Benefits
BENEFITS OF MEDICINE MEDITATION
Biological Benefits
In the past 20 years there have been more than 25,000 research papers and books published on the subject of the the biological and psychological benefits of meditation. We are beginning to develop a medical art of meditation.
The subject of meditation benefits with respect to major disease conditions, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and HIV-AIDS is extensively presented in the Calm Healing book. All references are available there. Here our focus will be primarily on two subjects:
1. How anxiety and stress disturb hormonal balance and how meditation restores hormonal balance and strengthens the immune system;
2. How meditation is an important pain management medicine.
Our era has been characterized as an age of anxiety. Extensive research has shown that many biological and psychological problems are directly caused by long-term anxiety and stress. Anxiety causes an overproduction of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, suppressing important biological functions in order to shift energy into muscle systems for a “fight or flight” reaction. Anxiety and stress, with accompanying hormonal imbalance, have been proven to be primary factors in the weakening of health and the cause of various immune-deficiency diseases.The widespread chemical treatment of anxiety has resulted in additional biological and psychological problems. But, as clinical research has shown for more than 30 years, particularly at the Harvard Medical School, if anxiety is the problem, meditation is the answer.
Self-calming meditation is observed to directly reduce adrenaline and cortisol secretion, restoring hormonal balance in general and normalizing immune system function. In addition meditation produces elevated levels of the major hormones melatonin and DHEA, both powerful immune system enhancers.
Melatonin: The fact that meditation produces elevated levels of melatonin, the hormone secreted by the pineal gland located near the center of the brain, was first disclosed by research conducted at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1995. The pineal gland has drawn the attention of human insight for a long time. In sacred literature more than 2,500 years old, the Vedas of India described the pineal gland as the center of higher human function. In the 17th century, Rene Descartes, in his famous Treatise of Man, called the pineal gland the seat of the human psyche, the principal location of self-awareness. Extensive current research shows that melatonin is a powerful anti-oxident that strengthens all aspects of immune system function, and is related to the experience of light. Other benefits of melatonin are contentment and better sleep.
DHEA: The fact that meditation produces elevated levels of DHEA was first established by research in the 1960s. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), produced in the adrenal glands, just above the kidneys, is the most plentiful human hormone and is essential for health. Like melatonin, it tends to diminish in the body as people age. Increased levels of life-enhancing DHEA in older meditation practitioners was one of the first biological benefits of meditation to be observed. DHEA is the substance from which the male and female hormones are developed. It is good for the bones, muscles, blood pressure, vision and hearing. DHEA contributes to vitality and youthfulness. It's a mood elevator that makes people feel and look better. It enhances brain biochemistry and growth.
Anxiety and stress lower normal DHEA and melatonin levels in the bloodstream. Meditation elevates melatonin and DHEA levels.
Meditation also produces endorphines, powerful pain-relieving agents vital for pain management. Endorphins are a set of peptides secreted throughout the nervous system that have very strong pain-relieving and pleasure-inducing effects, similar to morphine. Of these powerful chemicals Deepak Chopra writes:
“Thus the brain [and nervous system in general] produces narcotics up to 200 times stronger than anything you can buy…with the added boon that our own pain-killers are non-addictive. Morphine and endorphins both block pain by filling a certain receptor on the neuron and preventing other chemicals that carry the message of pain from coming in, without which there can be no sensation of pain, no matter how much physical provocation is present” [Chopra, 1990, p.62].
Meditation and Pain Management
With the mindfulness meditation method used at the University of Massuchusetts Medical Center, more than 100,000 people have learned to distinguish between mind and awareness. As they learn to expose mind to awareness, they see how the mind dwells on anxiety and fear and burns up energy, limiting ability and reserves. With mindfulness meditation they learn that they’re capable of not reacting to mind, to stay in the present moment, even while experiencing high levels of pain. They save energy, calming themselves. They see that their mind likes to make a big deal about the pain, creating the experience of suffering. They see that for healthy reasons they can choose to stay in open awareness and avoid mind’s creation of suffering. People practicing meditation for pain management prevent themselves from suffering. With practice people find that they can do that, regardless of educational background.
People practicing mindfulness meditation see that they can develop fearlessness and gain energy by distinguishing between pain sensations and what the mind is does in reaction to pain. They avoid letting their mind agonize and waste energy. They see that they have a choice to prevent distress and build courage and inner strength in the process. They learn that staying with present-moment pain sensations naturally releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, which then increase the ability to stay present. And people find freedom in awareness. The more one is present with pain sensations the higher the endorphin levels and the greater the freedom from fear.
Calm Healing (MG3) is mindfulness meditation based on breathing vital energy. It is a treasure of meditation science applied in medical practice as awareness-based energy breathing. It is based on knowledge of inseparable energy body and physical body dynamics. The biological and pain management potential of this practice should add to the benefits of meditation in medicine.
With psychiatric and pain management drugs costing over a hundred billion dollars a year, for health as well as financial reasons we need to turn to the great resource we have in meditation science. We need to advance the use of meditation as a medical art.
This web site is not intended to be a substitute for medical help.
Those who have medical problems should consult their doctors.
Biological Benefits
In the past 20 years there have been more than 25,000 research papers and books published on the subject of the the biological and psychological benefits of meditation. We are beginning to develop a medical art of meditation.
The subject of meditation benefits with respect to major disease conditions, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and HIV-AIDS is extensively presented in the Calm Healing book. All references are available there. Here our focus will be primarily on two subjects:
1. How anxiety and stress disturb hormonal balance and how meditation restores hormonal balance and strengthens the immune system;
2. How meditation is an important pain management medicine.
Our era has been characterized as an age of anxiety. Extensive research has shown that many biological and psychological problems are directly caused by long-term anxiety and stress. Anxiety causes an overproduction of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, suppressing important biological functions in order to shift energy into muscle systems for a “fight or flight” reaction. Anxiety and stress, with accompanying hormonal imbalance, have been proven to be primary factors in the weakening of health and the cause of various immune-deficiency diseases.The widespread chemical treatment of anxiety has resulted in additional biological and psychological problems. But, as clinical research has shown for more than 30 years, particularly at the Harvard Medical School, if anxiety is the problem, meditation is the answer.
Self-calming meditation is observed to directly reduce adrenaline and cortisol secretion, restoring hormonal balance in general and normalizing immune system function. In addition meditation produces elevated levels of the major hormones melatonin and DHEA, both powerful immune system enhancers.
Melatonin: The fact that meditation produces elevated levels of melatonin, the hormone secreted by the pineal gland located near the center of the brain, was first disclosed by research conducted at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1995. The pineal gland has drawn the attention of human insight for a long time. In sacred literature more than 2,500 years old, the Vedas of India described the pineal gland as the center of higher human function. In the 17th century, Rene Descartes, in his famous Treatise of Man, called the pineal gland the seat of the human psyche, the principal location of self-awareness. Extensive current research shows that melatonin is a powerful anti-oxident that strengthens all aspects of immune system function, and is related to the experience of light. Other benefits of melatonin are contentment and better sleep.
DHEA: The fact that meditation produces elevated levels of DHEA was first established by research in the 1960s. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), produced in the adrenal glands, just above the kidneys, is the most plentiful human hormone and is essential for health. Like melatonin, it tends to diminish in the body as people age. Increased levels of life-enhancing DHEA in older meditation practitioners was one of the first biological benefits of meditation to be observed. DHEA is the substance from which the male and female hormones are developed. It is good for the bones, muscles, blood pressure, vision and hearing. DHEA contributes to vitality and youthfulness. It's a mood elevator that makes people feel and look better. It enhances brain biochemistry and growth.
Anxiety and stress lower normal DHEA and melatonin levels in the bloodstream. Meditation elevates melatonin and DHEA levels.
Meditation also produces endorphines, powerful pain-relieving agents vital for pain management. Endorphins are a set of peptides secreted throughout the nervous system that have very strong pain-relieving and pleasure-inducing effects, similar to morphine. Of these powerful chemicals Deepak Chopra writes:
“Thus the brain [and nervous system in general] produces narcotics up to 200 times stronger than anything you can buy…with the added boon that our own pain-killers are non-addictive. Morphine and endorphins both block pain by filling a certain receptor on the neuron and preventing other chemicals that carry the message of pain from coming in, without which there can be no sensation of pain, no matter how much physical provocation is present” [Chopra, 1990, p.62].
Meditation and Pain Management
With the mindfulness meditation method used at the University of Massuchusetts Medical Center, more than 100,000 people have learned to distinguish between mind and awareness. As they learn to expose mind to awareness, they see how the mind dwells on anxiety and fear and burns up energy, limiting ability and reserves. With mindfulness meditation they learn that they’re capable of not reacting to mind, to stay in the present moment, even while experiencing high levels of pain. They save energy, calming themselves. They see that their mind likes to make a big deal about the pain, creating the experience of suffering. They see that for healthy reasons they can choose to stay in open awareness and avoid mind’s creation of suffering. People practicing meditation for pain management prevent themselves from suffering. With practice people find that they can do that, regardless of educational background.
People practicing mindfulness meditation see that they can develop fearlessness and gain energy by distinguishing between pain sensations and what the mind is does in reaction to pain. They avoid letting their mind agonize and waste energy. They see that they have a choice to prevent distress and build courage and inner strength in the process. They learn that staying with present-moment pain sensations naturally releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, which then increase the ability to stay present. And people find freedom in awareness. The more one is present with pain sensations the higher the endorphin levels and the greater the freedom from fear.
Calm Healing (MG3) is mindfulness meditation based on breathing vital energy. It is a treasure of meditation science applied in medical practice as awareness-based energy breathing. It is based on knowledge of inseparable energy body and physical body dynamics. The biological and pain management potential of this practice should add to the benefits of meditation in medicine.
With psychiatric and pain management drugs costing over a hundred billion dollars a year, for health as well as financial reasons we need to turn to the great resource we have in meditation science. We need to advance the use of meditation as a medical art.
This web site is not intended to be a substitute for medical help.
Those who have medical problems should consult their doctors.