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The Neuroscience behind Meditation

Meditation = prayer. Meditation is cool. Prayer is backwards, low intelligent behavior. Never admit that you pray.
 
LogGrad98 said:
I practice mindfulness. To me that is not just meditation. It is learning to block out the future thoughts and past thoughts and be present in your life, in the "now". This can be done at any and all times as it actually increases your focus and awareness of the current moment. I practice this a lot while driving during my commute. It simply involves being acutely aware of what's going on around and within got right now. It REALLY helps with anxiety. Tolle basically teaches that anxiety comes from living in the future, or the unknown, and depression comes from living in the past, or the unchangeable. Peace comes from living in the "now".

Then about 3 to 5 times per week I do a real meditation session. 10 to 30 minutes. I have tried lots of kinds of meditation and developed my own which involves diving deep into myself and the "now", focusing intently on breathing, head to toe body focus, then moving outward and slowly bringing the world around me into my consciousness. Being aware, but not "there". I take a couple of minutes to let my mind run wild and just let any thought that enters come and go like watching clouds go by on a calm summer day, no judgements. Just let them come and go, then I try to let my mind just go blank, finishing by bringing my attention back to my breathing and body overall. I find this intensely relaxing and rejuvenating at the same time and often do a 5 minute version of this at lunch. The primary idea is to separate myself, or my identity or personal view of who I really am from my thoughts, as Tolle points out most people believe they are their thoughts but there is a "real" you under all that. I've seen it in myself and been able to separate and watch my thoughts almost like a movie and learned to turn them off and on almost the same way. I think this is what most older religions called "enlightenment". All I know is it helps me feel in control when my clinical issues make everything feel chaotic and out of control.

That's partly my experience anyway.
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This. I am a novice at meditation and mindfulness, but I've been trying to do exactly what you describe. I used to think that I could never meditate because there's no way I could turn off my brain completely, and I was relieved to find that I was mistaken about what meditation really is. I can see so many benefits already in being able to stay in the present moment, quell anxiety, and relax.
 
Dr. Jones said:
It makes complete sense to me.
My wife has suffered from bad anxiety her entire life.
She would get so overwhelmed, so easily, even with only a couple of things that needed to be done that were nothing to be overwhelmed about.

We saw doctor after doctor, prescription after prescription, and nothing really ever seemed to help.

I am exactly the opposite. Never overwhelmed, never have anxiety... so I began trying to analyze how maybe we handle or process "life" differently. After years of doc visits I came up with the simplest of plans within just a few days of pursuing a remedy. And it was so simple.

When she would have an anxiety attack (daily), I would calmly suggest we move to a room in the house with no kids and no tv noise. I would grab a pen and a single sheet of paper. Then calmly ask her to tell me what is causing her panic attack. She would, excitedly, ramble about all the things that have to be done and NO WAY to get them done. In tears. I would calmly write them down. Then I would turn the paper for her to see, without saying a word, and let her read/process it. It would read something like;

- get clothes out of dryer and put them away
- pick up kids from school at 3:00
- call mom and wish her happy birthday
- start getting ready by 5:00 to go out to dinner at 6:30

She would just stare at the list, dumbfounded... thinking surely I had missed half of what she had to get done... And I could visibly see the peace come over her.

It would take a month or so of me doing this for her before she learned to get calm enough to do it for herself. Now after about a year or so, she is almost completely cured of panic attacks.

It was a weird journey for me because I had never had that particular problem. I can confidently say that it wouldn't surprise me in the least that something physical changed within her brain structure. Regardless, she's a happier person all around and although it's not meditation, per se, I can see it paralleling to some degree.

Thanks for the OP.
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I've had to learn to do the same thing - write a list and work through it step by step instead of focusing on the "big picture," which would be so overwhelming for me that my brain would shut down. That's awesome that you were able to help your wife like that.
 
JazzGal said:
This. I am a novice at meditation and mindfulness, but I've been trying to do exactly what you describe. I used to think that I could never meditate because there's no way I could turn off my brain completely, and I was relieved to find that I was mistaken about what meditation really is. I can see so many benefits already in being able to stay in the present moment, quell anxiety, and relax.
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To be clear, this takes real practice and effort and there are many times I cannot get my mind to do what I want it to do. Sometimes it is frustrating. But like any other activity, practice makes perfect. I can tell I'm getting better and better at it. Keep it up. It's an interesting and rewarding journey but it sure as hell ain't quick.
 
Out of curiosity, do you guys sit in a lotus position when meditating (i.e., focussing on breath) or do you sit in a chair? Or others?
 
WHAT does “meditation” mean? If you follow the teachings of some Eastern religions, you may believe that it is something that brings greater clarity of thought or special enlightenment. Meditation practiced in Buddhism encourages emptying the mind of all thought. Other forms of meditation are said to encourage filling your mind with “universal truths of wisdom.”

To meditate correctly we must first have information to meditate upon. That is why we send our children to school; they need someone with more information to teach them. Then the children can meditate upon what they learn. We do not tell them just to sit at home and meditate and let knowledge come from within them. We recognize the need for a teacher, or guru, one who knows more than we do. So who knows more about man and his problems than the One who created him? Surely, then, we can expect our Creator also to act as our Teacher and to show us the solution to our problems. We educate our children because we love them. Would not a loving, almighty, heavenly Father do the same?
 
carolinajazz said:
WHAT does “meditation” mean? If you follow the teachings of some Eastern religions, you may believe that it is something that brings greater clarity of thought or special enlightenment. Meditation practiced in Buddhism encourages emptying the mind of all thought. Other forms of meditation are said to encourage filling your mind with “universal truths of wisdom.”

To meditate correctly we must first have information to meditate upon. That is why we send our children to school; they need someone with more information to teach them. Then the children can meditate upon what they learn. We do not tell them just to sit at home and meditate and let knowledge come from within them. We recognize the need for a teacher, or guru, one who knows more than we do. So who knows more about man and his problems than the One who created him? Surely, then, we can expect our Creator also to act as our Teacher and to show us the solution to our problems. We educate our children because we love them. Would not a loving, almighty, heavenly Father do the same?
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Hmm. You are saying some interesting things. I'm really just referring to Neuroscience behind mindfulness meditation. The most common way this method is practiced is focusing on the sensations of the breath that accompany inhaling and exhaling. It's very simple but difficult since the mind is so prone to wandering. But basically when it does wander, you just redirect your attention to the breath. It's not a religious practice in the way I am referring to it.

In your second paragraph above, when ever you used the word meditate, I felt you were really intending to use the word contemplate, which is not something that takes place while meditating. Is contemplating a more accurate word for what you were saying?
 
ONE LOVE said:
Out of curiosity, do you guys sit in a lotus position when meditating (i.e., focussing on breath) or do you sit in a chair? Or others?
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I just sit in a chair. I think as long as you are comfortable and not distracted by the things around you, you'll get all the benefits of someone who meditates in the lotus position.
 
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ONE LOVE said:
Out of curiosity, do you guys sit in a lotus position when meditating (i.e., focussing on breath) or do you sit in a chair? Or others?
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I usually sit cross-legged on my bed, so sort of. But I'm not really picky. Any place quiet works for me.

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using JazzFanz mobile app
 
If I don't meditate, I am grumpy, stressed, and somewhat unreasonable. It's a huge difference maker for me. I started doing it fairly regularly about 4-5 years ago and have been a major proponent of the practice ever since.
My method is definitely tuned to me. I do some things similar to Log, but I start out with embracing my environment and observing.
For some reason, using my breath and visualizing it "blowing away" or "pushing away" extra thoughts seems to work for me.
Sometimes I'll even visualize my breath as fire and burning the thoughts if they are particularly stubborn.
Body scanning is something I do sometimes too.
I try to sit cross-legged whenever possible. I'm not flexible enough for lotus, but working on it when I can. Sometimes I'll just sit in a chair also, depending on if I have time or if I'm home or not when I do. I've actually started trying to take a mid-morning and/or a mid-afternoon break and squeeze in 10-20 minutes at work when I'm in the office.
I have a goal to meditate an average of 20 minutes per day this year. I'm a teensie bit behind, but not much. I'll make it up here pretty quick.
By the way, I love Dan Harris's way of putting things. Tolle's book is quite interesting, and helpful - if you can stick with it and truly follow his way of thinking.
For me, I found that just freaking doing it rather than reading about how to do it helped a ton, and made it so meditation-related readings were easier to understand and relate to once I had a basis from regular practice.
 
From my experience the biggest problem I've had was my mind would drift from focussing on the breath to other thoughts, and before you know it, you're lost in unnecessary thoughts for 5-10 minutes. I find that when I'm tired or sleepy, the drift in thought gets worse.


I dunno, I guess the best way to not have this happen would be not to be sleepy (get a good night's sleep nightly), or tired (try to pick a time when you're likely to be more alert).


Also I find that if I don't watch TV or listen to music for a day or 2 my mind is less 'cluttered' with unnecessary thoughts and I am able to concentrate better.
 
ONE LOVE said:
From my experience the biggest problem I've had was my mind would drift from focussing on the breath to other thoughts, and before you know it, you're lost in unnecessary thoughts for 5-10 minutes. I find that when I'm tired or sleepy, the drift in thought gets worse.


I dunno, I guess the best way to not have this happen would be not to be sleepy (get a good night's sleep nightly), or tired (try to pick a time when you're likely to be more alert).
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leftyjace said:
Body scanning is something I do sometimes too.
I try to sit cross-legged whenever possible. I'm not flexible enough for lotus, but working on it when I can. Sometimes I'll just sit in a chair also, depending on if I have time or if I'm home or not when I do. I've actually started trying to take a mid-morning and/or a mid-afternoon break and squeeze in 10-20 minutes at work when I'm in the office.
I have a goal to meditate an average of 20 minutes per day this year. I'm a teensie bit behind, but not much. I'll make it up here pretty quick.
By the way, I love Dan Harris's way of putting things. Tolle's book is quite interesting, and helpful - if you can stick with it and truly follow his way of thinking.
For me, I found that just freaking doing it rather than reading about how to do it helped a ton, and made it so meditation-related readings were easier to understand and relate to once I had a basis from regular practice.
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I think the most difficult part about establishing a regular/Daily meditation practice is that sometimes it's much harder to meditate. As you said One Love, you can't do it at certain times of the day because if your at all tired or at the state where you could take a nap, meditating is incredibly difficult. Thus, the freakin doing it part, has been at times quite difficult.

I'm gonna try to meditate 20 minutes a day for a month. Everything I hear is that when you meditate consistently, "positive things happen" in your life.

Btw, Just read yesterday that the military is having soldiers meditate now. I think that's pretty cool.
 
Tom Pitt said:
I think the most difficult part about establishing a regular/Daily meditation practice is that sometimes it's much harder to meditate. As you said One Love, you can't do it at certain times of the day because if your at all tired or at the state where you could take a nap, meditating is incredibly difficult. Thus, the freakin doing it part, has been at times quite difficult.

I'm gonna try to meditate 20 minutes a day for a month. Everything I hear is that when you meditate consistently, "positive things happen" in your life.

Btw, Just read yesterday that the military is having soldiers meditate now. I think that's pretty cool.
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Wow really? Which country?
 
Tom Pitt said:
I think the most difficult part about establishing a regular/Daily meditation practice is that sometimes it's much harder to meditate. As you said One Love, you can't do it at certain times of the day because if your at all tired or at the state where you could take a nap, meditating is incredibly difficult. Thus, the freakin doing it part, has been at times quite difficult.

I'm gonna try to meditate 20 minutes a day for a month. Everything I hear is that when you meditate consistently, "positive things happen" in your life.

Btw, Just read yesterday that the military is having soldiers meditate now. I think that's pretty cool.
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One of the things I really like about Harris's summation of meditation is that the whole point of meditation is to fail.
Think about it.
Meditation is learning to, at any time, interrupt current thoughts and discard them while returning your focus to the breath.
So the only way you can practice that IS to fail. The more you fail, the more practice you're getting.
So having a hard time meditating actually helps you in the long run.

As far as consistency, that's the key. Daily, regular meditation allows you to progress much more effectively. It's kind of like daily exercise, or daily language study. Your body and mind adapt the more consistently it is subjected to a new kind of stress or method of doing things. By doing it daily you're really strengthening those muscles that allow you to stay centered, focused, and cut through distracting thoughts so as not to get sidetracked by the destructive nature of flowing consciousness.
 
leftyjace said:
As far as consistency, that's the key. Daily, regular meditation allows you to progress much more effectively. It's kind of like daily exercise, or daily language study. Your body and mind adapt the more consistently it is subjected to a new kind of stress or method of doing things. By doing it daily you're really strengthening those muscles that allow you to stay centered, focused, and cut through distracting thoughts so as not to get sidetracked by the destructive nature of flowing consciousness.
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While holidaying in thailand a couple of months ago I had lots of issues with dating girls there (well documented in the Official Life Thread). Long story short the girls there weren't very reliable, don't turn up to dates on time, often late, too materialistic, too stuck up, often cancel appointments at the last minute, don't pick up phone or return messages, etc.


I sorta turned to meditation a bit to try and not get too stressed out and overwhelmed by it all. Luckily because I was on vacation I had lots of time on my hand. A typical day might be wake up at 6am, it's so hot over there you don't sleep in very often, had breakfast, watch some news, do a bit of reading, if I still feel tired I just have a nap at 9am, and wake up around 10am.


By 10am I'm super alert and fresh, not tired or sleepy at all, and it was a good time for me to meditate and I could go for 30-40 min. easily (with a few laps in concentration 5 min. here 5 min. there). After that I make lunch, do a bit more reading, then have another nap at 2pm, by 3pm I'm up and refreshed and again and so I could meditate for another 30-40 min. Then I usually hit the gym, or go on a walk, etc.


So, yeah, I found intermittent naps (i.e., whenever I feel sleepy, just take a nap), to be a very good way to feel refreshed and ready to meditate. Granted I know most people can't do that on a workday etc, .. but for a retired person, stay at home person, it can be done.
 
I close my eyes and form a circle in my mimd and visualize my thoughts inside of it and push them out. I usually sit cross-lgged but that's because I identify sitting cross-legged with meditation. Anywhere relatively quiet where I can close my eyes work.
 
I found it interesting that it has also been used in prisons with success...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixu4Kd5R1DI
 
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