A physiological and subjective evaluation of meditation, hypnosis, and relaxation.
D R Morse, J S Martin, M L Furst, L L Dubin
Psychosomatic Medicine 1977 DOI: 10.1097/00006842-197709000-00004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Simple word meditation Relaxation hypnosis Task hypnosis Relaxation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Relaxation states (relaxation, relaxation-hypnosis, meditation) produced significantly better relaxation responses than the alert state across physiological measures, with no significant differences among them except that meditation showed significantly better muscle activity. Task-hypnosis and relaxation-hypnosis differed significantly overall, while transcendental meditation and simple word meditation did not differ. Subjectively, relaxation-hypnosis and meditation were rated significantly better than relaxation, but not significantly different from each other. |
Abstract
Ss were monitored for respiratory rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, skin resistance, EEG activity, and muscle activity. They were monitored during the alert state, meditation (TM or simple word type), hypnosis (relaxation and task types), and relaxation. Ss gave a verbal comparative evaluation of each state. The results showed significantly better relaxation responses for the relaxation states (relaxation, relaxation-hypnosis, meditation) than for the alert state. There were no significant differences between the relaxation states except for the measure "muscle activity" in which meditation was significantly better than the other relaxation states. Overall, there were significant differences between task-hypnosis and relaxation-hypnosis. No significant differences were found between TM and simple word meditation. For the subjective measures, relaxation-hypnosis and meditation were significantly better than relaxation, but no significant differences were found between meditation and relaxation-hypnosis.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 31
- Meditation and psychotherapy: a rationale for the integration of dynamic psychotherapy, the relaxation response, and mindfulness meditation American Journal of Psychiatry 1985
- The Influence of Buddhist Meditation Traditions on the Autonomic System and Attention BioMed Research International 2015
- A Methodological Review of Meditation Research Frontiers in Psychiatry July 1, 2014
- New directions in forensic hypnosis: facilitating memory with a focused meditation technique Contemporary Hypnosis March 1, 2004
- Hypnosis and the relationship between trance, suggestion, expectancy and depth: some semantic and conceptual issues. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis July 1, 2010
and 26 more in the library
Cites 4
- Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation Science March 27, 1970
- Evaluation of Transcendental Meditation as a Method of Reducing Stress Science June 18, 1976
- Sleep During Transcendental Meditation Science January 23, 1976
- Autonomic Stability and Transcendental Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 1973