La atención plena o “mindfulness” hace referencia al estado mental en el que la conciencia (yo observador) se instala en el momento presente y se abre al fluir de la experiencia en su estado emergente. Es una habilidad psicológica que, al igual que aprender a tocar el piano, requiere práctica. Históricamente, ha sido cultivada en las tradiciones contemplativas y, en la actualidad, ha emergido...
El mindfulness puede entenderse como atención y conciencia plena, como presencia atenta y reflexiva a lo que sucede en el momento actual. Pretende que la persona se centre en el momento presente de un modo activo, procurando no interferir ni valorar lo que se siente o se percibe en cada momento. Como procedimiento terapéutico busca, ante todo, que los aspectos emocionales y cualesquiera otros...
BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome is thought to be a contributor to coronary heart disease (CHD), and components of the syndrome have been identified as possible therapeutic targets. Previous data implicate neurohumoral activation related to psychosocial stress as a contributor to the metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of transcendental meditation (TM) on...
The purpose of this article is to (1) provide a comprehensive over view and discussion of mindfulness meditation and its clinical applicability in oncology and (2) report and critically evaluate the existing and emerging research on mindfulness meditation as an intervention for cancer patients. Using relevant keywords, a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and Ovid was completed along...
OBJECTIVES: Given the demands of caring for chronically ill children, it is not surprising that caregivers often experience high levels of chronic stress. A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program may offer relief to these caregivers by providing tools for self-care and heath promotion that otherwise may be lacking. METHODS: MBSR classes were offered without restriction to parents of...
Whereas the causes and negative consequences of stress among nurses are well known, less is known about effective ways to reduce or prevent this growing problem. Mindfulness-based stress reduction programs are proving to be effective in reducing stress and improving health in a variety of clinical populations. A smaller body of evidence suggests that these programs are also effective for...
An existential-phenomenological methodology was utilized to investigate the experience of meditation for female survivors of intimate partner violence. Six coresearchers were taught a form of concentrative meditation and were asked to meditate daily and to attend a weekly group meditation for 6 weeks. Semistructured interviews were utilized to gather the data. The essence of the experience that...
BACKGROUND: Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an 8-week course developed for patients with relapsing depression that integrates mindfulness meditation practices and cognitive theory. Previous studies have demonstrated that non-depressed participants with a history of relapsing depression are protected from relapse by participating in the course. This exploratory study examined the...
This paper, composed by an interest group of clinicians and researchers based in Melbourne, presents some background to the practice of mindfulness-based therapies as relevant to the general professional reader. We address the empirical evidence for these therapies, the principles through which they might operate, some practical questions facing those wishing to commence practice in this area...
Musicians spend countless hours practicing their instruments over the course of a lifetime. These hours are primarily spent learning how to manipulate the instrument through scale studies, etudes, and repertoire. However, despite intense and diligent effort, many musicians find themselves unable to perform for an audience without some kind of interruption in creativity in the form of mental...
Neuroelectric and imaging studies of meditation are reviewed. Electroencephalographic measures indicate an overall slowing subsequent to meditation, with theta and alpha activation related to proficiency of practice. Sensory evoked potential assessment of concentrative meditation yields amplitude and latency changes for some components and practices. Cognitive event-related potential evaluation...
This paper firstly reports the visual response to the inner light (a form of qi) and the outside stimulus during Zen meditation. It has been reported literally that inner light perception is the common experience for prayers or Zen-meditation practitioners. In this paper, we propose a method to quantify the EEG (electroencephalograph) and F-VEP (flash visual evoked potential) that characterize...
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is increasingly considered in the treatment of mental health problems. This paper describes MBCT, its core components, the complementary relationship between mindfulness and cognitive therapy, and how it might be integrated into therapy.
Previous EEG studies have shown that transcendental meditation (TM) increases frontal and central alpha activity. The present study was aimed at identifying the source of this alpha activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) simultaneously on eight TM practitioners before, during, and after TM. The magnetic field potentials corresponding to TM-induced alpha...
The authors examine the facet structure of mindfulness using five recently developed mindfulness questionnaires. Two large samples of undergraduate students completed mindfulness questionnaires and measures of other constructs. Psychometric properties of the mindfulness questionnaires were examined, including internal consistency and convergent and discriminant relationships with other...
Anxiety disorders are characterised by long term worry, tension, nervousness, fidgeting and symptoms of autonomic system hyperactivity. Meditation is an age-old self regulatory strategy which is gaining more interest in mental health and psychiatry. Meditation can reduce arousal state and may ameliorate anxiety symptoms in various anxiety conditions. To investigate the effectiveness of...
In an earlier article entitled "Meditation may predispose to epilepsy: an insight into the alteration in brain environment induced by meditation" published in Medical Hypotheses 2005:64(3):464-7, the author has hypothesized that meditation exerts predisposing influence on epileptogenesis. The hypothesis is based on certain EEG changes and electrographic features (namely hypersynchrony and...
A variety of results from both population and laboratory studies suggest that stress and hot flashes (HFs) are correlated and that HFs are more severe in women with lower coping abilities. The objective of this pilot study was to obtain information on the feasibility and effect of participation in a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on HF severity and menopause-related quality...
The process of flow, a psychological state that seems to occur during optimal human experience, is currently unclear. This exploratory study examines how flow begins and what happens during and after a flow experience. A phenomenological approach was taken to examine the flow experiences of an artist, a musician, and a horticulturist. Participants kept journals and participated in...