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Teaching MeditationTeaching Meditation to College Students to College Students
James L Spira, Ph.D., MPH, ABPPJames L Spira, Ph.D., MPH, ABPP
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Outline
Principles of Meditation
Types of Meditation
Simple/Effective Techniques
Adapting to different problems
Adapting to different settings
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Principals of Meditation:
Reducing attention to cognitions and reactions to cognitions and emotions
Reducing focus on and reaction to self and others and the world Allowing fuller perception of what presents itself, more as it is, with less biased distortion
Being fully and comfortably in the moment
Calming the mindComforting the body
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Types of Meditation
Eastern Experiential vs Western Conceptual
Yogic OriginPranayamaHatha Yoga
TaoistTai ChiChi Kung
BuddhistVipassanaZen
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Simple Effective TechniquesAbsorptive Approaches
Yoga
Tai Chi
Zen
Observational/Non-reactive Approaches Vipassana / Mindfulness
Combination ApproachesZen/Mindfulness
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Heart Rate Variability (N=58)
30
35
40
45
50
55
B Rd P ST Rc Rd P
Condition:
SD
NN
MED-pre ED-pre Med-post ED-post
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0
1
2
3
4
.05 Hz .15 Hz .40 Hz
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (Specific Frequencies of HRV)
RSA During Worry
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
.05 Hz .15 Hz .40 Hz
RSA During Zazen
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Heart Rate Variability Frequency Distribution During Baseline, Zen Meditation and Stress Recall
(N=26 consecutive patients referred to Health Psychology)
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
Base Zen Meditation Stress Recall
% H
RV
Fre
qu
ency
V/v+l+h
L/v+l+h
H/v+l+h
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EEG Aspects of Meditation
Hz ~ attentional focus ~ processing effort/style
Delta (0-4Hz)
Sleep
Effortless, recuperative
Theta (4-8Hz)
Daydreaming, background noise
Minimal effort, parallel processing
Alpha (8-12Hz)
Calm, clear open attention to sensation
Low effort, Bottom-up, sensory processing
Beta (12-16; 16+)
Focused attention to problem-solving task
Effortful, conceptually-driven processing
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EEG States of Mind
02
468
1012
141618
Hypnosis Zazen ProblemSolving
AnxiousWorry
Theta (4-8Hz)
Alpha (8-12Hz)
Beta (12-16Hz)
Snapshots of a normal subject undergoing different activities (1 lead)
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Functional Model of Attentional Processing
Attention/access to internal experiences
Attention to environment
Elite Athlete
Average Person
ADHD
Meditator
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Attention is enhanced processing:
1) We enhance what we attend toPay attention to worry and we will enhance the worryPay attention to sensation and we will enhance sensation (+ or -)
2) We become what we attend toIf we attend to pain or worry, our nervous systems gear up for thatIf we attend to the softness of the breath or the simplicity of sensory input, our nervous systems reflect that processing
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Attentional Retraining3) Pay attention to something if you can act on it to improve the situation.
Otherwise, switch your attention to:
Some other “beta” activity you can act on productively Rest in “alpha” receptive meditative state
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Attentional RetrainingTwo ways to improve attention
(i.e. enhance S/N ratio for what one processes) 1) Reduce Theta (background noise)
through Vipassana style meditation (low alpha)
(one typically drifts into theta, learns to recognize it and let it go, to be replaced by alpha activity)
this is typically practiced in a meditation session
CBT may first need to be employed to support belief in the benefit of suspending self-image, especially among those who lack confidence in themselves (NPD, GAD, BN, etc.)*
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Attentional Retraining2) Enhance Alpha (attended signal) through Zen absorption techniques
A) high alpha this can be practiced either in a meditation practice (eyes open)or in receptive activities of daily life, such as driving, walking, eating, listening to a conversation, etc. (examples?)
B) low beta can be enhanced through training in sustained attention in active involvementfor anxious or ADHD types, being motorically involved is useful (chi kung, tai chi, Yoga, doing massage, Karate, etc.)
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Attentional RetrainingThose who ignore internal activity need to emphasize
recognition of internal ‘noise’ and be less unconsciously driven by it (Vipassana)
Impulsivity/OCD/Conversion D/O
Those who are "stuck" in their thoughts need to emphasize
enhancement of signal (Zen)ADHD/GAD/PTSD/Psychosis
But all need to practice both approaches
typically practicing both each day
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Practice
Active Absorptive Still Permissive