The Role of Contemplation in Healing Historical Trauma: A Scoping Review

Background/Purpose: As the negative impacts of historical trauma on health and well-being of racial and ethnic minorities are increasingly documented, more studies have explored interventions for healing historical trauma. Contemplative interventions have been effective in healing collective trauma among racial and ethnic minorities, yet few studies have specifically applied such interventions to historical trauma. To address this gap, this scoping review sought to answer the following research questions: (1) what contemplative practices have been applied toward healing of historical trauma, (2) what are mechanisms by which contemplative practices can heal historical trauma, and (3) what research methods are used to develop, evaluate, and adapt contemplative practices for healing historical trauma?

Methods: Search protocols were established to identity pertinent articles across six databases using search terms related to categories of historical trauma, contemplative practice, and intervention. Studies were eligible if they incorporated contemplative practice as a supplemental or central component of an intervention aimed to treat historical trauma or another issue linked to historical trauma. Relevant literature included English-language books, peer reviewed articles, and grey literature published after 1998. Of 645 articles identified during initial screening, 85 were included for full text review, and 35 met eligibility criteria. Covidence software was used to extract article information regarding general study information (publication year, country, design, methodology), sample characteristics (race/ethnicity, age, gender, background), intervention details (level of intervention, duration, aims), contemplative components (supplemental or central, type), and mechanisms of healing.

Results: Results showed an increasing rate of publication in the last ten years, predominantly in the United States and Canada. Most studies utilized one-arm pilot (49%) or case report (43%) design, and dominant methodologies were qualitative (57%) and mixed methods (34%). Most participants were Indigenous (69%), representing over 18 tribes; others were African-American, Asian-American, Rwandan, and Rohingyan. Participants were mostly adults, and common backgrounds included experiences with homelessness, incarceration, sexual violence, child welfare, substance use or lived experience of historical violence (genocide, boarding school). Most interventions took place at a community (53%) or group level (36%) as weekly programs or intensives. Contemplative practice was central to 58% of interventions, with the most common types involving creative practices (56%), rituals/ceremonies (56%), relational practices (42%), or stillness practices (39%). Thematic textual analysis identified seven main healing mechanisms: (1) Establishing Safety and Belonging, (2) Revitalizing Culture, (3) Increasing Well-being, (4) Processing Emotion, (5) Raising Consciousness, (6) Changing Narratives, and (7) Growing Empowerment.

Conclusions/Implications: Results reveal a steadily growing interest, spearheaded by Indigenous scholars, on applying contemplative practice for healing historical trauma. In this emerging stage, non-experimental study designs and qualitative or mixed-methods approaches may be most suitable. Community or group level interventions which address ongoing impacts of historical trauma may be most effective, and contemplative practices can be integrated to facilitate such aims across diverse racial and ethnic minority communities. Given that the analysis revealed multiple mechanisms by which healing from historical trauma can occur, future research can further explore the role of contemplative practice in these healing mechanisms.