Swami Vivekananda, the influential modern proponent of Hinduism who first introduced Eastern philosophy to the West in the late 19th century, describes meditation:
“Meditation has been laid stress upon by all religions. The meditative state of mind is declared by the Yogis to be the highest state in which the mind exists. When the mind is studying the external object, it gets identified with it, loses itself. To use the simile of the old Indian philosopher: the soul of man is like a piece of crystal, but it takes the colour of whatever is near it. Whatever the soul touches … it has to take its colour. That is the difficulty. That constitutes the bondage.”
In Buddhism, the historical Buddha himself, Siddhartha Gautama, was said to have achieved enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. All twenty eight Buddhas used meditation to make spiritual progress.
Meditation has been practiced in one form or another by Sikhs, Muslims, Jews, and Christians throughout the ages. One could infer from this that there would be good reason; yet meditation is not widely accepted or recommended as an important element of preventative medicine. In this Age of Information, where there is a cynical devotion to evidence-based science, people seem more likely to turn to pharmaceuticals than to explore the world of the not-understood. When considering one’s health, it’s important to keep in mind that the absence of evidence doesn’t necessarily indicate a fallacy.
In another example of science slowly catching up with time-tested health wisdom, a new study a new study was recently published in Psychosomatic Medicine, reporting that Zen meditators have lower pain sensitivity both in and out of a meditative state, when compared to non-meditators.
“While previous studies have shown that teaching chronic pain patients to meditate is beneficial, very few studies have looked at pain processing in healthy, highly trained meditators. This study was a first step in determining how or why meditation might influence pain perception.” says Joshua Grant, co-author of the paper from the Université de Montréal.
In this study, a computer controlled heating plate was pressed against the calves of subjects. Researchers noticed a significant difference in how their two test groups reacted to the pain testing: Zen meditators had much lower pain sensitivity (even without meditating) compared to non-meditators. It appeared that the meditators experienced an even greater ability to withstand pain when meditating.
The ultimate result was that meditators experienced an 18 percent reduction in pain intensity. “While previous studies have found that the emotional aspects of pain are influenced by meditation, we found that the sensation itself, as well as the emotional response, is different in meditators,” says Grant.
This one single benefit to be gained from meditation, if taken on board by practitioners of modern medicine, could help reduce the use of side-effect-baring pain medication.
This is not the first time health benefits of meditation have been “discovered”. Other recent scientific findings have concluded that meditation:
Increases Thickness of Brain Regions
Researchers at Harvard Medical School examined Westerners who meditated for about 20 minutes every day (but didn’t necessarily believe in the tenets of Buddhism). MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) was used to look at brain parts involved in memory and attention. The thickness of those regions had increased.
While those areas generally shrink as people get older, older meditators in the study were able to avoid some of that shrinkage. This suggests that a regular meditation practice could help people maintain their ability to remember and focus on details. The study also showed that meditation helps slow down age-related brain deterioration.
Boosts Performance on Attention Tests
One study indicated that meditation may boost performance on tests that measure attention. A University of Kentucky study showed that 10 people taught to meditate for 40 minutes did better on a test of attention than they did after reading for 40 minutes. The study also showed that meditation can improve attention worsened by lack of sleep.
Produces a Jump in Brain Waves
In this study, mostly of Buddhist monks, Electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings of skilled meditators showed a significant rise in gamma wave activity in the 80 to 120 Hz range during meditation as well as an increase in gamma activity while not meditating. These brain waves are associated with vigilance. The study also showed that meditation activated brain regions involved in attention.
Enhances Perception
A study conducted in 1984 explained that “[the higher rate of detection of single light flashes] involves quieting some of the higher mental processes which normally obstruct the perception of subtle events.” (Brown). In other words, meditation may temporarily or permanently alter some of the top-down processing involved in filtering subtle events usually deemed noise by the perceptual filters.
This was supported in 2000, when a separate study found that “a person who meditates consequently perceives objects more as directly experienced stimuli and less as concepts… With the removal or minimization of cognitive stimuli and generally increasing awareness, meditation can therefore influence both the quality (accuracy) and quantity (detection) of perception.” (Tloczynski).
Other Benefits
A host of biochemical and physical changes in the body that alter metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry have been identified. Meditation has been studied specifically for its effects on stress and it has been used in clinical settings as a method of stress and pain reduction. This has implications for all sorts of health challenges people face, including anxiety, high blood pressure, headaches, sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression, poor immune function, respiratory problems, IBS and PMT.
Further, in the July/August 2003 edition of Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers found that people who did eight weeks of meditation training produced more antibodies to a flu vaccine. Recently, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which is about 80 percent meditation, was approved in Britain for use with people who have experienced three or more episodes of depression.
In June, 2007 the United States National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine published an independent, peer-reviewed, meta-analysis of the state of meditation research, conducted by researchers at the University of Alberta Evidence-based Practice Center. The report reviewed 813 studies and concluded that “firm conclusions on the effects of meditation practices in healthcare cannot be drawn based on the available evidence. However, the results analyzed from methodologically stronger research include findings sufficiently favorable to emphasize the value of further research in this field.”
In other words, they are not satisfied that there is enough evidence at the moment, but think it’s probable that many more benefits will be “discovered” in years to come. The medical science community doesn’t know. The good news is that you don’t need to wait for them! Give meditation a go, and see how it makes you feel.
Getting Started
There are different types of meditation that you might like to look into at some point further down the line, but getting started and enjoying the health benefits is easy.
Set aside some time, 15 to 20 minutes as a minimum, and somewhere comfortable, with a straight spine. It can be on the ground or on a seat, indoors or outdoors. Breathe slowly and rhythmically, and try to “switch off” your mind from conscious thoughts or pressures.
You can focus your attention on something such as your breathing, an object, an image, a candle or even just being in the moment. Some people like to face a wall, and some prefer to close their eyes to block out all visual stimulation. You may find that visualisations help you focus. You can learn plenty more about visualisations and how beneficial they can be, but a simple one to start with and to aid your meditation could be for you to close your eyes and picture clear, cleansing, soothing blue coming in with in-breaths; while your troubles and pollutions are expelled with every out-breath. Wherever your focus, if you find that your mind starts to wander, direct it back to the focus point and continue from there.
When starting out, you will have two main obstacles, both of which are easily overcome. The first obstacle will be finding the time. Meditation is a matter of discipline and habit – you just have to schedule the meditation in and stick to the plan, avoiding procrastination. It is much easier to do this once it is a matter of habit and you find yourself looking forward to your meditation sessions. The second obstacle will be that your mind will wonder and you will feel unsure. Just rest assured that this is normal. You are still gaining the benefits, and meditation will become much easier and more effective with practice.
Try to do this as often as possible – a few times a week as a minimum to start off if you can’t fit it in every day. You will soon see and feel the positive effects it has on your mind and body.
“Meditation has been laid stress upon by all religions. The meditative state of mind is declared by the Yogis to be the highest state in which the mind exists. When the mind is studying the external object, it gets identified with it, loses itself. To use the simile of the old Indian philosopher: the soul of man is like a piece of crystal, but it takes the colour of whatever is near it. Whatever the soul touches … it has to take its colour. That is the difficulty. That constitutes the bondage.”
In Buddhism, the historical Buddha himself, Siddhartha Gautama, was said to have achieved enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. All twenty eight Buddhas used meditation to make spiritual progress.
Meditation has been practiced in one form or another by Sikhs, Muslims, Jews, and Christians throughout the ages. One could infer from this that there would be good reason; yet meditation is not widely accepted or recommended as an important element of preventative medicine. In this Age of Information, where there is a cynical devotion to evidence-based science, people seem more likely to turn to pharmaceuticals than to explore the world of the not-understood. When considering one’s health, it’s important to keep in mind that the absence of evidence doesn’t necessarily indicate a fallacy.
In another example of science slowly catching up with time-tested health wisdom, a new study a new study was recently published in Psychosomatic Medicine, reporting that Zen meditators have lower pain sensitivity both in and out of a meditative state, when compared to non-meditators.
“While previous studies have shown that teaching chronic pain patients to meditate is beneficial, very few studies have looked at pain processing in healthy, highly trained meditators. This study was a first step in determining how or why meditation might influence pain perception.” says Joshua Grant, co-author of the paper from the Université de Montréal.
In this study, a computer controlled heating plate was pressed against the calves of subjects. Researchers noticed a significant difference in how their two test groups reacted to the pain testing: Zen meditators had much lower pain sensitivity (even without meditating) compared to non-meditators. It appeared that the meditators experienced an even greater ability to withstand pain when meditating.
The ultimate result was that meditators experienced an 18 percent reduction in pain intensity. “While previous studies have found that the emotional aspects of pain are influenced by meditation, we found that the sensation itself, as well as the emotional response, is different in meditators,” says Grant.
This one single benefit to be gained from meditation, if taken on board by practitioners of modern medicine, could help reduce the use of side-effect-baring pain medication.
This is not the first time health benefits of meditation have been “discovered”. Other recent scientific findings have concluded that meditation:
Increases Thickness of Brain Regions
Researchers at Harvard Medical School examined Westerners who meditated for about 20 minutes every day (but didn’t necessarily believe in the tenets of Buddhism). MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) was used to look at brain parts involved in memory and attention. The thickness of those regions had increased.
While those areas generally shrink as people get older, older meditators in the study were able to avoid some of that shrinkage. This suggests that a regular meditation practice could help people maintain their ability to remember and focus on details. The study also showed that meditation helps slow down age-related brain deterioration.
Boosts Performance on Attention Tests
One study indicated that meditation may boost performance on tests that measure attention. A University of Kentucky study showed that 10 people taught to meditate for 40 minutes did better on a test of attention than they did after reading for 40 minutes. The study also showed that meditation can improve attention worsened by lack of sleep.
Produces a Jump in Brain Waves
In this study, mostly of Buddhist monks, Electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings of skilled meditators showed a significant rise in gamma wave activity in the 80 to 120 Hz range during meditation as well as an increase in gamma activity while not meditating. These brain waves are associated with vigilance. The study also showed that meditation activated brain regions involved in attention.
Enhances Perception
A study conducted in 1984 explained that “[the higher rate of detection of single light flashes] involves quieting some of the higher mental processes which normally obstruct the perception of subtle events.” (Brown). In other words, meditation may temporarily or permanently alter some of the top-down processing involved in filtering subtle events usually deemed noise by the perceptual filters.
This was supported in 2000, when a separate study found that “a person who meditates consequently perceives objects more as directly experienced stimuli and less as concepts… With the removal or minimization of cognitive stimuli and generally increasing awareness, meditation can therefore influence both the quality (accuracy) and quantity (detection) of perception.” (Tloczynski).
Other Benefits
A host of biochemical and physical changes in the body that alter metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry have been identified. Meditation has been studied specifically for its effects on stress and it has been used in clinical settings as a method of stress and pain reduction. This has implications for all sorts of health challenges people face, including anxiety, high blood pressure, headaches, sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression, poor immune function, respiratory problems, IBS and PMT.
Further, in the July/August 2003 edition of Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers found that people who did eight weeks of meditation training produced more antibodies to a flu vaccine. Recently, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which is about 80 percent meditation, was approved in Britain for use with people who have experienced three or more episodes of depression.
In June, 2007 the United States National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine published an independent, peer-reviewed, meta-analysis of the state of meditation research, conducted by researchers at the University of Alberta Evidence-based Practice Center. The report reviewed 813 studies and concluded that “firm conclusions on the effects of meditation practices in healthcare cannot be drawn based on the available evidence. However, the results analyzed from methodologically stronger research include findings sufficiently favorable to emphasize the value of further research in this field.”
In other words, they are not satisfied that there is enough evidence at the moment, but think it’s probable that many more benefits will be “discovered” in years to come. The medical science community doesn’t know. The good news is that you don’t need to wait for them! Give meditation a go, and see how it makes you feel.
Getting Started
There are different types of meditation that you might like to look into at some point further down the line, but getting started and enjoying the health benefits is easy.
Set aside some time, 15 to 20 minutes as a minimum, and somewhere comfortable, with a straight spine. It can be on the ground or on a seat, indoors or outdoors. Breathe slowly and rhythmically, and try to “switch off” your mind from conscious thoughts or pressures.
You can focus your attention on something such as your breathing, an object, an image, a candle or even just being in the moment. Some people like to face a wall, and some prefer to close their eyes to block out all visual stimulation. You may find that visualisations help you focus. You can learn plenty more about visualisations and how beneficial they can be, but a simple one to start with and to aid your meditation could be for you to close your eyes and picture clear, cleansing, soothing blue coming in with in-breaths; while your troubles and pollutions are expelled with every out-breath. Wherever your focus, if you find that your mind starts to wander, direct it back to the focus point and continue from there.
When starting out, you will have two main obstacles, both of which are easily overcome. The first obstacle will be finding the time. Meditation is a matter of discipline and habit – you just have to schedule the meditation in and stick to the plan, avoiding procrastination. It is much easier to do this once it is a matter of habit and you find yourself looking forward to your meditation sessions. The second obstacle will be that your mind will wonder and you will feel unsure. Just rest assured that this is normal. You are still gaining the benefits, and meditation will become much easier and more effective with practice.
Try to do this as often as possible – a few times a week as a minimum to start off if you can’t fit it in every day. You will soon see and feel the positive effects it has on your mind and body.
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