Finding hope these days is certainly difficult. Life has changed drastically for most of us. We can develop new interests and uplift our spirits in so many ways. Using visualization techniques and meditation can be extremely valuable. We need to have be open to concentrate so that our mind and body can adapt our focus. This helps us to adapt the tools for changing our thinking. Learning is an option we all have.
In one study from Behavior Research and Therapy (Volume 89, February 2017, Pages 1-13), combined cognitive training and meditation led to greatest reduction in worry in those who are high worriers. Training related gains correlate with reductions in worry and improvement in resilience in high worriers. Cognitive training led to increases in processing efficiency and reductions in emotional vulnerability that high worriers also are challenged by.
Meditation has many health benefits. The work of Dr. Herbert Benson and his colleagues who examined the meditational variant they call the “Relaxation Response,” to examine the breadth of efficacy claims made on behalf of the complex and multidimensional grouping of diverse practices we have come to as ‘meditation’. Among other positive outcomes, meditation has been credited with reducing blood pressure, anxiety addiction, and stress, while Relaxation Response has been shown to decrease sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, metabolism, pain, anxiety, depression, hostility, and stress. I conclude the paper by suggesting that findings from cognitive neuroscience on the subject of visual imagery can be used to elucidate genres of meditative practice focus on internal visualization sequences, and he used practices from the Rnying Ma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism to illustrate why certain integral aspects of meditation forever will remain beyond scientific grasp.
Note: Dr. Benson has a book on titled The Relaxation Response” . It may still be available.
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION FOR CHRONIC PAIN SYSTEMIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
Written by Lara Hilton, MPH, Susanne Hempel, PhD, Brett A. Ewing, MS, Eric Apaydin, MPP, Lea Xenakis, MPA, Synde Newberry, PhD, Melony E. Sorbero, PhD et al. Published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine Medicine, Volume 51, Issue 2, April 2017, pages 199-213.
Their study was based on chronic pain patients who increasingly seek treatments through mindfulness meditation. The purpose of the study was to synthesize evidence on efficacy and safety of mindfulness meditation interventions for the treatment of chronic pain in adults.
The results showed that thirty-eight patients met inclusion criteria; seven reported on safety. WE found low-quality evidence that mindfulness meditation is associated with a small decrease in pain compared with all types of controls in 30 patients. Statistically significant effects were also found for depression symptoms and quality of life.
While mindfulness meditation improves pain and depression symptoms and quality of life, additional well-designed, rigorous, and large-scale studies are needed to decisively provide estimates of the efficacy of mindfulness meditation for chronic pain.
Chronic pain, often defined as pain lasting longer than 3 months or past the normal time for tissue healing, can lead to significant medical, social, and economic consequences, relationship issues, lost productivity and larger health care costs. The Institute of Medicine recognizes pain as a significant public health problem that costs our nation at least $560-635 billion annually, including costs of health care and lost productivity. Further, chronic pain is frequently accompanied by psychiatric disorders such as pain medication addiction and depression that make treatment complicated. The high prevalance and refractory nature of chronic pain, in conjunction with the negative consequences of pain medication dependence, has led to increased interest in treatment plans that include adjunctive therapy or alternatives to medication. One such modality that pain patients are using is mindfulness meditation. Based on ancient Eastern meditation practices, mindfulness facilitates an attentional stance of detached observation. it is characterized by paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and acceptance. Mindfulness meditation is thought to work by refocusing. Mindfulness meditation is thought to work by refocusing the mind on the present and increasing awareness of one’s external surroundings and inner sensations, allowing the individual to step back and reframe experiences.
Early mindfulness studies in pain patients showed promising outcomes on pain symptoms, mood disturbance, anxiety, and depression, as well as pain-related drug utilization. Numerous systematic reviews on the effects of mindfulness meditation have been published in recent years. Of those that report pain outcomes, several have focused on specific types of pain such as low back pain, fibromyalgia, or somatization disorder. There have been several comprehensive reviews focused on controlled trials of mindfulness interventions for chronic pain including a review that showed improvements in depressive symptoms and coping, another review on mindfulness for chronic back pain, fibromyalgia, and musculoskeletal pain, and the most recent review on various pain conditions which found improvements in pain, pain acceptance, quality of life, and functional status. Authors concluded that additional high-quality research was needed before a recommendation for the use of mindfulness meditation for chronic pain symptoms could be made.
According to research using brain imagery, visualization works because neurons in our brains, those electrically excitable cells that transmit information, interpret imagery as equivalent to a real-life action. When we visualize an act, the brain generates an impulse that tells our neurons to “perform” the movement. This creates a new neural pathway — clusters of cells in our brain that work together to create memories or learned behaviors — that primes our body to act in a way consistent to what we imagined. All of this occurs without actually performing the physical activity, yet it achieves a similar result.
Fran Niles, Ph.D, a Huffpost contributor wrote a very interesting article titled How to use Visualization to Achieve Your Goals. Part of that article is below.
Visualization techniques can be valuable to help anyone with change. Making a dream board is worthwhile. You will need a fairly large poster board from your arts and crafts store. Go through some magazines, collect photos of what you desire for your future. I suggest that you chose photos of four or five images that show what you are trying to achieve. For example suppose you want a new car. Keep your choice reasonable. We all might want a Corvette or other sporty car, but perhaps a photo of a comparable yet less expensive sports car will do. If you are trying to achieve weight loss, chose photos of what you would like your body to look like. If you would like a nice vacation, chose photos of a destination you’d like to visit. If you find many photos of all kinds of goals clip them too but put them in an envelope for later. Paste each of your goal photos at the top of the poster board. Underneath draw several lines all the way to the bottom of the board. Take several separate papers to jot down your way to gain these goals. This will take time. It won’t happen overnight and it won’t be a “think it and it will be or have it immediately.” Over the next several days take some time to be quiet and think about how you will achieve each step required to get to your goals. When you have a concrete plan write down the concepts that will get you to the goal. Step by step. In life and work, success begins with a goal. It takes steps to get you there. First you need a definite, clear, practical ideal. A goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your goals: wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.
