Meditation News and Research

RSS

The term meditation refers to a variety of techniques or practices intended to focus or control attention. Most of them are rooted in Eastern religious or spiritual traditions. These techniques have been used by many different cultures throughout the world for thousands of years.

Today, many people use meditation outside of its traditional religious or cultural settings as a form of mind-body medicine. Many claims have been made about its value in promoting or improving health and wellness.

Researchers map the impact of Covid-19 on the mental well-being of Israelis

During the six weeks between the end of the first COVID-19 outbreak in Israel and the beginning of the second one (late April to early June of 2020), researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science initiated a study that encompassed more than 12,000 responses from nearly 5,000 respondents to digital questionnaires, in an attempt to assess and understand the mental toll of the pandemic on the country's adult population.

12 Aug 2021

Researchers demonstrate how to improve patient-centered care for sex workers

Sex workers face discrimination within healthcare settings that limit their access to safe care. Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago's College of Nursing have recently published a paper demonstrating how patient-centered care for sex workers could be implemented.

6 Aug 2021

Nurses face increased likelihood of burnout during COVID-19, reports study

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40 percent of nurses and other health care workers had risks associated with an increased likelihood of burnout, reports a survey study in the August issue of the American Journal of Nursing.

22 Jul 2021

Survey provides insights into 'pure awareness' state experienced by meditators

In the context of meditation practice, meditators can experience a state of "pure awareness" or "pure consciousness", in which they perceive consciousness itself.

22 Jul 2021

Mindfulness-based therapy could be a viable treatment for insomnia

Sleep problems are common in the general population with up to half of Singaporean adults reporting insufficient or unsatisfying sleep. Sleep quality tends to worsen with age and poor sleep is a modifiable risk factor for multiple disorders, including cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment.

7 Jul 2021

School-based mindfulness improves sleep quality in children

A new study exploring the benefits of mindfulness showed that children slept 74 minutes more on average after starting basic mindfulness exercises at school.

6 Jul 2021

Oncologists underestimate patient use of complementary medicine after breast cancer diagnosis

Nearly three-quarters of breast cancer patients (73%) report using at least one type of complementary medicine after cancer diagnosis, while oncologists believe that less than half (43%) of patients are using these approaches during cancer care.

3 Jun 2021

Spiritual fitness and meditative practice may reduce multiple risk factors for Alzheimer's disease

It is projected that up to 152 million people worldwide will be living with Alzheimer's disease (AD) by 2050. To date there are no drugs that have a substantial positive impact on either the prevention or reversal of cognitive decline.

11 May 2021

Mental health may influence a person's recovery after heart attack

Young and middle-aged adults who reported severe psychological distress--such as depression or anxiety--after suffering a heart attack were more than twice as likely to suffer a second cardiac event within five years compared with those experiencing only mild distress, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session.

6 May 2021

One in five older adults experienced worse mental health since the pandemic

Nearly one in five older adults say their mental health has gotten worse since the pandemic began in March 2020, and an equal percentage say their sleep has suffered in that time too.

4 May 2021

Older adults find connection and meaning in community, demonstrate resilience during pandemic

Older adults were significantly affected by isolation and stress during Oregon's initial COVID-19 lockdown last spring, but they were also able to find connection and meaning in community, new hobbies and time for themselves, a recent Oregon State University study found.

30 Apr 2021

Airports step up mental health assistance as passenger anxiety soars

Robin Hancock gently worked her steel tongue drum with a pair of mallets, producing a set of soothing, mystical tones. They blended with the soft sound of chirping birds and bubbling creeks pouring from a Bluetooth speaker. Her warm voice invited the two visitors in the dimly lit room to slip into a nature setting of their choosing.

15 Apr 2021

Compassion training can improve the well-being of relatives of people with mental illness

If relatives of people with mental illness become better at accepting the difficult emotions and life events they experience - which is what training in compassion is about - their anxiety, depression and stress is reduced.

8 Apr 2021

Online mindfulness practices may alleviate fear, anxiety and stress associated with COVID-19

The fear, anxiety and stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on mental health. But a new study suggests these symptoms may be alleviated through safe and convenient online mindfulness practices.

23 Mar 2021

Study: Transcendental meditation can significantly reduce severity of PTSD symptoms

Veterans with PTSD who practiced the Transcendental Meditation technique showed significant reductions in PTSD symptom severity, according to a new study published today in Journal of Traumatic Stress.

19 Mar 2021

Study shows potential benefits from meditation-based teacher development program

Teachers who participated in a meditation-based teacher development program utilizing the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique for four months, had significant improvements in emotional exhaustion (the leading factor in burnout), resilience, perceived stress, fatigue, and depression according to a new randomized controlled trial published today in Frontiers in Education.

5 Mar 2021

Virtual reality program reduces treatment-related side effects in hemodialysis patients

Hemodialysis patients routinely experience side effects such as fatigue, lightheadedness and nausea during their treatment sessions.

25 Feb 2021

An integrated approach could pave the way for future control of Alzheimer's disease

This new pioneering study by Prof. Ricardo Maccioni and coworkers of the International Center for Biomedicine, "New Frontiers in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer´s disease" was published in the special issue of Latin American investigators of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

1 Feb 2021

‘Peer respites’ provide an alternative to psychiatric wards during pandemic

Mia McDermott is no stranger to isolation. Abandoned as an infant in China, she lived in an orphanage until a family in California adopted her as a toddler.

11 Jan 2021

Study may lead to new therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder

In our attempts to de-clutter our busy minds and make room for new, often more productive thoughts, people tap an array of different approaches. Which works best, and how does each strategy distinctly impact the brain?

21 Dec 2020