Meditation ____________________________________________
Another method that can be used to induce deep muscle relaxation is meditation. To say the least, meditation has changed considerably over the last couple of decades. First of all, you don’t have to wear a diaper or a wrinkled towel around your head any more. Best yet, you don’t have to sit in a cave either. One thing that might interest you is that there are all sorts of meditating techniques. There is Zen, Dhyana, Chigong, Yoga, Gurdjieffian, Silva Mind and Transcendental Meditation, just to name a few. Interestingly, the ultimate purpose of every one of these techniques is the same…to promote peace and relaxation of the mind. The research evidence indicates that although different types of meditation redirect attention in a slightly different way, one technique is about as effective as another in achieving attentiveness. Traditionally though, the “masters” and/or followers of one method do not accept the teachings and validity of other methods. It doesn’t seem to matter what method of meditation you are into as long as you follow the procedure. In some cases, you may find yourself going in different directions from your counterparts, but eventually, you will all end up at the same place. As you might have expected, in recent years there have been numerous studies conducted to determine the physiological effects of meditation. The results of these studies have consistently shown that during meditation the respiration rate is lower and there is a dramatic decrease in oxygen consumption, blood lactate and carbon dioxide elimination. Alpha brain rhythms and ∞ WELLNESS FOR LIFE ∞ galvanic skin resistance (GSR) increase __________________________________________________________________ during meditation while heart rate and respiration decrease. What all this means Brain Nothingness. is that meditation can bring about a A state of brain nothingness (one-pointedness in Zen, relaxation response. nirvana in yoga) can be produced easily in a physiology lab. In Actually, there are a lot of great fact, that very state has been produced a number of times in things about meditation for us plain folk. physiology labs across the country. The only difference is that First of all, it does not require any physiologists call it “blanking out.” For instance, Smith equipment, money, or thought. That’s presented a number of studies in which a group of physiologists right, no thought. As a matter of fact, the were testing the theory that the brain needs continuous change. objective of meditation is to achieve In the experiment, the subjects looked at a totally patternless brain nothingness. It’s called a state of visual field called a “ganzfield.” No matter how the subjects' nirvana in Yoga and “one-pointedness” eyes moved, they saw the same white washed surface. After only 20 minutes, the subjects reported having no visual experience, a in Zen. Trust us, empting your brain of "blank-out." A blank-out wasn't merely seeing white or nothing thought is not as easy as it sounds. at all; it was a complete disappearance of the sense of vision. Thinking of nothing is hard work. To be The subjects didn't know if their eyes were opened or closed. honest though, we do have this little There seems to be a similarity between blank-out and the state of problem with the concept of “brain nothingness, one-pointedness, or nirvana. As Smith points out, it nothingness.” Perhaps, because we never seems to be a matter of communication. The vocabulary of the experienced this alter state of mediator says that if you meditate well and really cut off the consciousness. Then again, we may have outside, you can merge with infinity. You are showing lots of experienced it, but never knew it because alpha brain waves, but you are not registering any stimuli the same state the mediator’s experience. our brain was thinking about nothing, and if you are thinking of nothing, do you know that you’re thinking of nothing?