Abstract Virtually all of the world’s major spiritual and religious traditions incorporate elements of meditation or contemplative prayer, although the nature, prominence, and precise features of such practices vary between traditions. Neuroscientific findings indicate that meditation is associated with significant, enduring alterations in patterns of activity in specific brain areas. These, in...
Aims and method To determine which recreational drugs are most readily offered in ‘head shops’, and what safety information is provided; and determine sales assistants' knowledge about the mental health complications of cannabis. Researchers surveyed ten head shops in Dublin. Results Sales assistants in all head shops described their products as legal and safe. Overall, 50% stated cannabis was...
Buddhist psychology is increasingly informing psychotherapeutic practice in the western world. This article: (a) provides a general background to Buddhist tradition; (b) outlines the central tenets of Buddhist psychology, with particular emphasis on the practice of meditation; (c) provides an overview of research into the effects of Buddhist practice on the brain; (d) outlines the relationships...