Theory and physiology of meditation

In Spain, meditation is generally considered to be one more relaxation method amongst many used in psychotherapy. Nevertheless, an extensive body of experimental findings affirms that meditation has cognitive, physiological and psychotherapeutic characteristics that clearly differentiate it from other relaxation methods insofar as its origin, generic and specific effects, forms and methods of application. Meditation can produce distinctive effects on the nervous system, especially in the long run, thus providing opportunities for therapeutic use in clinical psychology. This ‘clinical meditation’ is the object of experimental investigation in biological psychology and is not to be confused with meditation as an exercise in mystic and religious disciplines.