Meditation

While hypnosis is generally achieved through the interaction of a therapist and the person being treated, an individual can perform meditation alone. Often, however, people wishing to learn to meditate receive some training in techniques to achieve a meditative state. Although a number of different techniques exist meditation generally involves clearing the mind of distractions in order to achieve a state of relaxed awareness and focus on a particular sensation, feeling, or thought (Chen et al., 2013; Lang et al., 2012). One form of meditation, mindfulness meditation, has recently become popular. Mindfulness is often defined as a state of awareness in which someone maintains their attention on an internal process or external object on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally, often in the service of attaining additional self-understanding or insight.^[1]

Buddhist-derived meditation practices, including “mindfulness-based interventions” (MBIs) have been applied to a wide range of medical and psychological conditions including stress, chronic pain, addiction, and mood disorders.^[2] MBIs have been widely implemented, including in prisons, the military, and educational settings. Research indicates that meditation may help reduce blood pressure, and the American Heart Association suggests that meditation might be used in conjunction with more traditional treatments as a way to manage hypertension, although there is not sufficient data for a recommendation to be made (Brook et al., 2013). Like hypnosis, meditation also shows promise in stress management, sleep quality (Caldwell, Harrison, Adams, Quin, & Greeson, 2010), treatment of mood and anxiety disorders (Chen et al., 2013; Freeman et al., 2010; Vøllestad, Nielsen, & Nielsen, 2012), and pain management (Reiner, Tibi, & Lipsitz, 2013).

However, the western focus on the health-related benefits of mindfulness meditation represents only a narrow aspect of the effects recognized within Buddhist traditions. Many, if not all, of the world’s major religions make use of contemplative practices involving chanting, prayer, and meditation in order to cultivate the spiritual development of adherents. The implications of using religiously-derived meditation practices within a secular, medical context warrant further investigation.