Calming the mind through meditation: Positive effects on health and well-being
Claudia Gorecki
Stress has been observed to cause a variety of psychological changes in the body, including increased cortisol levels, increased heart rate and increased blood pressure, all aspects that are potentially detrimental to health (Caltabiano & Sarafino, 2002). Over time, recurring stress can result in negative consequences to one's physical and psychological health and general well-being. Increased stress has been linked with heart disease, hypertension and mental health difficulties (Ray, 2004). Considering the negative implications of stress on health and well-being, there is an important need to identify simple techniques and practices that are available to everyone, in the hope of reducing stress and eliminating the negative consequences stress has on the body. This might mean that mainstream psychological methods could be enhanced from the utilisation of various Eastern philosophies and practices.
Historically, meditation began as a spiritual practice, although more recently research into the practice of meditation has found that meditation can suppress the negative effects of stress on the body, and even reverse some of the negative consequences that are caused from prolonged exposure to stress (Caltabiano & Sarafino, 2002). Not only has meditation been found to improve physical and mental health, and reduce stress (Stein, 2003), it is also of central importance within Buddhism. Buddhism is essentially a path that leads towards spiritual development. Through practices such as meditation, it allows one insight into the 'true' nature of life, as well as meditation being a means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom (Rinpoche, 1997). Buddhist meditation can be broadly divided into Shamatha (calms the mind, develops one-pointed concentration and positive emotions) and Vipashyana (builds on calmness, focus and positive emotions generated in Shamatha meditation, and helps develop an awareness of impermanence, interconnectedness, and the contingent nature of our experience) (Rinpoche, 1997).
Meditation practice encompasses one 'turning inwards' to become mindful of their own thoughts, emotions and behaviours, and connecting with higher states of consciousness. It is a way for one to develop insight into the self, develop clarity, and gain control of their thoughts and feelings (eliminate the negative thoughts that bring about suffering), unencumbered by cognitive or emotional distortions. This kind of mindfulness meditation Buddha himself engaged in and is referred to in the seventh step of the eightfold path (Boeree, 2006).
According to the Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche, through meditation we can change our mental disposition and modify our habits by using our mind in a more concentrated, controlled way. What is troubling the mind can be removed with meditation so our mind can exist in its purity. If the mind is distracted, through meditation it can be calmed, therefore, not reacting/responding to all stimuli that presents. Focusing the mind and controlling our thoughts can help one to change bad habits into good habits. When we change bad habits to good habits we can then change our negative physical and verbal behaviour to more positive behaviour. Once these are changed, we can follow the Buddhist path that ultimately helps one to reach the goal of Buddha practice, or Buddhahood (enlightenment).
Psychologists and psychiatrists alike have advocated for the use of meditative methods for reducing stress. Transcendental meditation, a method which includes the process of mentally repeating a word or sound, called a mantra, prevents random thoughts from entering the mind. This method has been promoted as a means for improving both physical and mental health, as well as for reducing stress (Benson, 1984, cited in Caltabiano & Sarafino, 2002). Following this line of reasoning, Caltabiano & Sarafino (2002) conducted research into some positive effects on health and suggest that meditation could be one method that can assist the individual by increasing their ability to make a 'relaxed response' in the face of a stressor, or a way of 'calming the mind' (Taylor, 1994). This occurs through cognitive redefinition, a type of emotional regulation, which reduces the physiological activity that is associated with negative consequences on the body. For example, meditation can dramatically alter an individual's body metabolism and the brains electrical activity which alters the brains physiology, therefore the body, having positive effects on health and well-being (Ray, 2004). Thus, meditation can be viewed as a coping strategy that is affective in altering threat perceptions and managing associated emotions.
The mind-body approach stipulates that the brain is the body's first line of defence against illness, aging and death, and for health and well-being. Further, health and well-being is determined by an interaction of different factors (psychological, social, cultural) with our biological and physiological makeup (Ray, 2004), including thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and how one experiences 'being' in the world. These processes influence the functioning of the brain. The mind-body approach, articulates that meditation is a means of coping linked with health benefits, where meditation provides individuals with a series of practices, injunctions and exemplars that act as a resource for information and strategies for effective coping skills. Through meditation one is able to 'calm the mind' and maintain a positive attitude. The resulting psychological experience would positively influence the functioning brain and result in body responses that have a positive affect on health and well-being (Ray, 2004). Through this connection, meditation can alter the primary appraisal of a stressor and provide a means for an anxiety-reduced response
Western psychotherapists are increasingly incorporating Buddhist principles and practices into their psychological work. One such example is the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn (1990) whose work with stress reduction uses techniques like Hakomi and Integrative Processing Therapy. Kabat-Zinn (1990) advocates that the mindful awareness component of meditation aids individuals in detaching themselves from the cognitive and emotional distortions that are associated with chronic pain. Patients are trained to pay attention to their pain and the associated sensations without reacting to them. This enables people to be aware of their pain without the associated thoughts or feelings. Ron Kurtz, the founder of Hakomi, sums up mindfulness as 'undefended consciousness'. It is the process of breaking down personal barriers, acquired response styles, and personal expectations. It is the awareness of both pleasure and pain inherent in every moment. This therapeutic process, although results working on some painful aspects of the self, opens one up to their own inner process of self-exploration and new discovery, and our innate potential for personal healing.
A problem that researchers are faced with relates to methodological limitations in meditation studies. It is often difficult to state cause and effect as it is not always possible to determine whether every participant in an experimental group is actually practicing the desired meditation method or inadvertently practising some other form of mediation. Further, observed benefits to health and well-being may be attributed to other factors such as getting more rest, changes to diet and lifestyle, and simply due to the belief that meditation is making a positive difference (the placebo effect). Therefore, when considering the methodology and analysing the data from meditation studies, all contributing factors need to be considered and controlled for to present a more positive and accurate account of the benefits of meditation on the health and well-being.
Despite some methodological limitations, the positive benefits of meditation have been widely observed. Carlson, Ursuliak, Goodey, Angen & Speca (2001) found mindfulness meditation effective in reducing stress and negative moods that are associated with cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment. Both physical and mental stress has been associated with affecting the immune system. The immunological responses to stress have been clinically related to increased susceptibility to infections and decreased resistance towards developing cancer (Ader, Cohen, Felton, 1995). Mindful meditation has been observed to modify the adverse influence of stress on the immune system by modifying the cellular immune response. Galantion, Baime, Maguire, Szapary, & Farrar (2005) observed positive changes to mood, empathy and burnout from stress, from applying an eight-week mindfulness meditation program to a population of health care professionals. This intervention was a cognitive-behavioural stress management program based on mindfulness meditation principles utilised from Kabat-Zinn's (1990) mindfulness-based stress reduction technique and from cognitive therapy, an example of the effectiveness of combining both Buddhist and psychological principles.
It may be evident that meditation has positive benefits for some individuals, it should be noted that meditative treatments may not always be the most efficacious treatment for every individual. Some studies into the effects of meditation on anxiety levels have found meditation to reduce both trait and state anxiety, although no more so than that of resting, control conditions (Goleman & Schwartz, 1976). As was identified by Smith (2004), in some instances such as acute depression, meditation may even be counter-productive, or yield a potential risk to the individual. Therefore, as with any care plan, what is best for each individual should be the first consideration before advising as to what treatment would be most efficacious. This may include the use of a combination of interventions. Smith (2004) found mindfulness training, a meditation-based approach, to complement cognitive-behavioural therapy, suggesting that although in some instances meditation alone may not be the most efficacious treatment, it may be used in conjunction with other methods to yield the best results.
Essentially, both Buddhism and psychology are technologies of the mind. Buddhism teaches unbiased personal insight, and awareness of both ultimate reality and relative truth (relative truth is the conventional or empirical truth that is experienced by the senses, whereas, the ultimate truth is Sunyata which can only be realised by transcending concepts through intuitive insight, Rinpoche, 1997). Like all great spiritual systems, it offers the possibility of breaking beyond the limitations of ego to a completely free and open experience of reality that's known as enlightenment (Rinpoche, 1997).
In contrast, psychotherapy delves into relative reality, specifically cognitions that shape our inner lives. Unlike Buddhism, where the goal is 'ultimate' truth, psychological therapy strives to work on painful experiences of the present by identifying painful past experiences and distorted perceptions. Depth and transpersonal psychologies further add to this equation by providing a means for an active relationship with the unconscious; the hidden force that shapes our lives (Sharf, 2004). Therapy promotes emotional growth and developing interpersonal skills and personal resources, areas that appear to be skimmed over in many spiritual traditions.
Both Western and Eastern philosophies have contributed to knowledge about the role of meditation in promoting physical and mental health. Bridging the East-West dichotomy will not only strengthen the role of meditation in healing but also provide a holistic method for enhancing both physical and psychological health. Therefore, it would appear that blending psychological and Buddhist work offers the potential for a remarkably skilful approach, one that provides methods and exemplars for reducing stress and calming the mind of unwanted negative external stimuli from entering into consciousness. Further, this marriage between East and West would aid in exploring the depths of our own psyche which can broaden our spiritual understanding and understand this in terms of our own bodily experience. The emphasis is not on determining which method is better over the other, but rather a question as to what is most efficacious in the therapeutic treatment of every individual at any given time.
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