|
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. One commonly practiced type is Transcendental Meditation, which involves repeating a word or phrase (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 attention by walking or visualizing. Meditations that focus on words or images and do not strive for a state of thoughtless awareness are sometimes called quasi-meditative.
Overview
Meditation is one of several relaxation methods evaluated 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 insomnia (sleeping problems). Some cancer treatment centers offer meditation or relaxation therapy along with the usual 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, health care use, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress syndrome in Vietnam veterans, and blood cortisol levels that are increased by stress (sometimes called "stress hormones").
Practitioners also claim meditation improves mood, immune function, and fertility. Supporters further claim meditation increases mental efficiency and alertness, and raises self-awareness, which contributes 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
(see
Tai Chi,
Qigong,
Labyrinth).
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 (e.g., 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 breathing and physical sensations, noticing and then 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 15 to 20 minute sessions 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 (TM) to the United States. In 1968, a Harvard cardiologist named Herbert Benson was asked by TM practitioners to test them on their ability to lower their own blood pressures. 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 20 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.
A controlled study of 90 cancer patients who did mindfulness meditation for 7 weeks found those who meditated had 31% lower stress symptoms and 67% less 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 ordered from our toll-free number (1-800-ACS-2345).
References
Aetna InteliHealth. Meditation. Available at http://www.intelihealth.com. Accessed 3/22/07.
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.
Astin JA, Shapiro SL, Eisenberg DM, Forys KL. Mind-Body Medicine: State of the Science, Implications for Practice. Journal of the American Board of Family Practice 2003; 16:131-147.
Benson H. Timeless Healing: The Power of Biology and 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, Rosenkranz M, Muller D, Santorelli SF, Uranowski F, Harrington A, Bonus K, Sheridan JF. Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation. Psychosomatic Med 2003;65:564-70.
Ernst E (ed) The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 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.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Mind-Body Medicine: An Overview. Available at: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/backgrounds/mindbody.htm Accessed March 22, 2007.
Smith JE, Richardson J, Hoffman C, Pilkington K. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as supportive therapy in cancer care: systematic review. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 52(3):315-27, 2005.
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. Psychosomatic Med. 2000;62:613-622.
Spencer JW, Jacobs JJ. Complementary/Alternative Medicine: An Evidence-Based Approach. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc; 1999.
US Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. Unconventional Cancer Treatments. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office; 1990. Publication OTA-H-405.
Revised: 03/26/2007
|
