[obegeLype]

Hey, everyone. I was just curious if anyone had read any books or knew of any studies that discussed the benefits of meditaion from a psychological or scientific standpoint?

[Patabeamn]

Hi white wolf,

There was a recent article at The Buddhist Channel :


Practices Derived from Buddhist Meditation Show Real Effectiveness for Certain Health Problems


New Delhi, India -- According to a report in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice, mindfulness practices including Zen meditation have helped to resolve mental and physical health problems.

”An extensive review of therapies that include meditation as a key component - referred to as mindfulness-based practices - shows convincing evidence that such interventions are effective in the treatment of psychiatric symptoms and pain, when used in combination with more conventional therapies,” according to Dr William R. Marchand of the George E.

Continued :

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index....,10986,0,0,1,0


.

[swwatch]

The meditation method practiced in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is based on Buddhist meditation. A book is mentioned at the link : "The Mindful Way Through Depression" with an accompanying CD of guided meditation.

http://www.mbct.com/

Key research papers:

http://www.mbct.com/Research_Main.htm


.

[chuecaloversvv]

Hi white_wolf,

A good book:

"Coming To Our Senses" by John Kabat-Zinn.

The author has developed a meditative system -supported in Buddhist teachings- that is being practiced in health institutions in order to support health therapies and to help health therapists to develop skillful means when healing patients.

A good research paper:

Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude
gamma synchrony during mental practice.

[9rCR9hWL]

John Kabat-Zinn....The author has developed a meditative system -supported in Buddhist teachings- that is being practiced in health institutions in order to support health therapies and to help health therapists to develop skillful means when healing patients.

MBCT mentioned #3 ......"was developed by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale, based on Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program."

(and is available in the UK)

Another link :

http://www.bemindful.co.uk/mbct/about

[Vcwdldva]

Curiously enough after a conversation with Aloka-D today about how Metta meditation has improved the negative symptoms of my mental ill health a little research brought me to this.

http://www.unc.edu/peplab/publicatio...0al%202011.pdf

Its a little dry and academic but you get the idea from it.

[gogona]

I would be interested in the results of longer term follow up ... Great to see research in this area

[zdoppiklonikaa]

Its definitely an interesting area of study I'm going to mention it to my Psych doc the next time I see him. From a personal point of view I've been in a very deep maliase since my recent (albeit short) stays in hospital as a voluntary patient. I can definitely say that a few sessions of Metta practice over the last two days have lifted it and have begun to boost my self confidence and reduce my fear of distress associated with both negative and positive symptoms.

[Sertvfdnhgjk]

Thanks for sharing about your positive experiences with metta meditation. I have found it a good antidote for mild depressive symptoms ... Gets energy moving that's for sure.

[DoctorDulitlBest]

I can definitely say that a few sessions of Metta practice over the last two days have lifted it and have begun to boost my self confidence and reduce my fear of distress associated with both negative and positive symptoms.

Thanks for sharing, Traveller, its good to know you've had some positive results.

[haudraufwienix]

In addition to all the Jon Kabat-Zinn et. al. books referenced above there are a ton of studies and reports about the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. For example:

• Finding the Right Style of Meditation for Yourself
• Evidence Mounts that Meditation Strengthens the Brain
• Brains of Buddhist Monks Scanned
• Mindfulness Meditation and the Brain

Speaking personally, as a long-time sufferer of anxiety, I think a regular meditation practice helps me enormously. I still take drugs but without increasing the dose my state of mind has seen a great improvement over the last few years.
The Science Daily Spirituality section is a pretty good source of current news on the subject.

[herawaq]

Hi,
it´s ok for the western side of the world to study the physiological side of meditation.
But meditation was not made for that.
The meaning was to reach the four goals of buddhism and when dead not return to any reincarnation.
So suffering was stopped.

anando