The Relaxation Response & Meditation:A Key to Healing & HealthQuick Links: OverviewThe Relaxation Response, developed in the 1970s at Harvard University by Dr. Herbert Benson, is based on his research into a variety of mind/body—and we would add spirit—techniques. Dr. Benson has pointed out that many of these methods have “always existed in the context of religious teachings.” These methods range from the Eastern practices of meditation, Zen and yoga to the contemplative prayers in the Christian tradition and the meditative practices of Jewish Kabbalists and Sufi mystics. Dr. Benson and his research team have demonstrated that these techniques bring on bodily changes that decrease heart rate, lower metabolism, decreases the rate of breathing and bring the body back into a healthier balance. The most current research is triggering a revolution in the medical world by demonstrating that mind/body strategies can actually "switch off" or "switch on" gene activity associated with health and disease. Based on his research, Dr. Benson developed the Relaxation Response, a simple-easy to use technique that can be used in a variety of setting. This section provides an overview of highlights from the scientific research and presents the Relaxation Response technique with suggestions on how it can be fruitfully used in a community of faith setting. Another pioneer researcher on the brain as it relates to meditation is Richard J. Davidson, director of The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. CIHM is one of the world’s leading scientific groups dedicated to the study of how contemplative practices might play a useful role in changing the mind in a positive manner. This section gives an overview of the work going on at CIHM and explores Dr. Davidson’s relationship with the Dalai Lama that inspired him to focus on research that analyzes positive emotions. The Science (Sample Studies)From the research of Dr. Herbert Benson and colleagues:
From The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM): A study of neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners (Brefczynski-Lewis et al., 2007) compared the activation patterns and brain scans in experienced Buddhist practitioners (at least 10,000 hours of meditation retreat practice) to normal people without prior meditation experience who were well motivated to learn the Concentration meditation techniques, and willing to practice them every day for a week. Concentration meditation is a way to increase attentional focus and concentration by focusing all one's attention upon one object, keep it on that object, and bring it back to that object when one finds that one has been distracted. Both the experienced practitioners and the newly trained novices performed the same meditation task while undergoing functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans. The study demonstrates that the concentration meditation activated attention-related brain regions in both expert meditation practitioners and novices. Meditators with more practice initially recruited stronger activation in attention regions, but those with the most practice (over 40,000 hours) had activity drop after less than half a minute, when their concentration may have settled into a tranquil but alert awareness, as is the goal of the meditation practice. Furthermore, the most practiced meditators showed the least reaction to distracting sounds presented during medititation. The results from this study give promising evidence that concentration meditation may be an effective way to train attention, with results that one can see in brain scans. A 2008 study by Hutcherson, C. A., Seppala, E. M., & Gross, J. J. found that Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. A total of 93 participants with a mean age of 24 years were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a guided loving-kindness meditation (LKM) or a neutral imagery control (IMAGRY) condition. After taking part in either the LKM or IMAGRY condition, participants were instructed to open their eyes and look at a photograph of a target stranger and focus on the visual details of the stranger’s face and imagine details of the stranger’s appearance (e.g., what clothes they might be wearing. On measures of self- reported mood, participants in the LKM condition reported increased positive and somewhat less negative mood than participants in the IMAGERY control condition. The LKM participants showed a stronger positive evaluation of the target photograph following meditation compared with the IMAGERY group. The LKM participants but not the IMAGERY control participants reported increased feelings of positive affect to non-target neutral strangers. Then, To assess implicit evaluative changes, participants were presented with an affective priming task. This task consisted of the presentation of faces followed by positive or negative words. Participants in the LKM but not the IMAGERY condition became significantly more positive (i.e., faster response time to positive vs. negative words) following photographs of the target face. Changes in self-reported positive affect did not mediate this change in implicit evaluation. These findings indicate that very short-term practice of LKM induces explicit and implicit increases in positive affect toward strangers. An article reviewing sitting-meditation interventions among youth on treatment efficacy (Black, D. S., Milam, J., & Sussman, S. (2009). Pediatrics. 124(3), e532-e541) focused on empirical studies on the effects of sitting-meditative practices in school, clinic, and community settings for youth ages 6 to 18 years. The review was motivated by a growing body of research that documents positive health and cognitive outcomes among adults. The purpose of the present review was to determine the state of empirical research related to sitting-meditation interventions for youth. The review comprised 16 studies, published between 1982 to 2008, that met these criteria. A variety of meditation styles were represented including mindfulness meditation, transcendental meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Studies showed some support for the efficacy of meditation on physiological outcomes. Primary psychosocial/behavioral outcomes included anxiety, depressive symptoms, behavior problems, and inattention. Studies showed the most support for reductions in anxiety and behavior problems as a function of meditation training. This review found meditation to have beneficial effects across physiologic, psychosocial, and behavior outcomes. However, more randomized control trials with larger and diverse samples in a variety of treatment settings are needed to clarify the treatment efficacy of sitting- meditation among youth. Research from the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society: A randomized clinical trial [Kabat-Zinn, Wheeler, et al 1998] showed that patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing phototherapy or photochemotherapy and who listened to guided meditation tapes while receiving the ultraviolet light treatments healed at approximately four times the rate of subjects receiving just the light treatments. (Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society) A multi-year relationship between the Center for Mindfulness and the team of Drs. John Teasdale of the Medical Research Council's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, in Cambridge, UK, Mark Williams of the University of Wales, and Zindel Segal of the University of Toronto and the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry has led to the development of a new approach to cognitive therapy, termed mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and to major conceptual advances in the modeling of affective change in depressed patients [Teasdale, Segal and Williams, 1995; Teasdale, 1999]. (Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society) Between 1992 and 1996, the Center for Mindfulness delivered Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs to over 1,500 inmates and 100 staff (including the Commissioner of Public Safety and several prison superintendents) of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, in collaboration with and under the support of the Massachusetts Committee on Criminal Justice. Exciting positive outcomes were observed of in this project, and are currently being written up for publication in the criminal justice literature. The Relaxation Response Relaxation Revolution: Enhancing Your Personal Health Through the Science & Genetics of Mind Body Healing By Dr. Herbert Benson, MD & William Proctor, JD (Scribner, 2010) Dr. Herbert Benson has been doing groundbreaking work in mind-body medicine since the late 1960s. In 1969, his Harvard University research team demonstrated that meditation could cause a variety of bodily changes that countered stress, including decreased oxygen consumption of the entire body and decreased respiratory rate. In his latest book, Relaxation Revolution: Enhancing Your Personal Health through the Science and Genetics of Mind Body Healing, Benson and co-author William Proctor, JD, present the latest scientific findings, revealing that spiritually-based meditation techniques can help us heal even down to the genetic level. Benson and Proctor tell us how these techniques help us heal diseases, prevent life-threatening conditions, and supplement established drug and surgical procedures In a special "treatment" section, Benson and Proctor describe how these techniques can be applied—and are being applied—to treat a wide variety of conditions, including: High blood pressure; Anxiety and depression; Infertility; Insomnia; Menopausal hot flashes; Many pains, including backaches and headaches; Phobias and much more. Relaxation Revolution also details Dr. Benson's recent work with colleagues in the field of genetics, which links mind body treatments to the healing of a steadily expanding number of medical conditions. In clear, straightforward language, Benson and Proctor cite the experiences of real people to show how mind body techniques have the potential not only to enhance healing but also to reduce health costs to individuals and to society as a whole. Relaxation Revolution shines a light on the future of medicine. YouTube Video: Herbert Benson: The Relaxation Revolution
The Effect On Health Relaxation Revolution includes a large section entitled “A Guide to Specific Mind Body Treatments” that details specific information about how the Relaxation Response can be used to help heal specific health conditions. These health conditions include:
The Method Dr. Benson and his colleagues have fine-tuned the Relaxation Response into a two-tiered technique called the Benson-Henry Protocol. This protocol is summarized here from page 111-112 of Relaxation Revolution. The Benson-Henry Protocol PHASE ONE: Phase one of the Benson-Henry Protocol is basically a form of mind-quieting/muscle relaxing meditation. It consists of focusing on a word or phrase (e.g. mantra), an image, short prayer, or your breathing with an emphasis on assuming a passive attitude. If thoughts intrude, just say “Oh, well,” and return to your focus. Do this for 12 to 15 minutes. PHASE TWO: Phase one is immediately followed by phase two, visualization, an eight to 10 minute practice in which you engage expectation, belief and positive memory. Since Dr. Benson’s focus is on healing, his research subjects and patients are asked to remember and even relive a state of wellness that they enjoyed in the past. If they can’t recall a time when they were symptom free, they are asked to visualize what they think or imagine it would be like to be healthy. No-nos include focusing on the disease, the treatment and medications, etc. In other words, in order for phase two visualization to work you have to keep it positive and upbeat. Steps to Elicit the Relaxation Response A step-by-step guide to Phase One of the Relaxation Response protocol can be found at Relaxation Response.org. YouTube Video: S Ruggles The Relaxation Response 01
The Dalai Lama & the NeuroscientistRichard J. Davidson, PhD
Richard Davidson, left, professor of psychology and psychiatry and director of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet share a moment together. Richard J. Davidson, PhD is a pioneer researcher on the brain as it relates to meditation. Dr. Davidson is Director of The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the world’s leading scientific groups dedicated to the study of how contemplative practices might play a useful role in changing the mind in a positive manner. Although Dr. Davidson has been actively meditating since he visited India during graduate school, it wasn’t until he met the Dalai Lama in 1992 that he was inspired to abandon the typical research path that focuses on negative emotions such as anxiety in favor of research that analyzes positive emotions. Davidson considers the Dalai Lama the inspiration for his current untraditional research path. He reflection on this inspiration is posted on the CIHM website. For me personally, the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds is the realization of a dream that began the day I entered graduate school in 1972. I’ve always had the conviction that the mind underlies all that is important for flourishing and happiness; and that it has the inherent potential to be transformed. In 1992, I met the Dalai Lama for the first time and was convinced that now was the time for me to go public with my interests in meditation and contemplative practice. This has led to a flurry of important research that has been covered in all of the major newspapers and magazines and to the more widespread acceptance of meditation within the major institutions of our culture, including biomedical research and education. Moreover, a new hybrid discipline – contemplative neuroscience – is on the verge of being accepted widely in the scientific community. The activities of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds will dramatically help to further these developments and bring important forms of mental training to a wider segment of our culture. Richard J. Davidson Center for Investigating Healthy Minds The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM), located within the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is a research Center dedicated to creating a world in which healthy qualities of mind flourish. The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, through hard-nosed basic and translational scientific research, will help to pave the way toward more widespread incorporation of methods and practices to nourish positive qualities of mind throughout society. The work and research of this Center are at the forefront of the scientific and scholarly communities, and have led to the development of a new hybrid discipline – contemplative neuroscience. In a global era where individuals, communities and the world are reconnecting with the pursuit of happiness, well-being and contentment and seeking innovative and mindful solutions to achieve it, the Center offers facts about interventions and methods grounded both in research and the wisdom of contemplative traditions. The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) conducts rigorous interdisciplinary research on healthy qualities of mind such as kindness, compassion, forgiveness and mindfulness. Scientists at CIHM represent an integrated team with a broad array of research methodologies from behavioral to neuroscientific. The CIHM engages in translational research and outreach with the goal of cultivating healthy qualities of the mind at the individual, community and global levels. CIHM’s Latest Research CIHM Researchers will soon begin testing and developing a mind-training program that provides a drug-free alternative for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and high functioning autism in children: UW-Madison Begins Collaborative ADHD Research Program Madison, Wisconsin - University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers will soon begin testing and developing a mind-training program that provides a drug-free alternative for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and high functioning autism in children. The program is a collaboration between University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) at the Waisman Center and the Mind Matter Research Foundation (MMRF) in conjunction with the HESA Institute (HESA). The effort is supported by a three-year, $550,000 research and development grant from the Mind Matter Research Foundation and the HESA Institute to the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control estimated that 11.2 percent of all boys and 4.9 percent of all girls aged 3-17 have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. It is considered the biggest health-related learning problem faced by schools, teachers and families today. The attention-training program to be developed by Center for Investigating Minds researchers is focused on children with ADHD between the ages of 10 and 12. "Our research will examine the specific neural systems affected by attention deficit hyperactivity disorders and will examine methods to cultivate improved attention based on this knowledge," says CIHM director Dr. Richard J. Davidson, professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "We will use this information to develop non-pharmacological training protocols that have specific biological effects in the systems implicated in attentional dysfunction." Read the article: UW-Madison Begins Collaborative ADHD Research Program NBC15 News Report: Joint ADHD Research & Development Begins
Click on the photo above to see the news video. Suggestions For Faith CommunitiesThe Short Prayer In Phase I of the Benson-Henry Protocol, it is suggested that a short phrase be used in conjunction with breathing in and out. For members of communities of faith, the most powerful phrase is a short prayer. The short prayer used will depend on your faith tradition. Here are some suggestions from the Christian tradition: Advice from The World Community for Christian Meditation The World Community for Christian Meditation is a global spiritual community that was started in 1991 by Benedictine Monk John Main. The World Community continues Main’s legacy of teaching Christian meditation as part of the great work of our time of restoring the contemplation dimension of Christian faith in the life of the church. The Purpose of the Mantra or Short Prayer Fr. John stressed the importance of using a mantra or short prayer during meditation. The communities website states: “The purpose of the mantra is threefold: first, it helps to deal with distractions. The mind needs a point of focus, something for it to be absorbed in so distractions can be ignored. Secondly, it leads to a condition of simplicity. Thirdly and most importantly for us who meditate as Christians, the saying of the mantra is an expression of faith in Christ who lives in our hearts.” The Importance of the Manatra or Short Prayer The group points out that the mantra should be chosen with care because it is an expression of our faith. Meditation is Christian because of the faith of the person meditating and the mantra is the expression of this faith. Choosing your word is important. Once you have chosen it is important, in this tradition, to always stay with the same word. Thus it becomes rooted in the heart and becomes a way to praying always. Examples of Manatras or Short Prayers MARANTHA: The mantra that Fr John recommended is the word MARANATHA. It is an Aramaic word, the language Jesus spoke. It means “Come Lord Jesus” or “the Lord comes.” As it is not in our own language it does not have any thoughts attached to it and does not encourage us to think. It is a balanced rhythmic word, with the long a sound. It fits well with the rhythm of the breath and it is one of the oldest Christian prayers. Other Suggestions
Find Out More The World Community for Christian Meditation has extensive resources on Christian Mediation including information about weekly meditation groups that help support people's daily practice in over 60 countries. Youth Work: The Benefit of Teaching the Relaxation Response to Youth This greater cortical thickness in the older participants’ brains suggests that meditation might offset age-related cortical thinking. And what about the younger folks? Doesn’t meditation seem like it should be a required course in our elementary and high schools? The folks at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital have the research that proves the value of this idea. According to the “Education Initiative” section of their website, students trained in mind body skills have: Improved academic performance; Better work habits; Improved memory; Increased self-esteem; and Decreased perception of stress. The institute even started a new program for teens called The Extra Edge for Teens, designed to help young people reduce stress and build life management skills. The Children are Natural Contemplatives Initiative In 2010, the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) expects to begin its first outreach effort to children as part of its Children are Natural Contemplatives Initiative. This initiative is at the forefront of efforts to develop contemplative training methods appropriate to children in the K-12 years and to develop assessment tools -- both behavioral and biological -- that specifically target the characteristics that might be transformed through contemplative training. ResourcesBooks Relaxation Revolution: Enhancing Your Personal Health Through the Science and Genetics of Mind Body Healing by Dr. Herbert Benson, MD And William Proctor, JD (NY: Scribner, 2010) Websites The Benson-Henry Institute: On this web site, you can find help if you're experiencing the negative effects of stress; learn how to elicit the relaxation response; review courses for health professionals; and view the institute’s new line of relaxation CDs. There is also information about how the relaxation technique is being used in youth educational settings. RelaxationResponse.org: This website features a variety of information on the relaxation response, Herbert Benson and a list of the scientific papers that relate to the relaxation response. The Stress Institute: The “Stress Management” section of this website contains an informative list of stress reduction techniques including prayer, the relaxation response, diaphragmatic breathing, etc. The World Community for Christian Meditation: As a global spiritual community, The World Community for Christian Meditation, took form in 1991. But it continues the 30-year-long work begun by the Benedictine monk John Main. His legacy is found in his teaching Christian meditation as part of the great work of our time of restoring the contemplation dimension of Christian faith in the life of the church. Resources for the Public at The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM): The CIHM website contains a wealth of links to resources including mindfulness in education websites and mindful parenting websites. Mind Matter Research Foundation: The Mind Matter Research Foundation (MMRF) is a not-for-profit organization that provides direction and funding for research into the relationship between mind and matter at major universities and laboratories worldwide. The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM): Located within the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is a research Center dedicated to creating a world in which healthy qualities of mind flourish. The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, through hard-nosed basic and translational scientific research, will help to pave the way toward more widespread incorporation of methods and practices to nourish positive qualities of mind throughout society. The Human Energy System Alliance, or HESA Institute: HESA is an alliance of scientists, philosophers, entrepreneurs, and spiritual leaders devoted to unlocking the potential of the human energy system and to developing technologies and products that transform human health and increase human flourishing. Mindfulness Meditation Practice CDs and Tapes: This website features mindfulness Meditation Practice CDs and Tapes used by thousands of people who have attended Dr. Kabat-Zinn's program in the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, or who have taken other MBSR programs, or who have read his books. Dr. Kabat-Zinn is internationally known as a meditation teacher, author, researcher, and clinician in the fields of mind/body medicine, integrative medicine, lifestyle change, and self-healing. Stress Reduction Program: The web link for this program is part of the website of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at University of Massachusetts Medical School. The program uses the MBSR mindfulness techniques developed by Dr. Kabat-Zinn. Center for Spirituality & Healing: The University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality & Healing enriches health and well-being by providing high-quality interdisciplinary education, conducting rigorous research, and delivering innovative programs that advance integrative health and healing. The Mind & Life Institute: The Mind & Life Institute is a non-profit organization that seeks to understand the human mind and the benefits of contemplative practices through an integrated mode of knowing that combines first person knowledge from the world’s contemplative traditions with methods and findings from contemporary scientific inquiry. Ultimately, our goal is to relieve human suffering and advance well-being. YouTube Links: S Ruggles The Relaxation Response 01: Ruggles teaches a group how to do the relaxation response. |
