figure above; useful if a bar-chart format is preferred, but more cluttered (multiple groups + error bars).

Open source PDF (p.8) → Full-size image →
Looking time by training group (Weng et al. 2018, Figure 4 — same page as Fig. 3)
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Looking time by training group (Weng et al. 2018, Figure 4 — same page as Fig. 3)

Weng et al. (2018) — related to section 7. · p.8

Shows: A simple bar chart showing compassion-trained participants looked longer at suffering (vs. neutral) images, while reappraisal-trained participants showed the opposite trend.

Why engaging: Straightforward black/white bar chart with significance stars — easy secondary visual to pair with Figure 1.

Open source PDF (p.8) → Full-size image →
ReSource training structure with photos (Singer et al. 2016, Figure 4.2.1)
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ReSource training structure with photos (Singer et al. 2016, Figure 4.2.1)

Singer et al. (2016) — background only. · p.38

Shows: A timeline/infographic combining schedule blocks (retreat, weekly sessions, daily solo practice) with actual photos of the meditation hall, retreat house, and MRI scanner.

Why engaging: Real photographs mixed with a clean schedule bar make the abstract "training protocol" concept feel tangible and concrete — good "what does a real research-grade meditation training program actually look like" visual.

Open source PDF (p.38) → Full-size image →
T2 accuracy vs. brain-signal change scatterplot (Slagter et al. 2007, Figure 4)
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T2 accuracy vs. brain-signal change scatterplot (Slagter et al. 2007, Figure 4)

Slagter et al. 2007 (background/general) · p.4

Shows: A clean scatterplot (right column) showing that people whose brain response to the first target dropped the most also improved the most at catching the second target.

Why engaging: Simple correlation scatter with a clear negative trend line — easy to read as "less brain resource wasted on target 1 = better at catching target 2."

Open source PDF (p.4) → Full-size image →
FIGURE 1 — PRISMA study-selection flow diagram (loving-kindness meditation review)
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FIGURE 1 — PRISMA study-selection flow diagram (loving-kindness meditation review)

Bashir et al., 2025 — not in Class 1 outline by name, but topically matches Section 7/8 (loving-kindness meditation neuroimaging, related to Engert/Valk/Singer work already cited) · p.6

Shows: Standard PRISMA systematic-review flow diagram narrowing 384 identified studies down to 5 included studies on long-term loving-kindness meditators' brain structure/function.

Why engaging: Confirms there's a small but real evidence base specifically on loving-kindness/compassion training and brain changes; visually it's a generic PRISMA chart.

Open source PDF (p.6) → Full-size image →
ReSource Project study design timeline (Singer et al. 2016, Figure 4.1)
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ReSource Project study design timeline (Singer et al. 2016, Figure 4.1)

Singer et al. (2016) — background only. · p.36

Shows: A Gantt-chart-style timeline showing three training cohorts moving through Presence/Affect/Perspective modules and retest-control cohorts, spanning 2013–2016.

Why engaging: Conveys the sheer scale and rigor of this kind of longitudinal meditation research (hundreds of participants, years of tracking), but is dense/technical as rendered.

Open source PDF (p.36) → Full-size image →

8 — Not just concentration: integrating warmth and acceptance (5 candidates)

Lindsay et al. (2018) — Monitor+Accept training boosts positive emotions
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Lindsay et al. (2018) — Monitor+Accept training boosts positive emotions

Lindsay et al., 2018 (companion "positive emotions" dismantling trial — a different outcome/paper from the already-used cortisol figure, same MA/MO/Control 3-arm design) · p.84

Shows: Two bar-chart panels (Study 1 and Study 2) showing that only the Monitor+Accept training condition produced a clear increase in end-of-day positive affect, compared to Monitor Only or Control.

Why engaging: Simple, clean grouped bar chart with an easy "only acceptance training moved the needle" story — a natural complement to the already-used cortisol chart from the sister paper, without duplicating it.

Open source PDF (p.84) → Full-size image →
Lindsay et al. (2019) — Mindfulness training reduces loneliness
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Lindsay et al. (2019) — Mindfulness training reduces loneliness

Lindsay et al., 2019 — exact match to Class 1 outline (cited alongside other Monitor+Accept/acceptance-skills studies) · p.2

Shows: A bar chart showing diary-assessed loneliness dropping only in the Monitor+Accept training group, with no change in Monitor Only or Control groups.

Why engaging: A simple, emotionally resonant outcome (loneliness) with a clean bar-chart visualization — easy to read and ties mindfulness training to a widely-relatable social/health concern.

Open source PDF (p.2) → Full-size image →
3. Regularized association network of mindfulness/acceptance self-report measures
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3. Regularized association network of mindfulness/acceptance self-report measures

O'Malley et al., 2024 (testing Monitor and Acceptance Theory — directly relevant to the Lindsay et al. 2018 monitor/accept framework already used in the course) · p.7

Shows: A colorful network/graph diagram where circles (self-report mindfulness subscales like "FMI Presence," "FFMQ Nonjudge," "COPE Accept") cluster into two color groups — beige for attention/monitoring, blue for acceptance — connected by green (positive) or red (negative) correlation lines.

Why engaging: Visually distinctive (not a bar chart or table) — the two-color clustering makes the abstract "monitoring vs. acceptance are separable skills" claim visually obvious at a glance.

Open source PDF (p.7) → Full-size image →
Lindsay et al. (2019) — Mindfulness training increases social interactions
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Lindsay et al. (2019) — Mindfulness training increases social interactions

Lindsay et al., 2019 · p.3

Shows: A companion bar chart showing increased daily social-interaction frequency specifically in the Monitor+Accept group.

Why engaging: Same clean style as the loneliness chart; included as a secondary/alternative option rather than a must-use (very similar structure/message to the primary loneliness chart).

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
4. Cortisol reactivity vs. training-induced change in attention regulation
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4. Cortisol reactivity vs. training-induced change in attention regulation

O'Malley et al., 2024 · p.10

Shows: Scatter plot with four colored regression lines showing that after Presence (attention-only) training, increases in attention regulation are associated with HIGHER cortisol stress reactivity, while after Affect/Perspective training the relationship reverses (lower reactivity).

Why engaging: Directly visualizes the "monitoring without acceptance can backfire" narrative point with real data — but the underlying scatter is fairly noisy/busy, so it would need cleanup (or a simplified re-plot of just the four lines) to be truly explainer-ready.

Open source PDF (p.10) → Full-size image →

9 — Deliberate practice as a foundation for meditative training (5 candidates)

11. Weekly practice hours vs. age, experts vs. amateurs (Ericsson & Harwell 2019, Fig. 2)
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11. Weekly practice hours vs. age, experts vs. amateurs (Ericsson & Harwell 2019, Fig. 2)

**Ericsson & Harwell 2019** — explicitly cited, section 9 · p.7

Shows: A line graph of pianists' estimated weekly practice hours as a function of age, contrasting experts (rising to ~30+ hrs/week) against amateurs (flat, under 5 hrs/week).

Why engaging: Classic, legible "hours invested over time" chart that visually makes the deliberate-practice point better than any text description — directly usable.

Open source PDF (p.7) → Full-size image →
12. The classic 10,000-hour accumulated practice chart (Ericsson, Krampe & Tesch-Römer 1993, Figs. 8–9)
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12. The classic 10,000-hour accumulated practice chart (Ericsson, Krampe & Tesch-Römer 1993, Figs. 8–9)

**Ericsson et al. 1993** — explicitly cited in the Class 1 outline, section 9 (this is *the* original deliberate-practice paper) · p.17

Shows: Two related charts — Figure 8 (estimated weekly practice hours by age for best/good violinists, teachers, and professionals) and Figure 9 (the iconic cumulative/accumulated practice-hours curve converging near 10,000 hours by age 20 for the best violinists).

Why engaging: This is the single most famous figure underlying the "10,000-hour rule" popularization — a must-have visual anchor for the deliberate-practice section, clean and legible even in the original 1993 style.

Open source PDF (p.17) → Full-size image →
10. Mental representations feedback loop in deliberate practice (Ericsson & Harwell 2019, Fig. 1)
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10. Mental representations feedback loop in deliberate practice (Ericsson & Harwell 2019, Fig. 1)

**Ericsson & Harwell 2019** — explicitly cited in the Class 1 outline, section 9 · p.4

Shows: A simple boxes-and-arrows flowchart showing how a musician's "desired performance goal" feeds into playing, listening, and refining mental representations in a feedback loop.

Why engaging: Clean, minimal diagram that concretely explains what "deliberate practice" means at the mechanism level — good complement to the more data-heavy Figure 2 below.

Open source PDF (p.4) → Full-size image →
McGaghie et al. (2011) — Meta-analysis of deliberate practice in medical training
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McGaghie et al. (2011) — Meta-analysis of deliberate practice in medical training

McGaghie et al., 2011 — exact match to Class 1 outline (section 9, deliberate practice framework) · p.9

Shows: A forest plot of 14 studies comparing simulation-based medical education with deliberate practice (SBME+DP) against traditional clinical education — every single study favors SBME+DP, with a pooled effect size of 0.71.

Why engaging: Technically a forest plot (usually a "skip" per the brief's guidance), but unusually clean and tells an unambiguous story — every study points the same direction — which could support a strong "deliberate practice beats traditional training, without exception" visual for the deliberate-practice section.

Open source PDF (p.9) → Full-size image →
Kandola et al. (2019) — Mechanisms linking physical activity and depression
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Kandola et al. (2019) — Mechanisms linking physical activity and depression

Kandola et al., 2019 — not in the Class 1 citation list (this is about exercise/depression, not meditation) · p.9

Shows: A clean box-and-arrow diagram of the biological (neuroplasticity, inflammation, HPA axis) and psychosocial (self-esteem, social support, self-efficacy) mechanisms linking physical activity to reduced depressive symptoms, plus moderators/confounders.

Why engaging: A well-organized, colorful mechanism diagram that could serve as a visual template/analogy for the exercise-science comparisons already planned in section 9 (Glass & Stanton, Rand et al., Howden et al.), even though the paper itself isn't about meditation.

Open source PDF (p.9) → Full-size image →

10 — Practicing with difficulty (7 candidates)

Distribution of feedback-intervention effects (Kluger & DeNisi 1996, Figure 1)
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Distribution of feedback-intervention effects (Kluger & DeNisi 1996, Figure 1)

Kluger & DeNisi (1996), "The Effects of Feedback Interventions on Performance" — the classic meta-analysis underlying Hattie & Timperley's (2007) framework cited in section 10; not itself named in the outline but directly foundational. · p.5

Shows: A histogram of 607 effect sizes from feedback studies, showing that over a third of feedback interventions actually *decreased* performance.

Why engaging: A surprising, single-number-friendly stat ("1/3 of feedback backfires") visualized as a simple histogram — great hook for the "not all feedback helps" argument.

Open source PDF (p.5) → Full-size image →
Figure 1 — Diagrammatic representation of efficacy vs. outcome expectations
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Figure 1 — Diagrammatic representation of efficacy vs. outcome expectations

Bandura, 1977 — explicitly cited in Class 1 outline (Section 10, self-efficacy theory) · p.3

Shows: A minimal box-and-arrow diagram distinguishing "efficacy expectations" (can I do it?) from "outcome expectations" (will doing it work?) in the person→behavior→outcome chain.

Why engaging: The single clearest visual summary of Bandura's whole theory — extremely simple, easy to redraw/restyle for the explainer.

Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
Figure 2 — Sources of efficacy expectations and modes of induction
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Figure 2 — Sources of efficacy expectations and modes of induction

Bandura, 1977 — explicitly cited (Section 10) · p.5

Shows: A four-row diagram (performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, emotional arousal) each branching into their specific real-world "modes of induction."

Why engaging: Clean, structured breakdown that maps naturally to an infographic; reinforces the "many small ingredients build self-efficacy" idea relevant to deliberate practice.

Open source PDF (p.5) → Full-size image →
The power of feedback model (Hattie & Timperley 2007, Figure 1)
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The power of feedback model (Hattie & Timperley 2007, Figure 1)

Hattie & Timperley (2007) — explicitly named in the Class 1 outline (section 10). · p.7

Shows: A clean flowchart: effective feedback answers "Where am I going? How am I going? Where to next?" and works at four levels (task, process, self-regulation, self).

Why engaging: This is THE canonical feedback framework cited directly in Class 1 — it's already a clean, well-designed box diagram that would translate almost directly into a course graphic.

Open source PDF (p.7) → Full-size image →
Figure 4 — Probability of successful performance vs. strength of self-efficacy
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Figure 4 — Probability of successful performance vs. strength of self-efficacy

Bandura, 1977 — explicitly cited (Section 10) · p.17

Shows: Two line charts showing that the probability of successfully performing a task rises steadily with the strength of a person's self-efficacy belief, for both similar and dissimilar threats.

Why engaging: An actual quantitative dose-response curve backing up the "belief in yourself predicts behavior" claim — good complement to the conceptual Figures 1–2.

Open source PDF (p.17) → Full-size image →
Error framing path model (Steele-Johnson & Kalinoski 2014, Figure 1)
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Error framing path model (Steele-Johnson & Kalinoski 2014, Figure 1)

Steele-Johnson & Kalinoski (2014) — explicitly named in the Class 1 outline (section 10, self-efficacy). · p.4

Shows: A box-and-arrow path model showing how framing errors positively vs. negatively affects metacognition, task complexity perception, self-efficacy, and emotion control, which in turn affect performance (errors, tasks completed).

Why engaging: This is the exact conceptual model behind the cited self-efficacy research — good for illustrating "how you frame mistakes changes whether they help or hurt you," though it is a fairly technical-looking path diagram (would benefit from simplification/redraw).

Open source PDF (p.4) → Full-size image →
Schematic overview of Feedback Intervention Theory (Kluger & DeNisi 1996, Figure 5)
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Schematic overview of Feedback Intervention Theory (Kluger & DeNisi 1996, Figure 5)

Kluger & DeNisi (1996) — background/foundational for section 10. · p.15

Shows: A box-and-arrow theoretical model of how feedback cues route attention to self, task, or task-details, and how that determines whether feedback helps or hurts performance.

Why engaging: Conceptually rich but visually dense (many small boxes/arrows, 1996-era academic diagram styling) — would need a real redesign to be explainer-friendly.

Open source PDF (p.15) → Full-size image →

11 — Building intrinsic motivation for meditation (3 candidates)

7. The Self-Determination Continuum (motivation taxonomy)
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7. The Self-Determination Continuum (motivation taxonomy)

Ryan & Deci, 2000 — explicitly cited in section 11 (Self-Determination Theory: autonomy/competence/relatedness) · p.5

Shows: The canonical SDT diagram — a spectrum from Amotivation through four types of Extrinsic Motivation (External, Introjected, Identified, Integrated Regulation) to Intrinsic Motivation, each row showing perceived locus of causality and relevant regulatory processes.

Why engaging: This is THE foundational, most-cited diagram in self-determination theory — instantly recognizable to anyone who knows SDT, and gives a visual spectrum rather than a bullet list for explaining autonomy/motivation. Plain black-and-white scan, so it would benefit from a redesign, but the content/structure is exactly on-citation.

Open source PDF (p.5) → Full-size image →
5. Candidate path models for mindfulness/motivation/physical-activity
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5. Candidate path models for mindfulness/motivation/physical-activity

Ruffault et al., 2016 — not in the Class 1 citation list by name, but thematically tied to section 11 (intrinsic motivation, SDT) since it tests mindfulness as a moderator/mediator of the motivation–behavior link. · p.5

Shows: Five simple box-and-arrow path diagrams (models a–e) showing candidate statistical relationships between mindfulness, motivational regulation, and physical activity level.

Why engaging: Clean and easy to follow, but plain black-and-white academic diagram style — would need a redesign pass to feel like a course explainer graphic rather than a stats textbook figure.

Open source PDF (p.5) → Full-size image →
6. Moderating effect of mindfulness on motivation–activity relationship
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6. Moderating effect of mindfulness on motivation–activity relationship

Ruffault et al., 2016 · p.10

Shows: Scatter plot (default R plotting style) with three fitted lines showing that as self-reported mindfulness increases, the positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and physical activity level gets stronger.

Why engaging: Tells a clean, on-topic story (mindfulness amplifies the payoff of intrinsic motivation) but the raw plot is visually dated/busy (base-R symbols, gray scatter) — low as-is, would need a redraw.

Open source PDF (p.10) → Full-size image →

General / background (not tied to one Class 1 section) (8 candidates)

1. Frequency of meditation among U.S. religious groups (Pew Research dot plot)
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1. Frequency of meditation among U.S. religious groups (Pew Research dot plot)

Pew Research Center (Masci & Hackett, 2018) — not one of the specific citations listed for Class 1, but strong general-interest background on how mainstream meditation is across religious/secular groups in the U.S. · p.1

Shows: A clean color-coded dot plot ranking U.S. religious groups (Atheist, Jewish, Catholic, Evangelical, Mormon, Buddhist, Jehovah's Witness, etc.) by the % who say they meditate weekly or more, ranging from 19% to 77%.

Why engaging: Colorful, simple one-glance dot plot with clear labels and a surprising range (77% for Jehovah's Witnesses) — much more engaging than a paragraph of percentages, and reframes meditation as a broad cultural practice, not a niche one.

Section note (as written by scanner): general/other classes (could support intro to section 4, "How did meditation go mainstream?", as evidence of broad public reach)
Open source PDF (p.1) → Full-size image →
10. The three axioms of mindfulness: Intention, Attention, Attitude (IAA model)
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10. The three axioms of mindfulness: Intention, Attention, Attitude (IAA model)

Shapiro et al., 2006 — not in the explicit Class 1 citation list, but a very well-known "mechanisms of mindfulness" model that could support any general definitional content about what mindfulness/meditation is. · p.3

Shows: A simple triangular diagram with three boxes — Intention, Attention, Attitude — connected by double-headed arrows, representing Kabat-Zinn's definition of mindfulness ("on purpose, paying attention, in a particular way") as three interwoven, simultaneous processes rather than sequential steps.

Why engaging: Extremely clean, minimal, easy to redesign with icons/color — a good candidate for a simple "what is mindfulness, mechanistically" explainer graphic, though it is plain black-and-white as-is.

Section note (as written by scanner): general/other classes (could support section 3's discussion of MBSR/Kabat-Zinn, since it operationalizes Kabat-Zinn's definition of mindfulness)
Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
13. Jhana meditation and brain connectivity gradients (Demir et al. 2025, Fig. 1)
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13. Jhana meditation and brain connectivity gradients (Demir et al. 2025, Fig. 1)

Demir et al. 2025 (7T MRI jhana meditation study) — not named in the Class 1 outline; thematically relevant background for "advanced meditation" (section 5/6), and note the brief's caution to ignore the unrelated "Baten et al., 2026" brain figure — this is a different paper · p.6

Shows: Rows of colorful brain-surface renderings showing shifting principal-gradient values across successive jhana meditative absorption states (ACAM-J1 through J6-8) compared to control conditions.

Why engaging: Visually striking, colorful whole-brain renderings that literally show the brain "reorganizing" across deepening meditative absorption — a strong visual metaphor for "advanced meditation," though the full figure panel (with radar plots) gets dense; this cropped top panel alone is the cleanest.

Section note (as written by scanner): Advanced meditation and deep transformation / general-other classes
Open source PDF (p.6) → Full-size image →
Figure 2. Brain regions with reduced opioid receptor availability after running
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Figure 2. Brain regions with reduced opioid receptor availability after running

Boecker et al., 2008 — not cited in Class 1 outline; tangential background · p.4

Shows: Colorful axial brain-slice montage (red/yellow activation blobs labeled OFC, INS, ACC, DLPFC, PCC, SMC) showing where "runner's high" opioid release occurs in the brain.

Why engaging: Visually striking brain-imaging montage in the same visual family as other "brain lights up" figures used elsewhere in the course, but this specific paper (runner's high) isn't part of the Class 1 citation list — include only if a generic "brain imaging" visual is wanted.

Section note (as written by scanner): general/other classes
Open source PDF (p.4) → Full-size image →
15. Runner's high pharmacology in mice (Fuss et al. 2015, Fig. 1)
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15. Runner's high pharmacology in mice (Fuss et al. 2015, Fig. 1)

Fuss et al. 2015 — not cited anywhere in the Class 1 outline; included only as thematically-adjacent background (the "reward"/endorphin-like state literature), likely more relevant to a different class if used at all · p.2

Shows: A four-panel bar-chart figure showing that running increases anxiolytic behavior, pain tolerance, and endocannabinoid levels in mice, effects blocked by cannabinoid-receptor antagonists.

Why engaging: Clean, standard multi-panel bar charts with significance stars; not directly tied to any Class 1 section, so only worth using if the course ever draws a "runner's high vs. meditation reward pathways" analogy.

Section note (as written by scanner): general/other classes
Open source PDF (p.2) → Full-size image →
Diagram of human circulation (Benson & Klipper 1975, Figure 3)
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Diagram of human circulation (Benson & Klipper 1975, Figure 3)

Benson (1975) — background/decorative, explains the physiology behind blood pressure/stress, not itself a research figure. · p.27

Shows: A vintage anatomical line-drawing of the circulatory system (heart, arteries, veins, kidneys, capillaries).

Why engaging: Charming period illustration style, but it's basic anatomy-textbook content rather than data or a meditation-specific finding — decorative use only.

Section note (as written by scanner): general/other classes (physiological background, not specific to Class 1's narrative arc)
Open source PDF (p.27) → Full-size image →
Fig. 1. Box plot of euphoria/mood VAS scores, rest vs. post-exercise
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Fig. 1. Box plot of euphoria/mood VAS scores, rest vs. post-exercise

Boecker et al., 2008 — NOT cited in the Class 1 outline; tangential background only (opioid/exercise neuroscience, not meditation) · p.3

Shows: Bar/error-bar chart of mood ratings (confusion, anger, sadness, happiness, fatigue, energy, tension, euphoria) before vs. after a 2-hour endurance run, showing euphoria and happiness rise significantly.

Why engaging: Clean behavioral data chart; only loosely relevant since this paper is about running/opioids, not meditation.

Section note (as written by scanner): general/other classes (possible tangential use in Section 9 exercise-science analogies)
Open source PDF (p.3) → Full-size image →
Lam et al. (2023) — Desired features of meditation apps
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Lam et al. (2023) — Desired features of meditation apps

Lam et al., 2023 — not in Class 1 citation list; general background · p.9

Shows: A bar chart ranking which app features meditators most want (tips for daily practice, reminders, mood-based mini-practices, etc.).

Why engaging: Clean bar chart, could support a "modern meditation practice" sidebar, though it's a secondary/backup option next to the concerns chart above.

Section note (as written by scanner): general/other classes
Open source PDF (p.9) → Full-size image →