The Scientific Benefits of Meditation

These benefits are emerging as Universities study how meditation benefits our bodies and psyches. Here is an outline of some of the more prominent benefits proven by scientific research and analysis to come from meditation practice.

Does meditation have proven scientific benefits?

Since the 1960s when Transcendental Meditation burst into western consciousness, people have been debating the question of whether meditation has proven scientific benefits.

As more and more people adopt meditation into their general health regime, the pressure on researchers to scientifically test the resulting benefits has been rising.

So what has been discovered? Here are some of the studies that have been undertaken into the benefits of specific forms of meditation.

Maharishi Transcendental Meditation

Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention, Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA. Walton KG, Schneider RH, Salerno JW & Nidich S have reviewed research of the Maharishi Transcendental Meditation program. Research has found that TM may have significant effects on cardiovascular disorders.

Mindfulness Meditation

Pain and Palliative Care Program and Pediatric Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston reviewed a number of studies relating to mindfulness meditation. They have found that people who practice mindfulness meditation experience less pain and stress than those who don't practice meditation.

Department of Psychological Resources, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Carlson LE, Speca M, Patel KD, Goodey E assessed mindfulness meditation in relation to prostate and breast cancer outpatients. They found subjects reported an overall improved quality of life, reduction of stress and improved sleep quality. NK cell production of interleukin – 10 (an indicator of immune function) was also reduced by the subjects.

2006 – Review of all available published studies

In 2006 a major review of all available published studies in relation to the effect of meditation on health was conducted by Arias, Steinberg, Banga, and Trestman. They found: “support (for) the hypothesis that meditative treatments have a multifaceted effect on psychologic as well as biologic function, and that secondary physical benefits may occur via alterations in the psychoneuronendocrine/immune and autonomic nervous system pathways” (Arias et al., 2006, p.828).

Here are the results of some of the more scientifically rigorous studies drawn from their review. Major depression was researched by Janakiramaiah and colleagues (2000) as well as by Kumar, Kaur and Kaur (1993). They found meditation was supported as an aid to the treatment for depression.
Epilepsy and meditation was researched by Panjwani, Gupta, Singh, Selvanurthy & Rai (1995). They found meditation reduced the physical effects of stress, reduced seizure frequency and was supported as an adjunct treatment. Menopausal symptoms and meditation was researched by Irvin, Doma, Clark, Zuttermeister & Friedman (1996). Meditation was found to reduce the intensity of hot flushes, anxiety and depression.
Multiple sclerosis was researched by Oken and others in 2004. Meditation was found to be useful in reducing fatigue symptoms.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) was researched by Shannahoff –Khalsa, Ray & Levine (1999). Significant benefits were found from meditation on OCD – it is recommended as an independent or adjunct treatment for OCD. Psoriasis was researched by Kabat-Zinn and colleagues in 1998. Meditation was supported as an adjunct treatment for psoriasis.

Arias and colleagues concluded:

“ the results of our review support the potential efficacy of meditative practices for treating medical illness, particularly non psychotic mood and anxiety disorders, and illnesses in which mental distress plays a major role in the pathophysiology or morbidity and perhaps mortality of the illness”

(Arias et al., 2006, p.825)

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