On this page: Whats the BottomLine? How much do we know about meditation?

Many studies have been conducted to look at how meditation may be helpful for a variety of conditions, such as high blood pressure, certain psychological disorders, and pain. A number of studies also have helped researchers learn how meditation might work and how it affects thebrain.

Research suggests that practicing meditation may reduce blood pressure, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression, insomnia, and the incidence, duration, and severity of acute respiratory illnesses (such as influenza). Evidence about its effectiveness for pain and as a smoking-cessation treatment isuncertain.

Meditation is generally considered to be safe for healthy people. However, people with physical limitations may not be able to participate in certain meditative practices involvingmovement.

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Meditation is a mind and body practice that has a long history of use for increasing calmness and physical relaxation, improving psychological balance, coping with illness, and enhancing overall health and well-being. Mind and body practices focus on the interactions among the brain, mind, body, andbehavior.

There are many types of meditation, but most have four elements in common: a quiet location with as few distractions as possible; a specific, comfortable posture (sitting, lying down, walking, or in other positions); a focus of attention (a specially chosen word or set of words, an object, or the sensations of the breath); and an open attitude (letting distractions come and go naturally without judgingthem).

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Many studies have investigated meditation for different conditions, and theres evidence that it may reduce blood pressure as well as symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and flare-ups in people who have had ulcerative colitis. It may ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, and may help people with insomnia. Meditation also may lower the incidence, duration, and severity of acute respiratory illnesses (such asinfluenza).

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Meditation: What You Need To Know | NCCAM

Since the 1950s hundreds of studies on meditation have been conducted, though many of the early studies were flawed and thus yielded unreliable results.[1][2] More recent reviews have pointed out many of these flaws with the hope of guiding current research into a more fruitful path.[3]

Research on the processes and effects of meditation is a growing subfield of neurological research.[4][5][6][7][8][9] Modern scientific techniques and instruments, such as fMRI and EEG, have been used to see what happens in the body of people when they meditate, and how their bodies and brain change after meditating regularly.[5][10][11][12][13]

Meditation remains a broad and poorly defined term. More reports assessed that further research needs to be directed towards the theoretical grounding and definition of meditation.[1][14]

In June, 2007 the United States National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) published an independent, peer-reviewed, meta-analysis of the state of meditation research, conducted by researchers at the University of Alberta Evidence-based Practice Center. The report reviewed 813 studies involving five broad categories of meditation: mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, yoga, T'ai chi, and Qigong, and included all studies on adults through September 2005, with a particular focus on research pertaining to hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and substance abuse.

The report concluded, "Scientific research on meditation practices does not appear to have a common theoretical perspective and is characterized by poor methodological quality. Firm conclusions on the effects of meditation practices in healthcare cannot be drawn based on the available evidence. Future research on meditation practices must be more rigorous in the design and execution of studies and in the analysis and reporting of results." (p.6) It noted that there is no theoretical explanation of health effects from meditation common to all meditation techniques.[1]

A version of this report subsequently published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine stated that "Most clinical trials on meditation practices are generally characterized by poor methodological quality with significant threats to validity in every major quality domain assessed". This was the conclusion despite a statistically significant increase in quality of all reviewed meditation research, in general, over time between 1956 and 2005. Of the 400 clinical studies, 10% were found to be good quality. A call was made for rigorous study of meditation.[3] These authors also noted that this finding is not unique to the area of meditation research and that the quality of reporting is a frequent problem in other areas of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) research and related therapy research domains.

Of more than 3,000 scientific studies that were found in a comprehensive search of 17 relevant databases, only about 4% had randomised controlled trials (RCTs), which are designed to exclude the placebo effect.[1]

A 2013 statement from the American Heart Association evaluated the evidence for the effectiveness of TM as a treatment for hypertension as "unknown/unclear/uncertain or not well-established", and stated: "Because of many negative studies or mixed results and a paucity of available trials...other meditation techniques are not recommended in clinical practice to lower BP at this time."[15]

A 2013 metastudy of mindfulness meditation found moderately improved anxiety and depression.[16] Another study showed higher mindfulness and reduced stress correlated with the number of days meditated per week.[17]

A 2003 meta-analysis found that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) may be broadly useful for individuals attempting to cope with clinical and nonclinical problems. Diagnoses for which MBSR was found to be helpful included chronic pain, fibromyalgia, cancer patients and coronary artery disease. Improvements were noted for both physical and mental health measures.[18]

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Research on meditation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

After being fitted with a netlike cap of electrodes and wires, the subjects were given unusual directions: Dont move just imagine that you are.

When they did, those who were long-term yoga or meditation practitioners were better at moving a computer cursor with only their imaginations.

Recently published University of Minnesota research revealed that yoga or meditation can boost the quality of interactions between the brain and a computer. Now, lead researcher Bin He said he wants to apply those findings to help patients with paralysis, neurodegenerative diseases or disabilities to better use robotic and mechanical devices.

The study, funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, found that 75 percent of yogis could successfully complete a series of tests in which they moved a computer cursor using only their thoughts while only a third of participants with little to no yoga experience could, He said.

In the beginning, everyone failed, He said. Then gradually you can see yoga and meditation subjects very quickly were able to pass.

He, who also serves as the director of the Institute for Engineering in Medicine, said the hope is to harness the mind-body awareness cultivated through meditation and apply it to mind-controlled technology for patients with disabilities.

For example, those with any kind of motor ability loss would be able to imagine themselves doing a task and transmit that thought into a signal to move either a prosthetic or a wheelchair, He said.

This work suggests that the patient could do some meditation and that would help them to pick up [brain-computer interface] skills, He said. That could help more patients benefit from this technology.

Sadhya Bharadwaj, adviser of the Universitys Art of Living Club, said hes been regularly practicing yoga for eight years.

Youre able to have control over what you think and what youre able to manifest from your thoughts, he said. I definitely feel that is one of the most important benefits.

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Disabilities may find help in yoga

Weight loss programs that stress mindfulness -- self-awareness achieved by meditation and self-acceptance, paying attention to a body's hunger cues and learning to enjoy food at a slower pace -- are enjoying a surge in popularity.

But the latest research suggests this diet trend doesn't necessarily work. Or, at least, there isn't enough evidence to prove such techniques are effective, according to a retrospective analysis of 19 previous studies on mindfulness-based weight loss programs that was published Thursday in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

"There are many reasons to think mindfulness would be relevant for weight loss because people may have a range of behavioral and psychological responses to eating that mindfulness can address, including helping them slow down and focus on enjoying a meal," Charles Emery, professor of psychology at Ohio State and senior author of the study, said in a press statement."But our review of the research shows we still have a long way to go to provide convincing evidence of the benefits of mindfulness for weight loss and, especially, how it may work."

Thirteen of the studies examined weight loss among people who used meditative practices to help trim down. However, the researchers found these studies did not sufficiently track the cause-and-effect of mindfulness techniques and weight loss. The results of two studies set up to measure this connection were generally inconclusive. One of the studies was based on a program that lasted for only one session, while another used the approach with other unrelated techniques.

None of the papers -- 12 published in peer-reviewed journals and seven unpublished dissertations -- met the requirements of a randomized controlled trial that tracked mindfulness and weight loss from the beginning to the completion of the program.

However, Emery said that while the evidence doesn't necessarily back up the effectiveness of such programs, the findings indicate that mindfulness-based weight loss programs are worth further research. Nearly every diet and weight loss program involves a certain level of behavior modification, whether it's eating fewer carbs, getting regular exercise, drinking more water or stopping for a moment to savor the food in your mouth, so there's reason to believe mindfulness could make a difference.

In one mindfulness diet program, for example, an exercise involves eating a few raisins to become more fully aware of their flavor and how they change in the mouth over time.

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Anderson Cooper puts down the mobile devices to meditate and report on what it's like to try to achieve "mindfulness," a self-awareness scientist...

The goal of mindfulness -- to achieve a high level of self-awareness through certain meditation and behavioral practices -- is an inspired concept but one that is hard to reach in our relentlessly plugged in modern world. However, the popularity of these practices continues to soar.

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Mindfulness-based weight loss programs questioned