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Meditation and its psychological effects
Mastering mediation
Meditation and its psychological effects
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How much time do you have? Another consideration is how much time it takes to master a particular meditation technique. Some meditation practices require many years to master and to achieve their stated purpose-or even get a glimpse of the goal-while other practices may take only a few months or even a few minutes to produce intended results. For example, relaxation CDs can have an immediate, soothing effect-it may not be nirvana, but in some cases relaxation is all that's promised. If you don't have the patience to persist in a practice that takes many years to attain success, it makes sense to choose a technique that requires less or no effort. Along these lines, does the meditation practice you're considering require the ability to concentrate? If you have a hard time focusing for prolonged periods, or suffer from ADHD, you may find it frustrating to attempt a concentration type of meditation. Remember, scientific findings actually indicate that concentration techniques, though they may improve focus in some cases, can actually increase stress and anxiety.[4] Meditation and the brain: Want to meditate to enhance brain functioning? There are several types of meditation CDs marketed on the Internet as "scientific technologies" for improving your brain. If you look past the marketing slogans ("Meditate deep as a Zen monk-instantly!") to see …show more content…
The practice of meditation, though found in almost every religion, has been predominantly associated with traditions of the East. Some of these practices require adherence to beliefs of Eastern philosophy, while others are merely mechanical practices (like watching your breath) extracted from those cultures and applicable to anyone. Granted, the East has much to offer the West-and vice versa-and most people find it possible to incorporate an Eastern-derived meditation practice from an age-old tradition without sacrificing their own personal belief
However, meditation is not as common within Buddhism as most believe. There is a large assumption “that Buddhism and meditation go hand in hand”, but the majority of Buddhists have focused on “cultivating moral behavior, preserving the Buddha’s teachings (dharma), and acquiring good karma”(Braun 2014, p.1). Meditation and Buddhism are often assumed to be one and same, but this is also not true. As Buddhism has gained popularity among lay people it’s practices have changed Buddha’s teaching of the middle path has adapted to meditation being “possible in the city” rather than with monks in jungles and caves (p.4). As seen in Burma, in less than 75 years Buddhism and meditation were able to grow “from a pursuit of the barest sliver of the population to a duty of the ideal citizen” (p.5). While meditation is not the core of Buddhism it has encouraged the growth of Buddhism as it’s practice of mindfulness has been inspiring an approachable model (p.6). Meditation and mindfulness are easily manipulated to secularization, but still have significance in Buddhism and following the patterns of your
As psychological field of study advances with its technologies to investigate changes in the mind, using such technology to look at effects of mindfulness meditation would strengthen its argument and understanding of the mechanisms in the brain, to change meditators into the new awaken state. This essay will reveal the evidence of mindfulness meditation making an impact on the mind. First, this essay will present the studies which found physiological functional differences in the body for those who did mindfulness meditation. Second, this essay will present the studies which found functional differences in the brain for those who perform mindfulness meditation. Third, this essay will present the studies which found structural differences in the brain for those who performed mindfulness meditation.
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
Meditation has the reputation of being practiced solely by lone monks and gurus sitting in lotus position humming a mantra, but over the course of the lecture it was possible to establish that it was not true. Meditation can be done by anyone willing to do it regardless of religion, age, gender, or any other factor that could play into it. Aside from that, meditation has scientific backing to its logic and why people should do it. In the video lectures, a study involving brain scans and meditation was mentioned several times.
People of western society have observed the practice and now over eighteen million people in the United States of America use meditation for various reasons (Clarke). There are many ideologies pertaining to mediations and its benefits; however, there is also statistically proven evidence to prove the benefits of meditation. I would like to focus on a study conducted by Harvard graduated at the Massachusetts General Hospital; the study was able to show the effects meditation had on certain areas of the brain such as the amygdala as well as the surrounding grey matter. The research showed grey matter being altered, which has a direct correlation between stress, internal emotions, acceptance and memory. The study consisted of sixteen participants who participated in an eight-week mindfulness program. Prior to, along with after the program, MRI scans of the brain showed that only twenty-seven minutes a day of meditation displayed denser grey matter in the amygdala and hippocampus which also led researchers to conclude meditation has the potential to help with self-awareness and compassion (Bushack). A Harvard Medical School instructor in psychology, Dr. Sara Lazar states, “Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day”
Meditation aims to develop and master mindfulness, insight, and equilibrium. It allows its followers to obtain indifference to worldly attachments, experience the mind as it is and its original nature. The mind continuously engages with internal and external stimuli, constantly at work. Meditation is a way in which one can gain control over this constant flow of stimuli, by focusing the mind. Within the practice of Theravada Buddhism, meditation is seen as the most crucial way of reaching enlightenment, escaping samsara, and gaining the full understanding of what nature is. Whereas Mahayana buddhism utilizes mantras and incantation as a form of buddhism that also allows its practitioners to use this form of meditation to reach enlightenment. Despite its origination in religious practice, it has been loosely defined as a self regulating technique of having control over one's physical and mental
Well, that can be a good issue for debate, but then what about Buddhism? And other disciplines which also talk about the importance of meditation. Work Citation 1) Bhagvad Gita as it is. Bangalore: ISCKON, 2001.
Today meditation is a self defined and a familiar word. Almost every religion speaks one or the other form of meditation. The sole purpose of meditation is to unite with God or the Supreme Being. Along with this
Understanding the brain and the different signs will help acknowledge the issues within a person to help them cope with the issue. It is important for one to be aware of their selves and their reactions/behaviors. On the other hand, the studies address the different types of mediation and possible consequences. When introducing a specific technique, there are always pros and cons, and people that are for or against the matter. Meditation is known as healing of the body and/or mind and can be religious. Those different types were address and justified for the understanding of the use for the
It is well known and proven that over time the benefits of meditating on a regular basis promotes the development of inner calmness, connectedness, focus, flow, a clear clarity of mind, a focused and more stable grounded concentration, along with coherency of thought, increased creativity, being more open and receptive to receive insights, solutions to problems and new ideas, a balanced and harmonious centred inner equilibrium, a relaxed happy body, mind and spirit, which in turn assists as a preventative tool that creates and maintains positive overall vibrant health and wellbeing.
Regardless of the martial arts style, if one looks closely enough, meditation can be found. Not only does every martial art include meditation, but every art needs meditation. It has countless
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). (2010). Health info. Meditation: An introduction. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm
Someone once told me that meditation is like exercise for the brain; sometimes you don’t really feel like doing it but you almost always feel better afterward. Meditation is a practice that promotes relaxation, builds internal energy and helps develop compassion. There are many health benefits of meditation and it should be taught in high schools. During adolescence is the best time to introduce a healthy habit such as meditation. Many people disagree with meditation in schools because it is often associated with Buddhism. These people disagree with it because there should be separation of church and state. However, they fail to realize that not everyone that meditates associates it with religion. Meditation should be taught in high schools because it increases focus, reduces stress, increases immunity, improves memory, and a school in San Francisco proved that it has remarkable results.
Meditation is an umbrella term that encompasses many different types of meditation. In general, most meditations focus on the expansion of consciousness, typically through heightened nonjudgmental awareness of the mind, body, and environment. One is simply required to acknowledge a thought for what it is, not to analyze or attempt to change it (Jain, Shapiro, Swanick, Roesch, Mills, Bell, Schwartz, 2007; Schoormans & Nyklíček, 2011; Van Hoof & Baas, 2013). In its essence Mindfulness Meditation (MM) values observation over reaction (Jain, 2007). Being mindful is about being aware; being aware of thoughts, bodily, sensations, and the environment in a nonjudgmental way. However, there is no “goal” for MM other than the expansion of consciousness
While all meditation involves some way of guiding your attention, there are many different meditation styles. It's important to understand the specific cues of your meditation practice before you begin. In other words, you've got to know the steps in order.