MeditationWeb.com

The Dalai Lama will present a lecture to the world’s largest group of brain scientists this weekend. He’s scheduled to speak at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, which begins Saturday in Washington, D.C.

Some researchers are profoundly unhappy about the religious leader’s scheduled speech. Hundreds have signed a petition protesting it.

But the Dalai Lama and brain scientists have more in common than you might expect.

Richard Davidson, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin, is one of several scientists who will present research on meditation at the neuroscience meeting. He says there’s nothing flaky about the idea of studying whether a mental activity like meditation alters the brain’s circuitry.

“Most Americans now realize that if they go to the gym or exercise several times a week, they will observe systematic changes occurring in their body,” Davidson says. Meditations, he explains, is “exercising the mind in a particular way.”

Some small studies have suggested that meditating on compassion can affect parts of the brain associated with positive thoughts. The Dalai Lama’s talk will discuss meditation as a way to promote well-being and compassion.

Davidson says the Dalai Lama has been encouraging research on meditation for more than a decade.

“He has been very interested in investigating the brain function of monks who have practiced for many, many years, to investigate how their brain function might have been changed by their practice,” Davidson says.

The Dalai Lama spends a lot of time with scientists.

Earlier this week in Washington, he shared the stage with several prominent brain researchers. They were at a meeting put together by the Mind & Life Institute, Georgetown University and John Hopkins University.

One speaker was Wolf Singer, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany. Singer said meditation is a highly active mental state. He described studies indicating that certain brain waves become synchronized when a person’s mind is attentive — or meditating.

Singer’s talk was a bit beyond many members of the public in audience. But not the Dalai Lama. Through an interpreter, he asked for more details several times.

Sara Lazar, Ph.D., a researcher at Harvard who studies meditation, says it’s really not so odd to find the Dalai Lama deeply involved in neuroscience.

“There are a lot of parallels between Buddhist philosophy and Western scientific philosophy,” she says. “Definitely there are some exceptions, reincarnation being one of them.

The Dalai Lama explores the parallels between Buddhism and science in his latest book, The Universe in a Single Atom.

In one passage he writes, “My confidence in venturing into science lies in my basic belief that as in science, so in Buddhism, understanding the nature of reality is pursued by means of critical investigation.”

So far, scientific studies appear to support Buddhist claims that the mind can be trained to ward off things like negative thoughts. But in his book, the Dalai Lama says Buddhists should embrace scientific evidence even if it contradicts their beliefs.

“If scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false,” he says, “then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims.”

But the Dalai Lama also says science has limits.

He rejects so-called scientific materialism — the idea that consciousness, for example, is no more than a series of chemical reactions in our brains. That wouldn’t allow for reincarnation.

Davidson of the University of Wisconsin says at some point, science and Buddhism must take separate paths.

“There are certainly beliefs in traditional Buddhism that conflict with basic principles of scientific understanding,” Davidson says. “We can’t make sense of those beliefs in any kind of scientific framework.”

That’s one reason some brain researchers aren’t comfortable with the Dalai Lama’s appearance at the neuroscience meeting.

But Davidson says many scientists have shown it’s possible to do research on evolution and still believe in God. He says it also should be possible to study the science of meditation regardless of your views on reincarnation.

 

Meditation describes a state of concentrated attention on some object of thought or awareness. It usually involves turning the attention inward to the mind itself. Meditation is often recognized as a component of Eastern religions, where it has been practiced for over 5,000 years. It has also become mainstream in Western culture. It encompasses any of a wide variety of spiritual practices which emphasize mental activity or quiescence. Meditation can be used for personal development, or to focus the mind on God (or an aspect of God).

The word meditation comes from the Latin meditatio, which originally indicated every type of physical or intellectual exercise, then later evolved into the more specific meaning “contemplation.” The use of the word meditation in the western Christian tradition has referred generally to a more active practise of reflection on some particular theme such as “meditation on the sufferings of Christ”. Similarly in Western philosophy, one finds, for example, Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy, a set of six mental exercises which systematically analyze the nature of reality.

“Meditation” in its modern sense refers to Yogic meditation that originated in India. In the late nineteenth century, Theosophists adopted the word “meditation” to refer to various spiritual practices drawn from Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Eastern religions. Thus the English word “meditation” does not exclusively translate any single term or concept, and can be used to translate words such as the Sanskrit dhyana, samadhi and bhavana.

Meditation is usually defined as one of the following:

* a state of relaxed concentration on the reality of the present moment
* a state that is experienced when the mind dissolves and is free of all thoughts
* “concentration in which the attention has been liberated from restlessness and is focused on God.”
* focusing the mind on a single object (such as a religious statue, or one’s breath, or a mantra)
* a mental “opening up” to the divine, invoking the guidance of a higher power
* reasoned analysis of religious teachings (such as impermanence, for Buddhists).

Meditation may be for a religious purpose, but even before being brought to the West it was used in secular contexts, such as the martial arts. Beginning with the Theosophists, though, meditation has been employed by a number of religious and spiritual movements, such as Yoga and the New Age movement, as well as limited use in Christianity.

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.

According to Perez-De-Albeniz & Holmes (2000), 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.

Categorizing the varieties of meditation is difficult. One common way is according to religion or lineage. Some meditative traditions, such as yoga or tantra, are common to several religions or occur outside religious contexts. Therefore, to avoid controversy, this article will not attempt to classify all meditations into a religious class or lineage.

Dynamic Meditation is the name of one of Osho’s popular Active Meditation techniques. However, in general active/dynamic meditation refers to any meditation technique which does not have one’s body assuming a static posture. Such techniques are widely used in Karma Yoga. An example of such activity could be Natya Yoga or a Shamanistic dance, such as described by Carlos Castaneda or simple exercises that focus on certain parts of the body “to give you the power to profoundly affect your mental and physical state directly and quickly”.

Osho, earlier named Rajneesh, introduced the meditation techniques which he termed Active Meditations, which begin with a stage of activity — sometimes intense and physical — followed by a period of silence. He emphasized that meditation is not concentration. Dynamic Meditation involves a conscious catharsis where one can throw out all the repressions, express what is not easily expressible in society, and then easily go into silence. Some of his techniques also have a stage of spontaneous dance. He said that, “If people are innocent there is no need for Dynamic Meditation. But if people are repressed, psychologically are carrying a lot of burden, then they need catharsis. So Dynamic Meditation is just to help them clean the place. And then they can use any method … It will not be difficult. If they, right now, directly try, they will fail.”

Sri Aurobindo used to meditate while walking.

Also the Thai monk Luang Por Teean taught a (more conservative) form of active meditation which in Luang Por Teean’s translated books is usually translated as ‘Dynamic Meditation’. It involves the use of the hands and arms during sitting meditation. He also used walking meditation as a complementary method. His teaching was aimed at developing awareness of the movements of the arms, which are moved continuously in a certain pattern throughout the meditation. The awareness is, however, not limited to the arms but inclusive of the whole life-experience. This type of active meditation is a type of vipassana meditation, which is popular in Thailand, and is becoming more well known in the western countries, too.

Often Taoist Internal martial arts, especially Tai Chi Chuan are thought of as moving meditation. A common phrase being, “movement in stillness” referring to energetic movement in passive Qigong and seated Taoist meditation; with the converse being “stillness in movement”, a state of mental calm and meditation in the tai chi form.

In recent years there has been a growing interest within the medical community to study the physiological effects of meditation (Venkatesh et al., 1997; Peng et al., 1999; Lazar et al., 2000; Carlson et al., 2001). 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. Also the hermeneutic and phenomenological aspects of meditation are areas of growing interest. Meditation has entered the mainstream of health care as a method of stress and pain reduction. For example, in an early study in 1972, Transcendental Meditation was shown to affect the human metabolism by lowering the biochemical byproducts of stress, such as lactate, decreasing heart rate and blood pressure and inducing favorable brain waves. (Scientific American 226: 84-90 (1972)). In 1976, the Australian psychiatrist Ainslie Meares, reported in the Medical Journal of Australia, the regression of cancer following intensive meditation. Meares would go on to write a number of books, including his best-seller Relief without Drugs.

As a method of stress reduction, meditation is often used in hospitals in cases of chronic or terminal illness to reduce complications associated with increased stress including a depressed immune system. There is a growing consensus in the medical community that mental factors such as stress significantly contribute to a lack of physical health, and there is a growing movement in mainstream science to fund research in this area (e.g. the establishment by the NIH in the U.S. of 5 research centers to research the mind-body aspects of disease.) Dr. James Austin, a neurophysiologist at the University of Colorado, reported that Zen meditation rewires the circuitry of the brain in his landmark book Zen and the Brain (Austin, 1999). This has been confirmed using functional MRI imaging which examine the electrical activity of the brain.

Dr. Herbert Benson of the Mind-Body Medical Institute, which is affiliated with Harvard and several Boston hospitals, reports that meditation induces a host of biochemical and physical changes in the body collectively referred to as the “relaxation response” (Lazar et al., 2003). The relaxation response includes changes in metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry. Benson and his team have also done clinical studies at Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayan Mountains.

Other studies within this field include the research of Jon Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues at the University of Massachusetts who have studied the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress (Kabat-Zinn et al., 1985; Davidson et al., 2003).

The purposes for which people meditate vary almost as widely as practices. Meditation may serve simply as a means of relaxation from a busy daily routine; as a technique for cultivating mental discipline; or as a means of gaining insight into the nature of reality, or of communing with one’s God. Many report improved concentration, awareness, self-discipline and equanimity through meditation.

Many authorities avoid emphasizing the effects of meditation — sometimes out of modesty, sometimes for fear that the expectation of results might interfere with one’s meditation. For theists, the effects of meditation are considered a gift of God or from the Holy Spirit/Ghost, and not something that is “achieved” by the meditator alone, just as some say that a person will not convert to Christianity without the influence of the Holy Spirit/Ghost’s presence.

Commonly reported results from meditation include:

* Greater faith in, or understanding of, one’s religion or beliefs
* An increase in patience, compassion, and other virtues and morals or the understanding of them
* Feelings of calm or peace, and/or moments of great joy
* Consciousness of sin, temptation, and remorse, and a spirit of contrition.
* Sensitivity to certain forms of lighting, such as fluorescent lights or computer screens, and sometimes heightened sense-perception.
* Surfacing of buried memories.
* Experience of spiritual phenomena such as kundalini, extra-sensory perception, or visions of deities, saints, demons, etc.

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. For example, Mahayana Buddhists are urged to meditate for the sake of “full and perfect enlightenment for all sentient beings” (the bodhisattva vow). Some, as in certain sects of Christianity, say that these things are possible, but are only to be supported if they are to the glory of God.

 

Different spiritual traditions, and different teachers within those traditions, prescribe or suggest different physical postures for meditation. Most famous are the several cross-legged postures, including the Lotus Position.

Many meditative traditions teach that the spine should be kept “straight” (i.e. that the meditator should not slouch). Often this is explained as a way of encouraging the circulation of what some call “spiritual energy,” the “vital breath”, the “life force” (Sanskrit prana, Chinese qi, Latin spiritus) or the Kundalini. In some traditions the meditator may sit on a chair, flat-footed (as in New Thought); sit on a stool (as in Orthodox Christianity); or walk in mindfulness (as in Theravada Buddhism).

Various hand-gestures or mudras may be prescribed. These can carry theological meaning or according to Yogic philosophy can actually affect consciousness. For example, a common Buddhist hand-position is with the right hand resting atop the left (like the Buddha’s begging bowl), with the thumbs touching.

Quiet is often held to be desirable, and some people use repetitive activities such as deep breathing, humming or chanting to help induce a meditative state. Practitioners of the Soto Zen tradition meditate with their eyes open, facing a wall, but most schools of meditation assume that the eyes will be closed or only half-open.

Often such details are shared by more than one religion, even in cases where mutual influence seems unlikely. One example would be “navel-gazing,” which is apparently attested within Eastern Orthodoxy as well as Chinese qigong practice. Another would be the practice of focusing on the breath, which is found in Orthodox Christianity, Sufism, and numerous Indic traditions.

Sitting cross-legged (or upon one’s knees) for extended periods when one is not sufficiently limber, can result in a range of ergonomic complaints called “meditator’s knee”.

Welcome to Meditation Web
Your alternative health resource center for internet sites relating to meditation, guided imagery, visualization, self improvement, self hypnosis, spiritual mind treatment and music therapy.

Meditation can be the most powerful tool you will ever use.

Meditationweb.com Forum List:

* Meditation Lounge - First stop for new users and general meditation ta…..
* Transcendental Meditation -

A focus of guided meditation can be to help you hear your inner voice, some call it the voice of God. Transcendental meditation, zen meditation or your own form of meditation,
when used daily, can fully transform and empower your life.

Whether you’re a beginner, expert, or somewhere in between, you can find incredible power with meditation techniques, information and concepts from all traditions throughout the world.

Our Meditation Bulletin Board Community Group is free for all. Also link to our forums. on. Sitemap - Guided Meditation Music and Voice on CD.