In recent research studies Neuroscientists
have turned their attention to the cognitive benefits of mindfulness meditation.
Studies have shown the positive effects of mindfulness meditation on emotional
regulation, focus, and stress relief. In Mandy Oaklanders TIME Magazine article
“This is Why Meditation Makes You Feel Better” she highlights a study that
shows the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on pain relief. The study,
which was co-authored by Fadel Zeidan, was published in the Journal of Neuroscience, and it showed
that meditation successfully relieves pain but not in the same way that opiates
do.
The results of the study indicated
that mindfulness meditation is successful at relieving pain, what was
surprising was that 21% of meditators who were given a placebo shot of saline
and 24% of meditators who received naloxone reported feeling less pain. Since
Naloxone is an opiate suppressor, Zeidan was able to conclude that mindfulness
meditation could be especially useful as a non-opiate pain therapy. This could
also indicate that mindfulness meditation could help reduce opiate
dependencies, especially considering it only took 80 minutes of practice to dramatically
reduced pain.
Shifting attention to the affect of
meditation on emotional regulation we see another facet of drug dependence that
could be influenced by meditation. In the study done on Buddhist monks that we
discussed in class, researchers found that that Buddhist monk’s have incredible
emotional regulation. Could this be a new treatment for anxiety and depression?
In the study above it only took 80 minutes to dramatically reduce pain, this is
very doable, and it shows that you don’t have to have the expertise of a Buddhist
monk to reap the benefits of meditation. The big question to be asked now is:
could this powerful activity be an effective replacement for prescription
drugs? Replacing prescription medications with meditation would not only have cost
benefits, but we would also avoid the harmful side effects of many prescription
medications. Could this be a practical alternative?
I think this study is really interesting, especially its conclusion that mindfulness meditation can be used as a substitute to opium drugs in pain therapy. There are so many benefits to meditation that are only beginning to be determined through research, and it's exciting to see all its positive effects come to life. However, a fair point is made by asking whether or not meditation is powerful enough to replace the use of prescription drugs. I hope in the future this will be a viable possibility.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting article. Since meditation seems to activate regions of the brain that are associated with higher-order processes, then it may be very effective. I also agree that meditation could be a possible replacement for prescription medications; however, this practice should be further examined in people who have depression or anxiety.
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ReplyDeleteThe benefits of practicing mindfulness are fascinating and can definitely be very powerful. Because the majority of mindfulness research assesses depression, anxiety, stress, and overall well-being, it is also important to conduct studies on mindfulness and chronic pain, such as this one. I think it is fascinating that practicing mindfulness can relieve pain by actually focusing one’s attention on it rather than trying to be distracted. Perhaps, our perception of pain is often distorted with top-down processing, and mindfulness can regulate this. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a popular and effective program that was originally created for chronic pain patients. I found this article to be very interesting, because it raises the possibility of meditation replacing opiates and reducing opiate dependencies. More research in this area is definitely needed.
It’s amazing to know that humans might have the potential to naturally heal themselves by meditating. Research about how meditation can reduce pain can be so beneficial for those suffering with depression, trauma, anxiety and many other disorders. Also, as it is known that meditation helps to expand the pre-frontal cortex, improving awareness and concentration, meditation should in fact be recommended to everyone. I think it should be more widely recommended by doctors and encouraged to all humanity. I think more research about meditation should be done as it might do many other wonders!
ReplyDeleteI found this very insightful because I just recently had a thought to start meditating more and being more mindful. It happened during a procrastination daydream in class which is funny to me. Studies in meditation have shown they activate higher cognitive areas of the brain while dampening the pain areas of the brain like the thalamus. The fact that they did this study while blocking the opiate receptor rebukes all the naysayers to meditation as a viable pain killer.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting to me as my former Abnormal Psychology professor did a lot of research with mindful meditation apps. I think this is extremely important evidence that should be brought to the public eye as the opioid epidemic continues to surge in the U.S. This makes me interested to know other behavioral techniques that could possibly help people who experience different neurological issues, and it's truly amazing how the human body can in a way "repair" itself neurologically.
ReplyDeleteI found this very interesting and reaffirming to my personal battle with anxiety as meditation is a skill I use to cope with my anxiety attacks as well as symptoms of ADHD. After practice, meditation becomes almost a second nature and now when I feel a rise of a panic attack I am able to meditate and subdue the effects of my anxiety. I notice a difference in my day to day life if I do not meditate when I wake up, I am noticeably more on edge. On the topic of pain tolerance, the last tattoo I had got I decided to meditate while getting the tattoo and noticed a immense difference in the pain felt in comparison to my other tattoos where I did not meditate.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that meditation can attenuate pain only furthers the notion that the brain's ability to bring about physiological change may be greater than we've given it credit for.
ReplyDeleteReading this article brought a specific image to mind. In 1963, Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc lit himself on fire and burned to death in the middle of a street in Saigon. Onlookers said the monk didn't move or even make a sound the entire time. The act of protest was captured in the famous historical photo that demanded the world's attention then and continues to capture it today. In Buddhism, self-immolation is rarely practiced, and this is perhaps an extreme example of the application of meditation to attain a higher state of consciousness that allows one to feel pain without suffering.
One does not have to be Buddhist to gain access to the healing and pain alleviating benefits of meditation. However, consistency is key; there is no meditation shot or pill that can provide instant relief. Research has indeed shown that even average people who practice meditation regularly can see improvement in chronic pain. More studies are necessary before we can accurately gauge whether this is a sound replacement for pain medication, but I believe meditation can at least minimize the amount of drugs that medicine so depends on - and the gravity of such a discovery cannot be understated.