# Positive medical effects of Meditation: BBC News



## Guest (Apr 1, 2008)

Note I am posting this at 11:47pm EST and have selected GMT -5 as my time code. $5 it doesn't work for me. HOODOO! :shock:

I have a great deal of trouble with meditation where I sit and try to focus, however what helps me is being Mindful, that is taking one task at a time, slowly, not judging myself. THAT is not easy to do. This is not a cure. As Buddhism says, "Life is pain -- we choose to suffer." (BUT: we do not choose to be mentally ill, however, we choose to get caught up in the negative in life, and not live in the Present. IMHO, this is not as effective for those w/Dissociative Disorders, and can even make them worse, but I know other individuals w/mental illness w/out DP/DR who have regular meditation groups; they get a lot of peace from them -- it does not cure there illness.)

In a sense this is old news, but they are using this as a treatment option: see below

I'm so angry. The Dalai Lama is going to be in my uni town on April 19 and 20. Sold out. In like 2 minutes. I spent 30 minutes online reentering my request at ticketmaster. Oh well. It coincides with Earth Day, or Global Awareness, etc. Would be cool as Hell to go. The only seats left are $1000.00 a piece! I was up for $25.00 LOL. :mrgreen: 
D
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*Scientists probe meditation secrets**
By Naomi Law*

Scientists are beginning to uncover evidence that meditation has a tangible effect on the brain.
Sceptics argue that it is not a practical way to try to deal with the stresses of modern life.
But the long years when adherents were unable to point to hard science to support their belief in the technique may finally be coming to an end.

When Carol Cattley's husband died it triggered a relapse of the depression which had not plagued her since she was a teenager.
"I instantly felt as if I wanted to die," she said. "I couldn't think of what else to do."
Carol sought medical help and managed to control her depression with a combination of medication and a psychological treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

However, she believes that a new, increasingly popular course called *Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)* - which primarily consists of meditation - brought about her full recovery.
It is currently available in every county across the UK, and can be prescribed on the NHS.

One of the pioneers of MBCT is Professor Mark Williams, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford.
He helps to lead group courses which take place over a period of eight weeks. He describes the approach as *80% meditation, 20% cognitive therapy.*

New perspective
He said:* "It teaches a way of looking at problems, observing them clearly but not necessarily trying to fix them or solve them.
"It suggests to people that they begin to see all their thoughts as just thoughts, whether they are positive, negative or neutral."*

*MBCT is recommended for people who are not currently depressed, but who have had three or more bouts of depression in their lives.
Trials suggest that the course reduces the likelihood of another attack of depression by over 50%.
Professor Williams believes that more research is still needed.*

He said: "It is becoming enormously popular quite quickly and in many ways we now need to collect the evidence to check that it really is being effective."
However, in the meantime, meditation is being taken seriously as a means of tackling difficult and very modern challenges.

Scientists are beginning to investigate how else meditation could be used, particularly for those at risk of suicide and people struggling with the effects of substance abuse.

What is meditation?

Meditation is difficult to define because it has so many different forms.
By meditating, you can become happier, you can concentrate more effectively and you can change your brain in ways that support that 
Dr Richard Davidson

*Broadly, it can be described as a mental practice in which you focus your attention on a particular subject or object.
It has historically been associated with religion, but it can also be secular, and exactly what you focus your attention on is largely a matter of personal choice.
It may be a mantra (repeated word or phrase), breathing patterns, or simply an awareness of being alive.*

Some of the more common forms of meditative practices include Buddhist Meditation, Mindfulness Meditation, Transcendental Meditation, and Zen Meditation.

The claims made for meditation range from increasing immunity, improving asthma and increasing fertility through to reducing the effects of aging.

Limited research

Research into the health claims made for meditation has limitations and few conclusions can be reached, partly because meditation is rarely isolated - it is often practised alongside other lifestyle changes such as diet, or exercise, or as part of group therapy.

*So should we dismiss it as quackery? Studies from the field of neuroscience suggest not.*
It is a new area of research, but indications are intriguing and suggest that meditation may have a measurable impact on the brain.

*In Boston, Massachusetts, Dr Sara Lazar has used a technique called MRI scanning to analyse the brains of people who have been meditating for several years.
She compared the brains of these experienced practitioners with people who had never meditated and found that there were differences in the thickness of certain areas of the brain's cortex, including areas involved in the processing of emotion.
She is continuing research, but she believes that meditation had caused the brain to change physical shape.*  :shock:

Buddhist monks

In Madison, Wisconsin, Dr Richard Davidson has been carrying out studies on Buddhist monks for several years.
His personal belief is that "by meditating, you can become happier, you can concentrate more effectively and you can change your brain in ways that support that."
In one study he observed the brains of a group of office workers before and after they undertook a course of meditation combined with stress reduction techniques.
*At the end of the course the participants' brains seemed to have altered in the way they functioned.
They showed greater activity in the left-hand side - a characteristic which Davidson has previously linked to happiness and enthusiasm.*

This idea that meditation could improve the wellbeing of everyone, even those not struggling with mental illness, is something that is exciting researchers.

Professor Williams believes it has huge potential.

"It involves dealing with expectations, with constantly judging ourselves - feeling we're not good enough," he said.

"And, that is something which is so widespread in our communities.

"All of these things are just thoughts. And, they will come up in meditation and learning to recognize what they are as thoughts, and let them go, can be enormously empowering for anybody."

There is, of course, a distinct possibility that this research will come to nothing and that interest in meditation will turn out to be a passing fad, but for now this ancient discipline is being taken seriously by scientists as a tool with potential to make each one of us happier and more content.

Alternative Therapies: Meditation will be broadcast on Monday 31 March 2008 at 2100 GMT on BBC Two.
Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7319043.stm

*Published: 2008/03/31 09:58:59 GMT
? BBC MMVIII*


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2008)

When I was DP/DR I found I could not do sitting meditation,instead I did meditation in movement exercises...being mindfull....mindfullness of walking meditation etc...
Buddhists dont just say life is suffering...we choose to suffer..thats a steriotype.Buddhism teaches how to overcome suffering ,how to not create suffering and instead create from what we trully are..buddha nature,but as you say ,it doesnt have to be religion based,even buddhism does not call itself a religion and meditation is not restricted to only buddhism....Christians find meditation usual and I would go far as to say even singing hyms can be seen as a meditation as can deep prayer,like your post says ..there are many definitions of meditation.
There seems to be alot of great research going on into the effects of meditation at the moment ,on people with mental health problems and in healthy people.
In may I am taking part in a study on meditation ,because it is my buddhist practice that has helped me so much ,though thats not to rule out other helpfull things like therapy,self help,positive thinking,looking after myself physically,and the ocasional valium I used here and there,and other things..etc.
Im feeling really positive about this research.

Spirit.


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2008)

Spirit said:


> When I was DP/DR I found I could not do sitting meditation,instead I did meditation in movement exercises...being mindfull....mindfullness of walking meditation etc...
> Buddhists dont just say life is suffering...we choose to suffer..thats a steriotype.Buddhism teaches how to overcome suffering ,how to not create suffering and instead create from what we trully are..buddha nature,but as you say ,it doesnt have to be religion based,even buddhism does not call itself a religion and meditation is not restricted to only buddhism....Christians find meditation usual and I would go far as to say even singing hyms can be seen as a meditation as can deep prayer,like your post says ..there are many definitions of meditation.
> There seems to be alot of great research going on into the effects of meditation at the moment ,on people with mental health problems and in healthy people.
> In may I am taking part in a study on meditation ,because it is my buddhist practice that has helped me so much ,though thats not to rule out other helpfull things like therapy,self help,positive thinking,looking after myself physically,and the ocasional valium I used here and there,and other things..etc.
> ...


Well, I have to say in response here:

1. I find meditation very difficult, but it can be done in different ways, and as you note, Mindfulness and focusing on the PRESENT vs. dwelling on the past, fears of the future have been helpful to me. But this takes so much work.

2. I learned this technique in a four month program at my Uni. It was based on the work of Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist. It was "Dialectical Behavioral Therapy" geared for most anyone. The concept of "Life is Pain, but we choose to suffer" was a concept that Marsha Linehan (pioneer in DBT) included in the group therapy.

What she meant was, for instance, in the group, one woman had something of an obsession re: a man. They dated casually and she would email him regularly -- perhaps too much. She would talk of him constantly. Then she comes in one week and says this guy hasn't emailed her, responded to an email, in more than a week. *The DBT approach here was she was causing her own "suffering". Her work was suffering from wondering WHY he hadn't emailed. She was certain he hated her. (I do this too. I don't hear from someone and assume they don't like me, etc. -- that is CHOOSING to suffer.)*

We discussed this as a group (we had two social workers guiding the group with homework and class lessons, etc.), and thought of all the OTHER possibilities this man hadn't emailed her from being in an auto accident, to needing a break, to having to go out of town to take care of some family crisis, to something as simple as being overwhelmed at work. The fact was his computer was broken. He could have phoned, but he wasn't as interested in her as she was in him, and this was something she was aware of.

At any rate, she took the route of SUFFERING over this. He didn't hate her, and was very sorry she was so upset.

3. Also Buddhim IS considered a religion. Religion simply means a set of rituals one engages in. Buddha is not a God. There is no spiritual Faith involved, at least in this particular sect and there are many. One can go to church for comfort (that is religion or ritual), it is a social network of support, it helps with family unity, but one may not have Faith that Christ has risen from the dead. But the ritual is important. Most folks who go to Church regularly seem to have Faith, though I have a friend who really doesn't but it gives her comfort.

Judaism is full of ritual, but the emphasis is on living a good life.

There are expressions such as "Joe gets up every morning at 5am and RELIGIOUSLY follows the same routine. He showers, brews one cup of coffee, has one egg, reads the paper, then drinks his orange juice, gets dressed, brushes his teeth, and leaves for work. He has never deviated from this ritual for 20 years."

Religion is indeed "practice". It is not worship of a deity per se. It does not have to have a spiritual center. The "comfort" can come from within.

4. If you look up the work of Marsha Linehan, or DBT, you will see the basis of this particular approach. I have found it very helpful to me as well, Mindfulness. Also, not catastrophizing over things or fearing misery in the future. I can't control anything. I can only live in the present. Also, I'm terrified my computer will break. Well, what is the worst that can happen? I back things up like a maniac. It goes into the shop. I got an iMAC so I don't have to worry about virus', and yet I STILL worry. I CHOOSE to suffer.

But mental illness is not a choice. But it can be controlled better by having a clear head and not choosing to sweat the daily crap life dishes out.

*Thich Nhat Hanh says:
"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. We have to learn to live happily in the present moment, to touch the peace and joy that are available now."*

This is the Buddhism, these rituals and thoughts *I* try to adhere to. I feel I must win the Pulitzer Prize with my writing. That is foolish and makes me feel like a failure. Makes me procrastinate and beat myself up. I must focus on simply writing and not worry about anything else. In that sense, I choose to suffer. I may never get published, that is a painful truth, but such pain exists for all people. And in the end, it doesn't matter, as long as I'm dong what I need to do to feel good about myself -- to feel simply writing I am accomplishing something of value.

And life is full of pain and loss, but we can accept these things as inevitable and part of the fabric of life.

If you don't believe me that Buddhism is considered a "non-theistic" religion see:

http://www.adherents.com It lists all the worlds religions (and that includes atheism, and non-theistic religions). Religion is different from spiritual faith in God, or a God such as Jesus, Zeus, Allah, etc. Religion is ritual and a philosophy of life not guided by a God, but by one's own clarity of mind, focus, and disclipline. Non of it is easy. And there have been atheists from ancient times. And there are those who feel the spiritual in their lives.

*I'm glad you are participating in a meditation study. I find it very valuable. It is a powerful tool, but Mindfulness and all of these other tasks are very difficult, like CBT, and must be practiced CONSTANTLY to be of benefit.*

Peace,
D

This I print out, and add to my writing. The Board always helps me sort my thoughts.
Cheers Spirit, this is not an argument. I respect your approach. Whatever works for you. :mrgreen:


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2008)

Major Branches of Buddhism (From Adherents.com)
Branch	Number of Adherents

Mahayana	185,000,000
Theravada	124,000,000
Lamaism (Vajrayana/Tibetan/Tantric) (Crap, lost the number)

And there are variations from these. I just stick with the simplicity of Thich Hhat Hanh


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2008)

I wasnt presuming it was an argument,ive been a serious practicing buddhist for a few years it is a way of life,.......so peoples opinions about it dont really bother me...they can be generally steriotypical and misimformed.
There is alot of error writen about buddhism on the internet which shouldnt be trusted.

Buddhism is not considered a religion,if you want to know that for sure ask any buddhist teacher.
Its not theistic at all.

There are three buddhist vehicles they are;
*hinayana
mahayana
vajrayana*

Hinayana is the lesser path of self liberation
Mahayana is the great way[middle way]..path of the bodhisattva
Vajrayana is the greater vehicle.the diamond thunderbolt...concerned with teachings such as dzogchen,mahamudra..and concerns gurus and lineages...and diety practice and ritual...vajryana brings buddhism to life with its array of beautiful art and qualities,and its magestic ritual...Vajrayana has a lovley flavour of mystisism which I adore.

On ALL buddhist paths each of these vehicles are passed through at a cirtain point.
They are known as the three turnings of the wheel.....

generally one might say these vehicles were revealed as buddhism spread througout the land from india to china to tibet......
it was the second buddha padmasambhava who took the buddhist teahings from india across to tibet and established vajrayana buddhism-this isnt a seperate differant school of buddhism simply a further development of buddhist teaching.
Bodhidharma went from india to china he was the [?][second]patriarch of buddhism Then that teaching was known was known as Chan ,it later become known as Zen as buddhist teachings took greater sway over the old warrior teachings.
The first vehicle is concerned with self liberation,which is where ones buddhist path begins
The mahayana places greater emphisis on the bodhisattva ideal-that self liberation is not possible without compassion for all living beings and their liberation also....
Vajrayana regconised that in fact any one could be liberated and practice dharma despite who they were ,their class or their trade,a lay person or a monk.
Zen is concerned with the last two vehicles mostly [not seperate from them] in mahayana we concertrate on the emptiness of all beings...and interconectedness...I love the poetry of zen and it feeds my deep love of nature ..seeing the earth as an enlightened being.
In vajrayana we have crazy wisdom gurus ,a bit like the crazy wandering saints of zen buddhism......

The four noble truths are these
There is suffering,dukkha which is concerned with the three signs of being or characoristics of suffering which are- impermenance[annica] unsatifactinesss[suffering-dukkha] and unsubstantiality[not self-anatman]

Craving/desire creates suffering.concerned with the cause of suffering ALL suffering including mental illness[especially mental ilness/confusion/ignorance]concerned with sence objects,becoming,annilihation.

There is an end to suffering-nirvana-a state beyond mind and body beyond dualitys etc...

The path to overcome suffering is the noble eightfold path

The noble eightfold path is this

Right veiw
Right thought[
Right speech
Right action
Right livlihood
Right effort
right mindfullness
Right concerntration

The bodhisattva practices the six or ten perfections as they tread the noble eightfold path..........wont go on

Actually the word religion means to Re-ligion meaning to reconnect with "god" to reunite ......nothing buddhist about that at all....

As for the DBT I have already done that work on myself without a therapist,through my buddhist practice.......its not so complicated when we learn to see how things trully are........DBT sounds like watered down buddhism in a kind of way.

Spirit.

As for getting a book published that is also one of my dreams,you should be more positive about it.I once had a poem accepted for publishing though i was too dr/dp to follow it through.......alot of regret about that..but Ill never give up,


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2008)

STF Up about WOW GOld; I'm not gonna buy online fucking gold you stoopid robo mofo!


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