Meditation

The most ancient and universal method of developing insight, intuition, and vision by focusing the mind on one's feelings as one feeling evolves into the next. It is often formalized into a specific routine. Many forms are practiced in many cultures, but it is usually recognized as a component of Eastern religions, originating in Vedic Hinduism. Meditation can also be used for personal development in a non-religious context, such as the exercises of Hatha yoga. Meditation in its modern sense also refers to a separate spiritual practices drawn from Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Eastern religions. Meditation is usually defined as one of the following: a state that is experienced when the mind dissolves and is free of all thoughts focusing the mind on a single object a mental "opening up" to the divine, invoking the guidance of a higher power reasoned analysis of religious teachings (such as impermanence, for Buddhists). Its ritual and contemplative qualities are similar to prayer in Western religions, but prayer emphasizes communication with a higher being, whereas meditation focuses on developing oneself. Even though the recent popularity of "meditation" signals some discomfort with praying tradition, some people see meditation and prayer as harmonious. From the point of view of psychology, meditation can induce an altered state of consciousness. The goals of meditation are varied, and range from spiritual enlightenment, to the transformation of attitudes, to better cardiovascular health. Types of Meditation. The different techniques of meditation can be classified according to their focus. Some focus on the field or background perception and experience, also called mindfulness; others focus on a preselected specific object, and are called "'concentrative' meditation." There are also techniques that shift between the field and the object. Often, meditation is said to be incomplete if it doesn't lead to positive changes in one's daily life and attitudes. Perhaps the most widely-cited spiritual prerequisite for meditation is an ethical lifestyle. Some traditions acknowledge that many types of experiences and effects are possible, but instruct the meditator to keep in mind the spiritual purpose of the meditation, and not be distracted by lesser concerns. Many concepts of meditation have been applied to clinical settings in order to measure its effect on somatic motor function as well as cardiovascular and respiratory function. Meditation has entered the mainstream of health care as a method of stress and pain reduction. The relaxation response includes changes in metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry. One theory, presented by Daniel Goleman and Tara Bennett-Goleman, suggests that meditation works because of the relationship between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. In very simple terms, the amygdala is the part of the brain that decides if we should get angry or anxious (among other things). Some studies of meditation have linked the practice to increased activity in the left prefrontal cortex, which is associated with concentration, planning, meta-cognition (thinking about thinking), and positive affect (good feelings). There are similar studies linking depression and anxiety with decreased activity in the same region, and/or with dominant activity in the right prefrontal cortex. Meditation increases activity in the left prefrontal cortex, and the changes are stable over time — even if you stop meditating for a while, the effect lingers. Electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings of skilled meditators showed gamma wave activity that gradually expanded across the brain during meditation. Gamma waves indicate synchrony between sections of the brain. The experienced meditators also showed increased gamma activity while at rest and not meditating. The results of the study do not make clear whether meditation training creates this activity or if individuals with high gamma activity are attracted to meditation.