BACKGROUND While many general practitioners perceive meditation as an acceptable, even mainstream, health care strategy, it is paradoxically a poorly understood discipline. OBJECTIVE To define meditation, outline the broad types of meditation and give an overview of the extent and validity of available evidence for its efficacy. DISCUSSION The basic question of what constitutes meditation a...

Increasing data suggest that meditation impacts stress-related physiological processes relevant to health and disease. For example, our group recently reported that the practice of compassion meditation was associated with reduced innate immune (plasma interleukin [IL]-6) and subjective distress responses to a standardized laboratory psychosocial stressor (Trier Social Stress Test [TSST]). Howe...

The term "Meditation" is defined and the aims of meditation-practice are outlined. The physiological and psychological correlates of meditation, as found in different studies, are described. The need for an integrated approach to the study of consciousness is emphasized. The clinical applications of meditation practice are spelt out. Areas of further research are indicated.

Past four decades has witnessed substantial scientific research on meditation as an alternative mind-body therapy. This paper is an attempt to provide a comprehensive view of the present state of the research in meditation and health. It reviews major findings related to meditation and its effects on various disorders. Two major types of meditation practices dominating presently (concentration ...

Meditation and hypnosis might be regarded as involving similar processes and skills. For example, both meditation and hypnosis are associated with high levels of absorption and imaginative capacity, and both can be used for self-regulation. Research has also shown that meditation improves attentional functioning, and that hypnotic response can involve attentional strategies. However, we argue t...

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...

Previous research indicates that long-term meditation practice is associated with altered resting electroencephalogram patterns, suggestive of long lasting changes in brain activity. We hypothesized that meditation practice might also be associated with changes in the brain's physical structure. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess cortical thickness in 20 participants with extensive I...

BACKGROUND Most of the many studies on the efficacy of meditation on anxiety disorders over the past half century have been quantitatively studied and lacked consensus. Studies into the experiences of meditation practitioners are lacking. Taiwan has a high prevalence of generalized anxiety disorders (GAD), and Zen meditation is popular. PURPOSE This study provides a deeper understanding of Ze...

Introduction: Nowadays, people are showing a keen interest in yoga and meditation as an alternative therapy to manage psychological stress and stress-related diseases. Yoga is a spiritual discipline with many proven health benefits. There are different types of yoga techniques practiced worldwide for their known health enhancement effects and for reduction of stress and its related disorders. O...

Meditation advances positivity but how these behavioral and psychological changes are brought can be explained by understanding neurophysiological effects of meditation. In this paper, a broad spectrum of neural mechanics under a variety of meditation styles has been reviewed. The overall aim of this study is to review existing scientific studies and future challenges on meditation effects base...