BACKGROUND: Contemplative traditions describe inter-hand sensations as "prana," yet these remain underexplored experimentally. This study examined whether a structured embodied attention practice elicits higher reproducible inter-hand sensory experiences and investigated their associations with affective state, environmental context, and physiological parameters in healthy individuals. METHODS:...
Background: Pain, both acute and chronic, places a substantial burden on global healthcare systems. While conventional treatments may be limited in efficacy due to side effects, risk of dependency, or variable individual response, there is growing interest in mind-body complementary approaches. Yoga nidra (YGN) has emerged as a promising noninvasive intervention for pain management. However, a...
Integrative oncology combines conventional and complementary, or integrative, therapies for a holistic treatment of cancer patients. Yoga is increasingly used as a complementary therapy for cancer patients, but there is no direct evidence for its effect on cancer pathophysiology like tumor response, or patient outcome like overall survival. In this narrative review, we present in detail...
Introduction: Studies on mind-body approaches in patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are rare. We performed a pilot study with follow-up until 1 year to explore changes in pain, quality of life (QoL), stress, and negative emotions in patients with advanced PDAC, who regularly practiced a standardized form of spiritual meditation in addition to standard medical care....
Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent, severe headaches that are often accompanied by other symptoms. There are various factors that can trigger a migraine in sufferers. Stress can be such a trigger. Drug and nondrug treatments are available for the preventive treatment of migraine. According to a German guideline, mindfulness can be recommended for the prophylaxis of...
Introduction: Anxiety, burnout, and depression cause a substantial psychological and social burden. Bioenergetic meditation (BM) was developed by Viktor Philippi as a method to strengthen psychological and physical health. This work presents the results of four feasibility studies investigating the effects of BM developed by Viktor Philippi as a support for people suffering from these...
Background: A potential relationship between long-term meditation practice and stress reduction remains virtually unexplored. The purpose of this study was to characterize stress using salivary waking cortisol in a group of long-term meditators with training in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. Materials and Methods: Four salivary cortisol samples were collected from...
Background: Mindfulness meditation (MM) can be regarded as a practice for calming the mind, while the focus on their breathing can help meditators maintain a state of mindful presence. We have developed and evaluated an alternative method for reaching conscious states of pure being without the aid of a focus of attention. Methods: Skin conductance feedback was provided in real-time during...
Epilepsy is a serious, common and chronic neurological condition characterized by an increased disposition to suffer occasional seizures. Psychological interventions may enhance the well-being of individuals with epilepsy. So far, no qualitative study has investigated the complex effects of psychotherapeutic interventions in epilepsy. This study examined the questions as to if and how the...
Background: A pilot study of an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on a sample of low back pain patients was conducted in order to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention as well as changes in an EEG pattern called thalamocortical dysrhythmia which is associated with chronic pain. Patients and Methods: 22 patients with chronic low back pain...