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Results for “Meditation”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1981

Electroencephalographic findings during mantra meditation (transcendental meditation). A controlled, quantitative study of experienced meditators.

The EEGs of 13 experienced practitioners of transcendental meditation (TM) were recorded for 5 min preceding TM, during 20 min of TM and until 5 min after, as well as during closed-eyed wakefulness, drowsiness, sleep onset and sleep. Thirteen healthy volunteers matched for age served as control subjects. Computer period-amplitude analysis of F3-C3, T3-T5, P3-O1, F4-C4 and P4-O2 epochs of 50--100 sec duration resulted in a frequency and amplitude spectrum (0.5--28.6 c/sec), and the mean frequency and the mean voltage of each EEG lead. The EEG frequency spectra constituted a continuum with increasing theta and delta activity and decreasing alpha activity as the participants tended to fall asleep. The frequency spectrum during TM corresponded to a spectrum situated between that of wakefulness and drowsiness and remained virtually unchanged during the 20 min of meditation. The EEG mean frequency of the TM group was about 1 c/sec slower than that of the control group. Intra- or interhemispheric differences between quantities of EEG activity remained stable during TM, nor did we observe any theta bursts. There was no consistent EEG patter associated with a successful or unsuccessful meditation, nor did the EEGs of two meditators who stated they had felt drowsy during TM show a different pattern.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Is spirituality a critical ingredient of meditation? Comparing the effects of spiritual meditation, secular meditation, and relaxation on spiritual, psychological, cardiac, and pain outcomes.

This study compared secular and spiritual forms of meditation to assess the benefits of a spiritual intervention. Participants were taught a meditation or relaxation technique to practice for 20 min a day for two weeks. After two weeks, participants returned to the lab, practiced their technique for 20 min, and placed their hand in a cold-water bath of 2 degrees C for as long as they could endure it. The length of time that individuals kept their hand in the water bath was measured. Pain, anxiety, mood, and the spiritual health were assessed following the two-week intervention. Significant interactions occurred (time x group); the Spiritual Meditation group had greater decreases in anxiety and more positive mood, spiritual health, and spiritual experiences than the other two groups. They also tolerated pain almost twice as long as the other two groups.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

A study of structure of phenomenology of consciousness in meditative and non-meditative states.

Twelve senior Kundalini (Chakra) meditators were assessed during meditation session and non-meditation or control session using Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory. The data has been analyzed using structural analysis to measure the altered state of consciousness and the identity state by comparing meditative state with non-meditative state. The structural analysis of pattern of consciousness during the meditative state revealed altered experience in perception (percentile rank PR = 90), meaning (PR = 82) and time sense (PR = 87), while positive affect dimension showed increased joy (PR = 73) and love (PR = 67). The imagery vividness (PR = 72), self-awareness (PR = 77), rationality (PR = 73) and arousal (PR = 69) were found to be structurally different from the ordinary state. With regards to identity state meditative experience was found to produce statistically significant changes in terms of intensity in meaning (P < 0.05), time sense (P < 0.05), joy (P < 0.05), love (P < 0.05) and state of awareness (P < 0.01). Our results indicate that long term practice of meditation appears to produce structural as well as intensity changes in phenomenological experiences of consciousness.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

The self-concepts of regular transcendental meditators, dropout meditators, and nonmeditators.

Regular meditators, dropout meditators, and nonmeditators were administered the Tennessee Self Concept Scale twice over a six month period (N = 32 Australian men and women). Results showed that regular meditators as compared to dropout meditators were found to have significantly fewer of the characteristics associated with psychosis. Nonmeditators as compared to dropout meditators were found to have significantly fewer characteristics associated with psychosis and personality integration. Regular meditators as compared to nonmeditators have a more positive perception of their behavior. The findings provide a personality description of the dropout meditators which may be useful for screening prospective meditators.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1984

Differences in visual sensitivity among mindfulness meditators and non-meditators.

Tachistoscopic presentation of light flashes was used to test for differences in visual sensitivity among 3 groups of practitioners of Buddhist mindfulness meditation and non-meditator-controls. Meditation practitioners were able to detect light flashes of shorter duration than the non-meditators. There were no differences among the meditator groups. There were no differences among the groups in ability to discriminate between closely spaced successive light flashes. The lower detection threshold for single light flashes for the meditators may reflect an enduring increase in sensitivity, perhaps the long-term effects of the practice of mindfulness meditation on certain perceptual habit patterns. The lack of significant differences in the discrimination of successive light flashes probably reflects the resistance of other perceptual habit patterns to modification. The results support the statements found in Buddhist texts on meditation concerning the changes in perception encountered during the practice of mindfulness.

Buddhism↗

PubMed2005

Meditation may predispose to epilepsy: an insight into the alteration in brain environment induced by meditation.

Stress-induced diseases in modern life are on an alarming rise not only in developed countries but also in developing ones. To alleviate stress, one practice that is being commonly and increasingly adapted to is meditation. Limited studies on meditation have reported occurrence of mental calmness along with apparently favorable changes in certain autonomic functional parameters like heart rate, blood pressure, respiration and skin resistance. Recently, meditation is also being practiced and advised for alleviation of epilepsy; however, very little work is available to comprehend effect and utility of meditation on epilepsy. Neuro-imaging and in-depth studies during the course and attainment of meditational state have revealed alteration in neuro-chemistry and neuro-physiology of brain environment that could favor epileptogenesis. The rise in brain glutamate and serotonin along with development of 'hypersynchrony' of EEG activity (which occur during the course and attainment of meditational state) are well documented to form the underlying basis of epilepsy. Each of the above-mentioned factors is individually capable of inducing susceptibility and decreasing threshold to epilepsy. Based on these changes in brain, this paper raises a grave possibility and risk of meditation in developing epilepsy or increasing the severity and frequency of attacks in an already epileptic state, contrary to the popular belief of its remedial role in alleviating epilepsy.

Alpha Rhythm↗

PubMed1985

Meditation and psychotherapy: a rationale for the integration of dynamic psychotherapy, the relaxation response, and mindfulness meditation.

A framework for the integration of meditation and psychotherapy is presented through a consideration of the psychobiological nature of meditation (the relaxation response) and discussion of a traditional meditation practice (mindfulness meditation) as an effective cognitive technique for the development of self-awareness. The mechanisms by which the emotional and cognitive changes of meditation can be of therapeutic value are explored and the synergistic advantages of the combination of psychotherapy and meditation are discussed.

Attention↗

PubMed1992

Adverse effects of meditation: a preliminary investigation of long-term meditators.

Adverse effects of meditation were assessed in twenty-seven long term meditators (average 4.27 years) both retrospectively (time one) and prospectively at one month (time two) and six months (time three) following a meditation retreat. At both time one and time three subjects reported significantly more positive effects than negative from meditation. However, of the twenty-seven subjects, seventeen (62.9%) reported at least one adverse effect, and two (7.4%) suffered profound adverse effects. When subjects at time one were divided into three groups based on length of practice (16.7 months; 47.1 months; 105 months) there were no significant differences in adverse effects. How the data should be interpreted, and their implications both for the clinical and psychotherapeutic use of meditation as a relaxation/self-control strategy, and as a technique for facilitating personal and spiritual growth, are discussed. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also offered.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1983

Self-actualizations and experience with Zen meditation: is a learning period necessary for meditation?

Tested the hypothesis that inconsistencies found in research on the relationship between Zen meditation and self-actualization were due in part to the existence of a learning period for Zen meditation. It was hypothesized that increases in self-actualization would be observed only after the completion of the learning period. The Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) was given to 36 students of Soto Zen and 34 undergraduate students who never had mediated. Analysis of covariance adjusted the group means for differences in age, education, and sex. t-tests revealed that all hypotheses were supported for the Inner Directed scale of the POI and supported in part for the Time Competent scale. Results were discussed as supporting the hypothesized learning period for Zen meditation. Implications for future research on Zen meditation were discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1982

Psychological treatment of essential hypertension: a controlled comparison of meditation and meditation plus biofeedback.

Twenty-one patients with essential hypertension were randomly allocated to eight 1-hour sessions of meditation training, meditation plus biofeedback-aided relaxation, or a no-treatment control group. Statistically significant falls in systolic and diastolic blood pressure occurred after both training programs, although overall reductions in blood pressure were not significantly greater in either program than in the control group. Meditation plus biofeedback-aided relaxation produced falls in diastolic blood pressure earlier in the training program than did meditation alone. All patients practiced mediation regularly between training sessions: The amount of practice did not correlate with the amount of blood pressure reduction after training. On questionnaire measures of psychological symptoms and personality, sex differences emerged, with females showing significant abnormalities in hostility scores and males showing significantly raised levels of somatopsychic symptoms. In females, outward-directed hostility fell significantly and assertiveness increased after training, but in males, somatopsychic symptoms were unchanged.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Transcendental Meditation and general meditation are associated with enhanced complex partial epileptic-like signs: evidence for "cognitive" kindling?

The Personal Philosophy Inventories of 221 university students who had learned to meditate (about 65% to 70% Transcendental Meditation) were compared to 860 nonmeditators. Meditators displayed a significantly wider range of complex partial epileptic-like signs. Experiences of vibrations, hearing one's name called, paranormal phenomena, profound meaning from reading poetry/prose, and religious phenomenology were particularly frequent among mediators. Numbers of years of TM practice were significantly correlated with the incidence of complex partial signs and sensed presence but not with control, olfactory, or perseverative experiences. The results support the hypothesis that procedures which promote cognitive kindling enhance complex partial epileptic-like signs.

Adult↗

PubMed2005