A possible physiological basis for effectiveness of acupuncture against psychosomatic disorders.
S Freed
Acupuncture & electro-therapeutics research 1987 DOI: 10.3727/036012987816358850 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Humans Psychophysiologic disorders Acupuncture therapy Relaxation therapy |
| Key points | Argues that acupuncture and Zen Buddhist meditation share essential features and physiological correlates, including alpha rhythms, relaxed wakefulness, analgesia, and body-wide effects. Proposes that acupuncture induces a stillness similar to meditation's "quiet," and that the resulting deep relaxation may account for acupuncture's vasodilation and increased vascular-capillary flow. |
Abstract
Acupuncture and Oriental meditation, particularly of Zen Buddhists have essential features in common. The physiological correlates of these features are discussed as they apply to therapy of psychosomatic disorders. Both acupuncture and meditation are characterized by alpha rhythms of the encephalograms, by relaxed wakefulness, by analgesia, by their pervasion of virtually the entire body. This set of correspondences is taken as sufficient to postulate that acupuncture induces a stillness with properties similar to those of the "quiet" of meditation. This induced deep relaxation may account for the vasolidation and increased vascular-capillary flow, intrinsic in acupuncture. Among the shared properties are the presence of low physiological noise-level and unresponsiveness to the aversive components of conditioned stimuli.