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Other common
name(s): mindfulness meditation, Transcendental
Meditation
Scientific/medical
name(s): none
Description
Meditation is a mind-body process that uses concentration or
reflection to relax the body and calm the mind. It has been defined as
the intentional self-regulation of attention, a mental focus on a
particular aspect of one’s inner or outer experience.
Overview
Meditation is one of several relaxation methods evaluated and
found to be of possible benefit by an independent panel convened by the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). The panel found that it might be a
useful complementary therapy for treating chronic pain and sleeping
problems such as insomnia. Some cancer treatment centers offer
meditation or relaxation therapy with standard medical care. Available
scientific evidence does not suggest that meditation is effective in
treating cancer or any other disease; however, it may help to improve
the quality of life for people with cancer.
How is it promoted for use?
The NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine reports that regular meditation can reduce chronic pain,
anxiety, high blood pressure, cholesterol, substance abuse,
post-traumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans, and blood cortisol
levels that are increased by stress (sometimes called "stress
hormones"), as well as reducing the use of health care services.
Practitioners also claim meditation improves mood, immune
function, and fertility. Supporters further claim meditation increases
mental efficiency and alertness and raises self-awareness, all of which
contribute to relaxation.
What does it involve?
There are different forms of meditation. Meditation may be
done while sitting, but there are also moving forms of meditation, like
tai chi, qigong, walking, and the Japanese martial art aikido. One
commonly practiced type is Transcendental Meditation, which involves
repeating a word or phrase, called a mantra, either silently or aloud.
Another is mindfulness meditation, in which a person observes
sensations, perceptions, and thoughts without judgment as they arise.
There are other types of meditation that focus one's
attention through walking or visualizing. Meditations that focus on
words or images and do not strive for a state of thoughtless awareness
are sometimes called quasimeditative. Meditation can be self-directed,
or guided by doctors, psychiatrists, other mental health professionals,
or yoga masters. It can also be guided by masters from different
schools of meditation (for example, Zen meditation, Tibetan meditation,
Transcendental Meditation), as well as those from tai chi and martial
arts.
Meditation may be done by choosing a quiet place free from
distraction, sitting or resting quietly with eyes closed, noticing
one's breathing and physical sensations, and letting go of
all intruding thoughts. The person may also achieve a relaxed yet alert
state by focusing on a pleasant idea or thought, or by chanting a
phrase or special sound silently or aloud. The ultimate goal of
meditation is to separate oneself mentally from the outside world by
suspending the usual stream of consciousness. Some practitioners
recommend two sessions of fifteen to twenty minutes a day.
What is the history behind it?
Meditation is an important part of ancient Eastern religious
practices, particularly in India, China, and Japan, but can be found in
all cultures of the world. Meditation began to attract attention in the
West in the 1960s when the Indian leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi brought
his method called Transcendental Meditation to the United States. In
1968, a group of practitioners of this method asked a Harvard
cardiologist named Herbert Benson to test them on their ability to
lower their own blood pressures. There was no change in the
practitioners' blood pressure. Benson later developed a
popular relaxation technique called the relaxation response. Interest
in the use of meditation in the treatment of people with cancer began
in the 1970s and early 1980s, when Ainslie Meares, MD, an Australian
psychiatrist, studied the use of meditation for enhancing the immune
system in order to reduce the size of tumors.
Today, universities and continuing education programs provide
training in behavioral medicine, including meditation. Some clinics at
major medical centers and local hospitals offer meditation as a form of
behavioral medicine.
What is the evidence?
In the last twenty years, meditation has been studied in
clinical trials as a way of reducing stress on both the mind and body.
Research shows that meditation can help reduce anxiety, stress, blood
pressure, chronic pain, and insomnia.
Studies of mindfulness meditation found that it seemed to help
with symptoms of anxiety. One controlled study with a group of healthy
workers found more brain activity in an area linked to positive
emotional states in those who meditated. The same study found that
those who meditated had a better immune response to the influenza
vaccine than those who did not meditate.
In a controlled study of ninety cancer patients who did
mindfulness meditation for 7 weeks, 31% had fewer symptoms of stress
and 65% had fewer episodes of mood disturbance than those who did not
meditate. Some studies have also suggested that more meditation
improves the chance of a positive outcome.
Are there any problems or complications?
Most experts agree that the positive effects of meditation
outweigh any negative reactions. Complications are rare; however, a
small number of people who meditate have become disoriented or anxious
and experienced some negative feelings. People with certain types of
mental illness may be more likely to have these responses. Those with
cancer and chronic conditions such as arthritis and heart disease
should talk with their doctors before starting any type of meditation
that involves movement of joints and muscles, such as qigong or martial
arts.
Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or
delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health
consequences.
Additional Resources
More information from your American Cancer
Society
The following information on complementary and alternative
therapies may also be helpful to you. These materials may be found on
our Web site (www.cancer.org)
or ordered from our toll-free number (1-800-ACS-2345).
References
Astin JA, Shapiro SL, Eisenberg DM, Forys KL. Mind-body
medicine: state of the science, implications for practice. J Am Board Fam Pract.
2003;16:131-147.
Benson H, Stark M. Timeless
Healing: The Power and Biology of Belief. New York, NY:
Scribner; 1996.
Coker KH. Meditation and prostate cancer: integrating a
mind/body intervention with traditional therapies. Semin Urol Oncol.
1999;17:111-118.
Davidson RJ, Kabat-Zinn J, Schumacher J, et al. Alterations in
brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosom Med.
2003;65:564-570.
Ernst E, ed. The
Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An
Evidence-Based Approach. New York: Mosby; 2001.
Massion AO, Teas J, Hebert JR, Wertheimer MD, Kabat-Zinn J.
Meditation, melatonin and breast/prostate cancer: hypothesis and
preliminary data. Med
Hypotheses. 1995;44:39-46.
Meditation. Aetna InteliHealth Web site. Accessed at
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH?d=dmtContent&c=362173&
on May 23, 2008.
Mind-body medicine: an overview. National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Web site. Accessed at
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/backgrounds/mindbody.htm on June 12, 2008.
National Institutes of Health. Alternative Medicine: Expanding
Medical Horizons: A Report to the National Institutes of Health on
Alternative Medical Systems and Practices in the United States.
Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office; 1994. NIH publication
94-066.
Smith JE, Richardson J, Hoffman C, Pilkington K.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction as supportive therapy in cancer
care: systematic review. J
Adv Nurs. 2005;52:315-327.
Speca M, Carlson LE, Goodey E, Angen M. A randomized,
wait-list controlled clinical trial: the effect of a mindfulness
meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of
stress in cancer outpatients.
Psychosom Med. 2000;62:613-622.
Spencer JW, Jacobs JJ. Complementary/Alternative
Medicine: An Evidence-Based Approach. St. Louis, MO:
Mosby;1999.
US Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. Unconventional
Cancer Treatments: OTA-H-405. Washington, DC: US Government Printing
Office; 1990.
Wallace RK, Benson H, Wilson AF. A wakeful hypometabolic
physiologic state. Am J
Physiol. 1971;221:795-799.
Note: This information may not cover
all possible claims, uses, actions, precautions, side effects or
interactions. It is not intended as medical advice, and should not be
relied upon as a substitute for consultation with your doctor, who is
familiar with your medical situation.
Last Medical Review: 11/01/2008
Last Revised: 11/01/2008
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