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冥想默思 (Meditation)
冥想，心性鍛鍊法，在中國氣功與瑜伽術中經常使用，在佛教道教中則稱為打坐，在佛教也可稱為坐禪。大致可分為兩種作法，一為將注意力集中一處不動，例如集中於身上脈輪、咒語或身前的燭火等。二為心裡觀想特定圖案景象維持不動，如複雜的曼陀羅圖案，有次序的顏色景象變換及上師神明圖案等。 任何一種觀想或集中都有其特定效果，其效果有知難行易現象。 冥想的研究 對冥想過程和效果的研究是神經學研究中的持續成長的次領域。 現代科學技術，如功能性磁共振成像儀和腦電圖，已被用來觀察，當人們打坐時及當人們規律打坐後，他們的身體和大腦怎麼變化。 這些研究已經顯示，定期冥想操練的結果，造成身體明顯的變化。例如，理察·戴維森和茲恩-津恩的一項研究顯示，八週正念為基礎的冥想訓練顯著地增進左側前大腦活動，這個活動與正向的情緒狀態有關。正向情緒可以是一個技能，可以像學習騎自行車或彈鋼琴那樣的訓練來做到。 自從1950年代以來，數以百計的冥想研究已經進行，但許多早期的研究是有缺陷的，因而產生不可靠的結果。更多最近的評論已經指出，許多這些缺陷是希望引導當前的研究，到一個更富有成效的路徑。更多的報告評估，進一步的研究需要導向對冥想的理論建構及對冥想的定義。 人們自古已在宗教傳統中操練冥想，特別是在寺院中。現在在西方也有許多非宗教性的冥想課程存在，包括正念為基礎的課程。今天，正念為基礎的冥想課程已經在西方醫學和心理學界內流行，這主要是由於，這樣的過程對患有壓力相關健康狀況的患者，有觀察得到正面的影響。 |
Biology and meditation- no longer mutually exclusive
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西方心理學中的冥想
放鬆反應 (Relaxation) 赫伯特本森博士-身心醫學研究所(Mind-Body Medical Institute)的創辦人,這個研究所是隸屬於哈佛大學和波士頓幾個醫院。他報告說，冥想引起一系列統稱為「放鬆反應」的體內生化和物理變化。這放鬆反應包括代謝變化，心臟跳動率，呼吸，血壓和大腦化學物質的變化。本森博士和他的團隊也在喜馬拉雅山脈的佛教寺院做臨床研究。本森寫了放鬆反應這本書記錄冥想的好處，這在1975年時尚未廣為人知。 冥想的平靜效果 根據在「心理學報」2006年3月的一篇文章，做冥想活動會讓腦電圖相關的活動放緩。人類的神經系統是由副交感神經系統和交感神經系統組成，前者調控心臟速率、呼吸和其他不自主運動功能。後者則是要喚起身體對劇烈活動作準備。美國國家衛生研究院(NIH)有寫下以下敘述：「目前有被認為，某些類型的冥想可能有效，這是由於冥想減少交感神經系統活動及增加副交感神經系統的活動「，或者也可以說，冥想造成激發活動的減低以及增加了放鬆。 西方的治療用途和MBSR 做為減輕壓力和疼痛的一個方法，冥想已經進入醫療保健的主流。做為減輕壓力的一個方法，冥想已經被應用於醫院中的慢性或絕症個案，以減低因升高的壓力-包含已被壓抑的免疫系統-的複雜性。在醫學界，有越來越多人同意，心理因素，如壓力、緊張的確是身體缺乏健康的部分因素，在主流科學裡，有越來越多人對這個領域的研究提供資助。 2003年一項對MBSR課程-MBSR中的操練，包含對意識的不斷覺知而且不尋求壓抑念頭-的元分析(meta-analysis)統計研究得出一個結論:冥想可能對一個企圖處理臨床和非臨床問題的人是有用的。對幾種病的診斷，包括慢性疼痛，纖維肌痛，癌症患者和冠狀動脈疾病發現，MBSR是有幫助的。改善包含了身體和心理層面。 流 (Flow) 正念冥想(mindfulness meditation)、安般念以及相關的技術，旨在為了引發洞察力而培養注意力。一個更廣泛，更靈活的注意力可以更容易地了知情境，更容易在情感或道德上的困境中保持客觀，而且更容易達到的一個反應性的、創造性的覺知或「流」(flow)的狀態。 哈佛大學醫學院的研究也顯示，冥想過程中，實驗中的生理訊號顯示呼吸減緩，及心臟跳動率和血含氧飽和度上升。 對不同冥想方式的研究 內觀禪修 由耶魯大學，哈佛大學，麻薩諸塞州總醫院所做的一項研究顯示，冥想在大腦的特定區域增加灰腦質，並可能減緩自然老化過程中的大腦退化這一部分。該實驗有20個人進行密集的佛教「內觀冥想」訓練，另15人則沒有打坐。腦部掃描顯示，那些打坐的人在腦部負責注意力和處理感覺輸入訊息部位的灰質厚度有增加。一些參與者每天打坐40分鐘，而其他人已經打坐多年。實驗結果顯示，腦厚度的變化依時間的冥想時間的長短變化。厚度的增加在0.004和0.008英寸(0.1016毫米- 0.2032毫米)之間。 坐禪 (Zazen) 詹姆斯·奧斯汀博士-在美國科羅拉多大學的神經生理學家-在他的書"禪與腦"(Zen and the Brain)(奧斯汀，1999)中報告說，操練冥想禪會「重組大腦中的電路」。透過使用功能性磁共振成像儀，測量大腦中血液流動的掃描技術，這已被確認。 |
Meditation
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Meditation to beat colds
MyFitness Studio Recent research indicates that simply following a regular exercise routine and/or practicing mindful meditation for about 45 minutes a day is just as effective as an anti-flu shot in reducing your chances of an acute respiratory infection. Quoting the results as ‘remarkable,’ professor of family medicine at the university of Wisconsin-Madison, Bruce Barrett found an overall 40 to 50% reduction in respiratory infections from the study compared with 50-60% protection rates for only a few strains of flu viruses when prescribing flu vaccines. In the study 154 research subjects were divided into three groups: exercise, meditation and control. 149 completed the study. The exercise group met once a week for instruction on moderate intensity exercise such as walking and/or jogging for up to 45 minutes a day as well as using gym equipment. Meanwhile, the mediators’ weekly meeting focused on a mindfulness stress reduction program applied to practical examples such as walking, yoga and breathing exercises with a meditation schedule of 45 minutes a day. The control group were simply told not to make any lifestyle changes. At the end of the eight week study conducted during the height of the winter flu season data referring to respiratory infections and absences from work from each group was analysed. The results indicated both the exercise and meditation groups had significantly lower incidences of respiratory infections than the control group. However, while the exercise group had fewer cases of illness the meditators had less severe and shorter infections overall. 7 Health Benefits of Meditation
Relax - it's good for you. Anastasia Stephens 2009-8-20 It's a piece of advice yogis have given for thousands of years: take a deep breath and relax. Watch the tension melt from your muscles and all your niggling worries vanish. Somehow we all know that relaxation is good for us. Now the hard science has caught up: a comprehensive scientific study showing that deep relaxation changes our bodies on a genetic level has just been published. What researchers at Harvard Medical School discovered is that, in long-term practitioners of relaxation methods such as yoga and meditation, far more ''disease-fighting genes'' were active, compared to those who practised no form of relaxation. In particular, they found genes that protect from disorders such as pain, infertility, high blood pressure and even rheumatoid arthritis were switched on. The changes, say the researchers, were induced by what they call ''the relaxation effect'', a phenomenon that could be just as powerful as any medical drug but without the side effects. ''We found a range of disease-fighting genes were active in the relaxation practitioners that were not active in the control group,'' Dr Herbert Benson, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who led the research, says. The good news for the control group with the less-healthy genes is that the research didn't stop there. The experiment, which showed just how responsive genes are to behaviour, mood and environment, revealed that genes can switch on, just as easily as they switch off. ''Harvard researchers asked the control group to start practising relaxation methods every day,'' says Jake Toby, hypnotherapist at London's BodyMind Medicine Centre, who teaches clients how to induce the relaxation effect. ''After two months, their bodies began to change: the genes that help fight inflammation, kill diseased cells and protect the body from cancer all began to switch on.'' More encouraging still, the benefits of the relaxation effect were found to increase with regular practice: the more people practised relaxation methods such as meditation or deep breathing, the greater their chances of remaining free of arthritis and joint pain with stronger immunity, healthier hormone levels and lower blood pressure. Benson believes the research is pivotal because it shows how a person's state of mind affects the body on a physical and genetic level. It might also explain why relaxation induced by meditation or repetitive mantras is considered to be a powerful remedy in traditions such as Ayurveda in India or Tibetan medicine. But just how can relaxation have such wide-ranging and powerful effects? Research has described the negative effects of stress on the body. Linked to the release of the stress-hormones adrenalin and cortisol, stress raises the heart rate and blood pressure, weakens immunity and lowers fertility. By contrast, the state of relaxation is linked to higher levels of feel-good chemicals such as serotonin and to the growth hormone which repairs cells and tissue. Indeed, studies show that relaxation has virtually the opposite effect, lowering heart rate, boosting immunity and enabling the body to thrive. ''On a biological level, stress is linked to fight-flight and danger,'' Dr Jane Flemming, a London GP, says. ''In survival mode, heart rate rises and blood pressure shoots up. Meanwhile muscles, preparing for danger, contract and tighten. And non-essential functions such as immunity and digestion go by the wayside.'' Relaxation, on the other hand, is a state of rest, enjoyment and physical renewal. Free of danger, muscles can relax and food can be digested. The heart can slow and blood circulation flows freely to the body's tissues, feeding it with nutrients and oxygen. This restful state is good for fertility, as the body is able to conserve the resources it needs to generate new life. While relaxation techniques can be very different, their biological effects are essentially similar. ''When you relax, the parasympathetic nervous system switches on. That is linked to better digestion, memory and immunity, among other things,'' Toby says. ''As long as you relax deeply, you'll reap the rewards.'' But, he warns, deep relaxation isn't the sort of switching off you do relaxing with a cup of tea or lounging on the sofa. ''What you're looking for is a state of deep relaxation where tension is released from the body on a physical level and your mind completely switches off,'' he says. ''The effect won't be achieved by lounging round in an everyday way, nor can you force yourself to relax. You can only really achieve it by learning a specific technique such as self-hypnosis, guided imagery or meditation.'' The relaxation effect, however, may not be as pronounced on everyone. ''Some people are more susceptible to relaxation methods than others,'' says Joan Borysenko, director of a relaxation program for outpatients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston. ''Through relaxation, we find some people experience a little improvement, others a lot. And there are a few whose lives turn around totally.'' 7 Health Benefits of Deep Relaxation The next time you tune out and switch off and let yourself melt, remind yourself of all the good work the relaxation effect is doing on your body. These are just some of the scientifically proven benefits … 1. INCREASED IMMUNITY Relaxation appears to boost immunity in recovering cancer patients. A study at the Ohio State University found that progressive muscular relaxation, when practised daily, reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence. In another study at Ohio State, a month of relaxation exercises boosted natural killer cells in the elderly, giving them a greater resistance to tumours and to viruses. 2. EMOTIONAL BALANCE Emotional balance, means to be free of all the neurotic behavior that results from the existence of a tortured and traumatized ego. This is very hard to achieve fully, but meditation certainly is the way to cure such neurosis and unhealthy emotional states. As one’s consciousness is cleansed of emotionally soaked memories, not only does great freedom abound, but also great balance. As one’s responses then are not colored by the burdens one carries, but are instead true, direct and appropriate. 3. INCREASED FERTILITY A study at the University of Western Australia found that women are more likely to conceive during periods when they are relaxed rather than stressed. A study at Trakya University, in Turkey, also found that stress reduces sperm count and motility, suggesting relaxation may also boost male fertility. 4. RELIEVES IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME When patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome began practising a relaxation meditation twice daily, their symptoms of bloating, diarrhoea and constipation improved significantly. The meditation was so effective the researchers at the State University of New York recommended it as an effective treatment. 5. LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE A study at Harvard Medical School found that meditation lowered blood pressure by making the body less responsive to stress hormones, in a similar way to blood pressure-lowering medication. Meanwhile a British Medical Journal report found that patients trained how to relax had significantly lower blood pressure. 6. ANTI-INFLAMATORY Stress leads to inflammation, a state linked to heart disease, arthritis, asthma and skin conditions such as psoriasis, say researchers at Emory University in the US. Relaxation can help prevent and treat such symptoms by switching off the stress response. In this way, one study at McGill University in Canada found that meditation clinically improved the symptoms of psoriasis. 7. CALMNESS The simple difference between those who meditate and those who do not, is that for a meditative mind the thought occurs but is witnessed, while for an ordinary mind, the thought occurs and is the boss. So in both minds, an upsetting thought can occur, but for those who meditate it is just another thought, which is seen as such and is allowed to blossom and die, while in the ordinary mind the thought instigates a storm which rages on and on. How to switch off stress How can you use relaxation's healing powers? Harvard researchers found that yoga, meditation and even repetitive prayer and mantras all induced the relaxation effect. ''The more regularly these techniques are practised, the more deeply rooted the benefits will be,'' Jake Toby says. Try one or more of these techniques for 15 minutes once or twice a day. Body Scan: Starting with your head and working down to your arms and feet, notice how you feel in your body. Taking in your head and neck, simply notice if you feel tense, relaxed, calm or anxious. See how much you can spread any sensations of softness and relaxation to areas of your body that feel tense. Once your reach your feet, work back up your body. Breath Focus: Sit comfortably. Tune into your breath, follow the sensation of inhaling from your nose to abdomen and out again. Let tension go with each exhalation. When you notice your mind wandering, return to your breath. Mantra Repetition: The relaxation response can be evoked by sitting quietly with eyes closed for 15 minutes twice a day, and mentally repeating a simple word or sound such as ''Om''. Guided Imagery: Imagine a wonderfully relaxing light or a soothing waterfall washing away tension from your body and mind. Make your image vivid, imagining texture, colour and any fragrance as the image washes over you. |
