For today's post, (and for all of the other Thursday blogs called Exploration Blog: Chosen Topic), what I'd like you to do is to choose a topic from Tuesday's readings that you were particularly interested in. Your job is to do some more indepth research on that topic. That may mean looking up some of the original research cited in the chapter and finding and reading the original research article. It also could mean searching the internet for other content and information out there on this topic (ranging from videos, news releases, summaries of research findings, others' blog posts, etc).
One you have completed your search and explorations I would like you to clearly state what your topic is, discuss how it relates to the readings, and thoroughly discuss what you learned about this topic from your additional resources.
It is possible to do this assignment with one source (an original research article). I encourage you to use this approach for at least half of these types of assignments. The other method, is to find suitable internet content that helps you learn more about your topic. If you choose this method, I'd like you to provide 3 sources of information (in the form of internet links). Do not be tempted to just discuss each of the links separately. You must synthesize the information, and discuss the topic as a whole.
At the bottom of your post, please include several key terms that reflect your topic, as well as your sources (either the citation for the 1 research article, and link if it is available on line, or 3 links to the internet content you discussed).
Please be prepared to discuss your topic, as a portion of each in-class day will be devoted to hearing from all of you about what you learned.
I have chosen to look closer at Buddhism and more precisely the relationship between Buddhism and science. I was interested in this part of the reading because the authors mention that of all the religions science has engaged Buddhism the most. And it also really caught my attention because it said that Buddhism doesn’t require a belief in God. I am a very spiritual person but I like to be introduced to different ways of thinking so I thought this would be the perfect subject for me to learn more about.
To begin Buddhism, and specifically Shin Buddhism started about 800 years ago. This religion doesn’t carry with it rules, expectations, forms of worship, etc. Rather, it accepts each person as they are, understands their human needs and worldly responsibilities, and gently guides each person to an inner transformation. Because of how this religion works it is accepting of everyone. It simply doesn’t matter who you are because its goal isn’t to judge or demand, it is simply there to help transform you through the power of Great Compassion into what it likes to call an “awakened person.” Buddha said that “reality rises from emptiness, a non-dual and infinite source.” This is a completely new way of thinking to me. It makes you question your very own existence.
As I type this I am looking at my laptop. My laptop came from emptiness. My laptop practically is emptiness. Emptiness itself is actually a confusing subject. The video I found gives the example of a book with empty pages. The pages are like emptiness and we have the ability to write anything on those pages. There are an infinite number of things we can put on that page to fill the emptiness. Even more interestingly, the video attempts to combine science and Buddhism which the book specifically says that of all religions, science has embraced Buddhism the most. I was unsure at first how they would be related but the video soon showed just how interconnected they truly are. One particularly mind-blowing fact that the video shard is that atoms are 99.99% (with a lot more 9’s after the decimal) empty space. You just have to sit there and think for a second how powerful that statement is and just exactly what it means. We are made of atoms, so that means that almost everything around us is made of empty space. Even creepier in my opinion is that apparently when we touch something, we are actually experiencing a repulsive force that gives us the illusion of validity. What? Furthermore, you aren’t actually touching the chair you are sitting in you are hovering right above it. That’s an interesting concept considering I feel pretty confident that I am touching the chair I feel underneath me. And yet I’m not, because the atoms of the chair and the atoms of my body are repelling each other like the same side of magnets do.
This interconnectedness with reality and our natural world is extremely interesting to me. Buddhism believes in things like karma (individual responsibility) and Nirvana as well as the idea that as long as someone simply awakens and entrusts themselves to the One Life they will have a spiritual rebirth. It also focuses on eliminating suffering. Chapter 2 goes into detail about why we suffer. The book states that in Buddhism it is said that “suffering is the result of craving expressed through the Three Poisons: greed, hatred, and delusion.”
From just the couple sources that I pulled information from it seems like in some ways Buddhism is a very simply and basic religion. But when you actually get into the details of the religion it is kind of confusing. There are many parts to it although they are all connected. I feel like there is so much to learn regarding Buddhism and its role in teaching our minds to embrace the world in a way that no other religion has tried.
Basic Beliefs, Practices, and Experiences
http://www.bffct.net/id71.html
Where Science and Buddhism Meet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj_i7YqDwJA
What Do Buddhists Believe?
http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/beliefs.htm
Terminology:
Buddhism, science, religion, God, inner transformation, awakened, emptiness, atoms, illusion, interconnectedness, karma, Nirvana, One Life, spiritual rebirth, Three Poisons
The topic I chose to look into with more detail was the concept that negative trumps positive. Good vs. Bad has been a mind-boggling concept since the beginning of time. This idea also reaches all aspects of life from getting hurt all the way up to religious beliefs. The greatest minds in history have pondered this idea of good vs. bad so to me this was a topic I wanted to look into more closely.
Bad is stronger than good. This is a statement that many people would choose not to believe, but in saying this doesn’t mean that bad is better than good but that things that are bad or negative produce larger effects than good things do. This is the way our brain works because evolutionarily this is what we needed to survive. You learned what was bad in order to survive and our brain emphasized the bad to make sure this happened.
In the past good and bad were mainly about survival. But in todays world we have less threats than our ancestors did so instead of affecting survival good and bad affect emotions more. There is still a strong need of good and bad in survival but the need is much less than in the past. Through reading my article I learned that studies had been done about good and bad emotions and the lasting affects they had on us. The overall results showed that negative or sad experiences lasted longer than good or positive experiences. This was a result that after learning about how bad is stronger than good wasn’t to big of a surprise was still very interesting.
The impact of good and bad on relationships was only briefly mentioned in the book. The article that I read went into much greater depth about this impact and what I learned was extremely interesting. The idea that good and bad characteristics in a relationship will either make the relationship last longer or end it has been known. But in the support of good vs. bad debate studies showed that bad characteristics had a greater influence on a relationship than good ones. This is also true for communication verbally and non-verbally. The most interesting thing that I read about how good and bad can affect relationships was that there was a diagnostic index for evaluating relationships. The idea was that good interactions had to outnumber the bad ones 5-to-1 in order for a relationship to stay successful. I was surprised that there was enough data that someone could create an equation to predict if relationships would be successful or not.
There are so many more things that the concept of bad being stronger than good effects. From the brief reading I was able to do I came to understand why bad is stronger than good and that this affects all aspects of life. This is a topic that I would like to look into further and learn more about because I do find it very interesting.
http://psycnet.apa.org.proxy.lib.uni.edu/journals/gpr/5/4/323.html
key terms: negative, positive, religion, effects, evolution, survive, emotions, relationships, characteristics, communication, diagnostic index for evaluating relationships
For this week’s blog post I decided to look more in depth on negative versus positive stimuli, how we remember them and how they affect us. Chapter two of H&M describes negative events/ stimuli trumping positive events/ stimuli. Reasons the chapter discussed were mainly evolutionary, in order to stay alive people and animals had to pay close attention to negative stimuli that may cause harm. I thought this was very interesting concept. I knew people remembered negative events well but I never realized that people tend to react faster as well compared to positive stimuli.
In a study performed by Elizabeth A. Kensinger, individuals were given a virtual scene of a forest and presented with a positive, negative, or neutral stimulus. Within the forest participants either saw a snake (negative stimuli), a butterfly (positive stimuli), or a squirrel (neutral stimuli). The results of the study show that people were most likely to remember the stimuli if it had provoked a negative emotional response, followed by a positive response, and finally neutral. The stimuli then took up most of the individual’s attention and the individual could remember clearly the stimuli but the forest or anything else within it was difficult to recall.
What could cause these results? Kensinger explains that events tied with positive or negative emotions are more likely to be remembered than neutral ones, and as a result an almost trade-off occurs where these positive and negative stimuli are remembered in detail and neutral are not. In addition, negative experiences may better be remembered than positive ones perhaps due to evolutionary survival instincts. As our book H&M describes “sticks are better than carrots”. This refers using a stick (skills) to survive and avoid death or unpleasant experiences is better than pursing a carrot (opportunities). Opportunities occur fairly often but if you are unprepared and are attacked, you are dead thus ending your survival and all future opportunities. People remember negative stimuli more perhaps because they learn from them and will know in the future not to replicate an experience as its outcome was unpleasant.
This study demonstrates how stimuli (particularly negative) effect how memories. Our books describe the purpose of mediation as finding peace within ourselves and the world. As we continue to meditate and learn more about it perhaps we may learn to train ourselves to react more calmly and reasonable in negative situations. This may then allow our memory to focus on more important and positive memories.
Not only do negative events/stimuli greatly affect our memories, but also our performance. There are many different teaching and coaching methods. Some being encouraging while others harsh. In an article by Richard Alleyne, studies have shown higher performance rates in golfers and other athletes who endured positive encouragement and support versus negative feedback or criticism. As our book mentions we are more intune to negative stimuli than positive. When a coach begins yelling at a player, that player experiences anxiety as would (evolutionarily) someone who was being attacked. Sometimes this anxiety maybe so intense that it can be difficult to concentrate thus reducing good performance. The same thing can be said about schools. Students tend to respond better and have a better self-image when given encouragement and constructive criticism versus negative feedback. Not only can negative criticism negatively affect students’ performances, but also their self-esteem. As stated in The Dangers of Criticism by R.Heller, “Encouragement builds self-esteem. Criticism tears it down.” Again as we learn more about meditation and finding peace, perhaps we can learn to encourage ourselves more rather than criticize.
Overall people are genetically designed to be more attuned to negative stimuli than positive or neutral. This is helpful in threatening situations however those do not occur often. Through meditation we can learn to attune ourselves more to positive stimuli thus living a more happy and fulfilling life.
http://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2011/10/positive-negative.aspx
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/5257059/Encouragement-improves-your-game-better-than-criticism-claim-scientists.html
http://www.aish.com/f/p/48900562.html
Terms: negative stimuli, positive stimuli, criticism, meditation, peace, memory, evolution, self-esteem, encouragement, opportunities
I chose to look further into the difference between passive and active meditation. The readings defined passive meditation as “a widening of the attention to an all-embracing focus.” Active meditation was defined as “the intention to focus her mind on a single object, image or mantra, or on her breath.” I looked to three different internet sources for clarification on the differences between these two types of meditation.
My first source offered two different types of passive meditation to try in the instance that active meditation was not available. The first method that was offered was watching breaths. This initially confused me because I thought of focusing on breathing as an active technique, later sources helped clear up this confusion. The second method that was offered was four levels of relaxation. This is the process of purposefully relaxing first your body, then your mind, your heart, and lastly your being. This method seemed to be a bit less scientific but I plan to try it.
My second source described active meditation as “activities of everyday life such as walking, working, eating etc.” This definition makes more sense to me as ‘active’ implies that the meditator is focusing on doing something physical. As for passive meditation it was described as “The aim of all passive meditation techniques is to still the mind from wavering and distracting thoughts and gradually make it one pointed.” This definition differs from the texts definition quite a bit at first glance. However, I believe that they basically say the same thing. The purpose of passive meditation is to clear your mind of any thoughts, the text describes this as “an all-embracing focus” and this source describes it as “one pointed” but I believe they are both referring to the same concept. Because of this, I would classify counting breaths as a passive meditation technique rather than an active one.
My third source described active and passive meditation in a more subjective manner. Passive meditation was detailed as “centering and settling one's consciousness on the general sense of an idea, while passively withdrawing from all thoughts, feelings and body sensations.” The idea behind this seems to be focusing until the meditator no longer has active thoughts and is able to achieve the state that they desired. Active meditation was described as “detailed, broad and deep comprehension, as opposed to withdrawing from the intellect. This process requires intense mental exertion to increase one's awareness of the open, simple and revealed meaning of the idea, to scrutinize and elaborate on the concept's many details, facets and ramifications, and not to allow the mind to contract and settle on one point alone.” This idea seems to be more like the sensation of ‘flow’ rather than traditional meditation.
Overall, many of my sources did not explicitly agree with each other. While this is frustrating, I was able to draw parallels between most of the ideas presented. In the end, I’ve synthesized the definitions of both types of meditation. To me, passive meditation is what we have seen as the typical meditation. The goal is to silence the inner voice in your head and live fully in the present. This is achieved through mindfulness or other relaxation type activities. Active meditation is the process of using physical activity to clear the mind of thought and a ‘sense of self.’
Terms: Active meditation, passive meditation
From the Buddha’s Brain reading, the statement that activation of the left prefrontal cortex increases as people become happier caught my eye. To learn more about this statement I read Richard Davidson’s research article (which was really more of a review of many studies, but not a meta-analysis). First off, my expectation was that the statement would be a more central part of the article, but it was plucked from one short section. The article focused on how positive affect manifests in the brain. Specifically, Davidson reviewed the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and other areas.
To address the Hanson and Mendius summarizing comment, it’s slightly misleading. The article itself tells about how people with left prefrontal cortex damage show increased signs of depression. This part of the brain is responsible for part of positive affect and when damaged, characteristics of depression emerge. The statement that Hanson and Mendius make is that “as you become a happier person, the left frontal region of your brain becomes more active”. However, this isn't what the Davidson article explicitly stated. The article said that damage to this area impaired positive affect, not that the area was higher functioning in happy people. Additionally, Davidson concedes that the research findings on this topic are not all the same. He also writes that from his own research, the left prefrontal cortex activation is only associated with positive affect and mood and that it doesn't guarantee these things.
I was surprised at how certain information reaffirmed other statements from Buddha’s Brain. It briefly mentions the negativity bias and how people and animals react more strongly to stimuli that is negative rather than positive. This is consistent with how it takes five times the positive comments to outweigh a negative comment and how negative information often makes more of an impact. Another similarity is the mentioning of evolutionary theory; Davidson writes the negative affect may have had its adaptive qualities for group dynamics. This evolutionary emphasis reminded me of the meditation readings that explained how the constant cycle of layered thinking in the mind were and sometimes still are adaptive, but that in today’s society, it can hinder functioning as well.
While I’m finding that much of the information in Buddha’s Brain is informative and aiding in my meditation practice, reading through one of its sources has convinced me to keep a critical mindset and that some of the information from the sources may be diluted.
Key Terms:
Prefrontal Cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, negative/positive affect, meditation, evolutionary theory, adaptive, negativity bias
Source:
Davidson, R.J. Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences, Vol. 359, No. 1449, The Science of Well-being: Integrating Neurobiology, Psychology and Social Science (Sep. 29, 2004) , pp. 1395-1411
While going through the readings for class I was overwhelmingly pulled toward the information on brain waves and meditation. For this blog I have selected an article that will look specifically at theta and alpha waves during breathe suspension and meditation. This study by Tsai, Jou, Cho, and Lin examines the change in theta and alpha waves of a single subject over time. Utilizing EEG technology they track the effects of deep meditation on the function of these brain waves.
Theta Waves
According to the readings in class both theta and alpha wave show increased synchronization in advanced stages of meditation for the experienced meditator. Tsai et al. confirm these findings. They also go on to explain the importance of increased theta wave activity. Theta waves have been connected to the processes of internalized attention. As the meditative state deepens, an increase in theta wave activity results in a further focused state. Which as we know is difficult to maintain and something we hope to achieve. This increase in theta activity is present in the frontal area of the brain, indicating an enhanced state of mindfulness as well. Because theta activity is associated in the frontal region it is also associated with attentive processing.
Alpha Waves
The synchronization of bilateral alpha waves was found to be reached only when a state of relaxation was finally reached, i.e. not in the early stages of meditation. This is one example of where being practiced in the art of meditation has a distinct advantage because the relaxed state can be reached quicker, thus resulting in a deeper phase of meditation sooner. Self reports of the meditator studied indicate that he only felt relaxed in the end stages of each meditation session, which coincides with the peak of bilateral alpha synchronization. This would indicate the link between alpha waves and meditation.
This study helped to clarify some of the questions I had from the readings, such as, what is do theta waves do? It also presented a supporting argument for the difference of experience between the experienced meditator and the novice meditator. Experience aids on in attaining a deeper more complete state of mediation. In part because the function of the brain will adapt and change as it gains experience. The difference in theta wave activity can drastically affect ones ability to focus and attain a deeper meditative state.
Terms: Theta waves, Alpha waves, breathe suspension, bilateral synchronization, relaxation, attention
Tsai, J., Jou, S., Cho, W., & Lin, C. (2013). Electroencephalography when meditation advances: A case-based time-series analysis. Cognitive Processing, 14(4), 371-376. doi: 10.1007/s10339-013-0563-3
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10339-013-0563-3
I wanted to look further into the whole idea of oxygen consumption and how it is affected by meditation practices. I could make sense in my head why there would be reduced oxygen consumption, due to the regulated breathing, but I wanted to see a more scientific approach and some empirical evidence. I spent some time looking at a general Google search of oxygen consumption and meditation, and I just read a lot of guff. There were blog posts, and total fluff “articles” about how meditation opens the lungs through unlocking parts of the brain. So I had to look at a more accredited source of information to satisfy my curiosity.
The study that I read is showing oxygen consumption during and after cyclical meditation, sometimes found in the form of yoga (Shavasan). The study was conducted on 40 males (only males due to conflicting times with female menstrual cycle). Half of the males practiced meditation and half of them did yoga poses, to compare the different methods. All participants were considered healthy and were not involved in other wellness strategies.
To clarify, the cyclical meditation technique took 22 minutes and 30 seconds and the exact routine can be found in the article. Shavasan can last as long as the person wants to, so it was set to be the same time to keep consistency. The results showed a significant difference in oxygen consumption in pre/post cyclical meditation (CM). There was a significant difference in participants oxygen consumption, breath rate, and breath volume before and after CM. I found it most interesting that the oxygen consumption changed so much in the CM participants. Prior to CM, participants averaged 882 ml of oxygen per minute, and after CM, they averaged 599 ml per minute. This means that the body became more efficient in its oxygen use. I would assume this could be due to the relaxed state of the body, which would need less oxygen to operate. The Shavasan technique also showed significant difference in their oxygen consumption, but it wasn’t nearly as drastic. Prior to Shavasan, participants averaged 797 ml/min, and post Shavasan participants averaged 716 ml/min.
The oxygen consumption decreased 31% during CM meditation. Both CM and Shavasan participants were taking deeper more controlled breaths after their sessions, which resulted in the change in both breath rate and breathe volume.
After reading all of this, I started to think about the applied use of these meditation techniques and how it could help in different activities. Of course my first thought was how it could help climbing, because we use breathing techniques all the time. I thought about pre-competition breathing exercises and meditation. Not even focusing on meditations effects to clear the mind and focus attention, but just solely on its effects on breathing, I can see a clear benefit to competition style climbing, but also in different sports like track and swimming. Prior to your “event” most people jump around, and get their blood flowing. I’ve done it and stand by its effectiveness, but I wonder what outcomes would come from short term meditation prior to an event. Your body would be consuming oxygen and a much more controlled level, and you would have already started your controlled breathing. It would be an interesting analysis to see.
After reading this article and others like it, I’m really excited to learn about more of the physiological and mental effects of meditation, and I’m really getting into the class. It’s honestly really exciting.
Shirley Telles, Satish Kumar Reddy, and H. R. Nagendra (2000). Oxygen Consumption and Respiration Following Two Yoga Relaxation Techniques. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, Vol. 25.
Key terms: Meditation, yoga, oxygen consumption, breathe.
In my previous post, I focused on two primary themes of the several chapters: meditation and religious/spiritual experiences and the mind versus brain dilemma. Interestingly enough, I happened upon an article that discusses how religious/spiritual experiences lend progression to the discussion of how exactly the brain creates the mind.
According to the article, there is a wide array of beliefs about whether there is definitive proof that the brain “creates” the mind. Some scientists argue it has already been proven. Primarily, that the “brain produces the mind.” Others believe that it is likely that the brain produces the mind, but it’s not ye proven, while “the most respected experts in consciousness studies recognize that we are far from understanding mind and its relationship to the brain.” The article suggests there are three different potential hypotheses. The first is that mind produces the brain, which is the most widely believed. Though I’m sure it has more to do with my lack of neuroscientific understanding than knowing what I’m talking about, I think this one would be hard to prove. While I ‘know’ how the different neurotransmitters interact with our mood and emotions, I don’t understand HOW. I know WHAT happens, but it seems there is a step missing. How do I go from having a jolt of dopamine to feeling happier? Without getting too philosophical, it just is rather baffling as to how I can have all these thoughts, feelings, opinions, memories all stored in my head.
The next hypothesis states that the brain and the mind might be the same. Again, I don’t see any proof of this (the article admits so as well, so it’s not just my lack of understanding and familiarity with the topic), and it also seems unlikely. T me, it seems as if the brain and mind were differentiated, but I don’t particularly have a good reason for it. The third and final hypothesis (well, accepted hypothesis. I’m sure there are some crazies out there) suggests the “brain is a tool for mind manifestation.” Acting on a gut instinct and limited knowledge, this seems rather feasible and more likely than the other two, albeit only slightly differentiated from the first hypothesis. The article goes on to discuss how empirical evidence would lend credence to any of the hypotheses, which seems a bit of a no brainer. Empirical evidence generally lends credence to whatever it supports.
Some scientists appear to think the pursuit of this study is futile and will lead only to disappointment. However, the article suggests, and I would concur, that should any of these theories be validated, or even discredited, our understanding of the human race would go a long way, not to mention our understanding of any celestial beings (or lack thereof). That being said, It is quite clear the discussion is at a standstill and more empirical research is needed. The problem, of course, is how to get that… I have no idea.
This is where the religious and spiritual experiences come in. The article discusses a whole range of things, but I’ll focus on the meditative states piece. Essentially, the article discredits the Nataraja book for stating that meditative states/spiritual experiences are caused by the temporal lobe; additional brain areas have found to be activated lately. Moreover, it is a bit of a fallacy to suggest that brain activation means causations, which reminds me of the beloved psychological motto “correlation is not causation.” Additionally, research on meditative states address the mind and brain issue top-down, looking at how the mind affects the brain, which is entirely different than anything researched before, so this could be potentially groundbreaking. Perhaps not, though. I’m really interested to see what research and theories are developed in the future.
Temporal lobe, mind versus brain, meditative states, religious/spiritual experiences
oreira-Almeida, Alexander. (2013) Implications of spiritual experiences to the understanding of mind–brain relationship, Asian Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 6, Issue 6
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2013.01.006.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876201813000427)
Keywords: Spirituality; Spiritual experiences; Mind; Consciousness; Mind–brain relationship; Mind–brain problem
In Hanson and Mendius chapter one, they discussed how some spiritual experiences correlate with neural activity and cited an article by Dieter Vaitl. I looked up that article entitled Psychobiology of Altered States of Consciousness, because I wanted to learn more about what they were talking about. The article was a review of the current information known about altered states of consciousness or ASC, the different ways they are brought about, and how they can be categorized. According to the article, it was found that ASC can be brought about in numerous ways due to numerous factors. ASC can occur spontaneously, can be evoked by some kind of physical or physiological stimulation, induced by some sort of psychological means, or can be caused by diseases. ASC is categorized into 4 different dimensions: if brain activation is aroused or relaxed, if the awareness span is wide or narrow, if self-awareness is present or absent, and if sensory dynamics increased or decreased. Studies of the brain showed that ASC usually comes about due to a compromised brain structure, disconnectivity in the brain, and neurochemical and metabolic processes.
Spontaneously occurring ASC includes things like states of drowsiness during the day, daydreaming, dreaming in sleep, and near death experiences. Neurologically, spontaneous ASC seem to be brought about by changes in activity in the brain cortex and changes in arousal levels. These changes are easily changed through voluntary control, resuscitation, and your body’s own biological rhythms like circadian rhythms.
Physical/physiologically induced ASC includes things like extreme environmental conditions (like extreme pressure or temperature), starvation and diet, sexual activity and orgasm, and breathing techniques. These ASC seem to be brought about and experienced differently from person to person based on the amount of energy supplied to the brain.
Psychologically induced ASC were states brought about by sensory deprivation or overload, rhythm induced trances (like drumming or dancing), relaxation, meditation, and hypnosis. These ASC were characterized by changes in brain wave activity, especially in relaxation, meditation, and hypnosis.
Disease induced ASC included psychotic disorders (like auditory hallucinations associated with schizophrenia), comas or vegetative states, and epilepsy. Disease induced ASC usually corresponded with a damaged part of the brain or a lack of connectivity between regions in the brain.
One thing I was interested about but the article did not cover was the affect of drugs on altered states of consciousness.
They included a really interesting chart that showed each different ASC category and how they could be classified in terms of activation, awareness span, self-awareness, and sensory dynamics. Since this is a meditation class, I looked at what the chart said about meditation. Interestingly, the chart showed that activation can be both aroused and relaxed, awareness span can be both wide and narrow, self-awareness can be both present and absent and sensory dynamics can be both increased or reduced. This is all based on which type of meditation someone is using. Understandably, if you use the type of meditation where you push away all thought (passive), your brain activation is relaxed, your awareness span is narrowed, your self-awareness is less present and your senses are being reduced. However, if you use the type of meditation where you think about one topic and focus on that (active), all of the opposites are true.
I thought this article was really interesting. Learning about not only meditation, but also other types of altered states of consciousness and what brings them about was enlightening. I love coming across these article that bring together a lot of different research to explain one broad topic. I also really enjoy looking at the different ways the human body can escape from reality.
Terms: altered states of consciousness, activation, awareness span, self-awareness, sensory dynamics, brain structures, disconnectivity, neurochemical processes, metabolic processes, circadian rhythms, passive meditation, active meditation
Article source: http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=fulltext.journal&jcode=bul&vol=131&issue=1&page=98&format=PDF
After reading the material from Buddha’s brain, I wanted to do an in depth search on mediation and research that has shown to improve one’s health after meditating frequently. While searching google scholar, I came across many interesting article that were aimed towards meditation and mental disorder, such as eating disorders and substance abuse disorders. The article I decided to write about discussed how meditation alleviated binge eating impulses. In the article Kristeller & Hallet’s (1999) experiment investigated the efficacy of a meditation-based intervention for Binge Eating Disorder.
Before reading and researching about meditation, I had no clue that meditation could be used for things other than spiritual practice. To my surprise, recent research has found that meditation can be used for managing a healthy lifestyle. Meditation can also be a treatment for anxiety, addictions, pain reduction, and as an adjunct to psychotherapy. Meditation also appears to have the possibility to facilitate self-regulation, and may enhance insight and the integration of physiological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral aspects of human functioning. It is really amazing how something as simple as meditating twice a day makes such a difference in a person overall psychological and physical health. In this article they mainly focus on binge eating disorder and how meditation helps improve this detrimental disorder.
Binge Eating Disorder, according to the DSM-5, is characterized by frequent episodes (at least 2 days per week) of unusually large amounts of food, accompanied by feelings of lack of control. Binge Eating Disorder is almost twice as common in females, compared to males. An individual with binge eating disorder is not always over-weight. They can be any body type, which makes it difficult to identify someone with binge eating disorder, compared to anorexia nervosa in which the individual is severely underweight. 21 women that were overweight and had problems with binge eating participated in this study and used meditation as a therapeutic intervention.
The primary focus of treatment was the use of mindfulness meditation in three forms including, general mindfulness meditation, eating meditation, and mini-meditations. The primary goal of general mindfulness meditation is to develop focused attention and awareness of the object of that attention. The instructions are to simply take note of whatever thoughts, emotions, or bodily sensations arise. This practice teaches individuals to observe the contents of the mind and sensations of the body without judgment and to learn detached awareness (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Eating meditations is more specifically aimed towards the behaviors, beliefs, and emotions associated with food intake, somewhat as in guided imagery, but with an emphasis on attaining detached awareness. Lastly, for mini-meditations the participants had to take a few moments to stop and become aware of thoughts and feelings, at times such as prior to meals or when binge urges occurred.
After six weeks of treatment, this is what Kristeller & Hallett concluded. The number of binges reported per week was significantly reduced over treatment. Nine participants reduced binges to less than one per week, and five reported one to two per week. Depression and anxiety was also measured in this study and after several weeks of meditation both depression and anxiety were significantly decreased. Participants also reported a significant improvement in their sense of mindfulness, perceived control of eating, and awareness of hunger. All this information really blew my expectations about meditation. After reading about the history of meditation and actually using meditation in my own life, I am intrigued with the science of meditation. I can’t wait to write about the next blog. Next time I hope to find something related to meditation and neurotransmitter such as GABA, Dopamine, and norepinephrine.
Kristeller, J. L., & Hallett, C. B. (1999). An exploratory study of a meditation-based intervention for binge eating disorder. Journal of Health Psychology, 4(3), 357-363.
Terms: meditation, binge eating disorder, anxiety, depression, general mindfulness meditation, eating mediation, mini-meditation, health
For this assignment I explored the mind-brain debate. However, researching opened up more questions to me than answers. First I looked into many definitions of mind and body. Most sources agreed that the mind is about thought and consciousness whereas the brain is about the physical aspects of how neurons chemicals work; the brain is a physical entity that can be studied. The mind-brain problem is about how these two interact. Overall, there seemed to be two different views: monism and dualism. A monistic view is that the mind and the brain are the same thing. A dualistic view is that the two are separate but work together.
First I’ll talk about the dualistic beliefs. Some people find it hard to believe that brain function alone can entirely explain consciousness. Therefore, the mind must exist as well. However, some people hold a dualistic view and believe the mind and the brain are separate quantities that work together. This also raised a philosophical question for me. In my opinion, some people think the mind is separate from the brain because they feel uncomfortable thinking that everything we do and feel is the result of chemicals in the brain. It seems too impersonal. I think that’s similar to why people believe in a soul and the afterlife. They feel uncomfortable thinking that all we do is get born, live, and die. It implies that our lives have no meaning which is why I think humans created religion and the ideas of a soul and afterlife. It assures people that we’re not just like every other animal and that our lives have purpose.
From a monistic point of view, either the brain and mind are the same or only one exists and the other odes not. One of the articles I read was written by a neurologist so it had more of a scientific viewpoint. In his opinion consciousness is nothing more than the ability of our brain to acquire information and to get all that information into and out of memory. He believes the brain alone does all of that, and therefore, a functioning brain is identical to a conscious mind. This is a view many other scientists have. One reason for that may be that the brain is a physical entity that can be observed and measured. The mind is more of an unobservable, metaphysical thing and therefore, isn’t very scientific.
The rest of the articles I read implied a dualistic view though they didn’t explicitly say it. One talked about near-death experiences and how they may support a distinction between the mind and the brain. Dr. Peter Fenwick studied near-death experiences in his patients and documented their accurate descriptions of what is happening in the room after they flat-lined and were pronounced clinically dead. Neuroscience maintains that conscious experience is not possible during physical unconsciousness, so that leads to the question of mind or consciousness being something alive beyond the confines of brain death. It also raises the question of where consciousness falls: the mind or the brain. Earlier I mentioned that the mind is consciousness and this article brought questions about the definition to my mind. If the patients are unconscious but still experience things what does that mean in regards to the mind? Is it really consciousness? Does it exist at all?
Another article involved hypnosis. Researchers Hilgard and Orne placed participants in a hypnotic trance and through unconscious hypnotic suggestion, told the participants they would be touched with a hot piece of metal. Although they were actually touched with a pencil, the participants in a deep trance had a skin reaction just as if they had been touched with burning metal. This is an example of the mind controlling the body’s reaction. Similar results have been found on patients given hypnosis to control pain. This contradicts the monism approach, as the body should not react to unconscious suggestions in this way. It also raises the question of whether the brain controls the mind or the mind controls the brain.
Another issue involves artificial intelligence. Although this has never actually happened except for in sci-fi movies, it raises the question of what it means about the mind and brain if it were to happen. In movies like Her, the computers develop a mind and feelings of their own. The computers don’t actually have brains because they are only computers. Does that mean that the mind they developed can exist without a brain? Overall, I found more questions than answers when I was doing my research. It brought up topics and issues I hadn’t even considered before.
Terms: mind, brain, monism, dualism, neuroscience, chemicals (in the brain), hypnosis, altered consciousness, spirituality
Sources:
http://www.cuyamungueinstitute.com/articles-and-news/the-mind-vs-brain-debate-what-is-consciousness/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mind-brain-and-consciousness/201101/mind-brain-and-consciousness
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/jun/30/brain-mind-behaviour-neuroscience-neuroimaging
http://www.simplypsychology.org/mindbodydebate.html
In this week’s reading, the part that interested me the most was the section on Ramachandran and Persinger and their respective God modules and God helmets. I love seeing things rationally and I very much enjoy seeing things explained in a way that makes complex phenomena not simple. Granted, billions of neurons working with up to a quadrillion synapses in the brain is anything but simple, but I still find comfort in reading how they can explain things through the use of this brain science. In The Blissful Brain, they mentioned Ramachandran’s findings that microseizures in the temporal lobe produced a ‘religious’ or ‘mystic’ sensation. Persinger was inspired by Ramachandran’s findings and tested a theory by designing a helmet that would actually produce these microseizures in his patients, and he found that he could artificially produce these ‘mystic’ experiences. I love reading about this, so I decided to look more into the work of Ramachandran, specifically about the neuroscience of religion.
I watched several lectures by him to get a feel for his research. There are two lectures on the Ted talks, one was incredibly interesting and talked about phantom limbs and synesthesia (the neural processing of sensory information from different sensory areas, so that one may taste colors or smell numbers). This particular lecture helped me understand his research better, but did not contribute to the knowledge I needed for the blog. His other video talked about a part of our brains that showed neural activity for empathy. This was pretty cool. He said that there was a subset of neurons in the somatosensory cortex that fired when we observed others. Our brains reacted the same as if we were touched when we were witnessing someone else be touched. The reason we don’t actually feel a touch on our hand when we see someone else get touched is because our sensory neurons constantly tell our brain that we aren’t being touched and that we don’t need to confuse our self with too much sensory input. He claimed that this section of our brain was on some level responsible for empathy, thus he refers to the subset of neurons as ‘Gandhi neurons’. This can actually be directly related to what we have been learning about meditation. Our book said that the orientation association area had reduced activity during meditation, thus contributing to the loss of sense of self. This is where meditators may say that they experienced a sense of unity or oneness. Ramachandran said “There is no real independent self, aloof from other human beings, inspecting the world, inspecting other people. You are, in fact, connected not just via Facebook and Internet, you’re actually quite literally connected by your neurons.” This goes back to some deeply routed philosophical thinking. We are made of particles, they same way as anything else is, so that we don’t simply exist in this universe, we are part of it and it is part of us. I believe it was Carl Sagan who said, “We are the universe contemplating itself”. I may be rambling, but I find it interesting that as part of our brain becomes less active, we get this feeling of unity, a feeling of being at one with the universe, almost as though our brains have to constantly remind ourselves that although we are part of this universe we have a distinct body that we must be mindful of for everyday life.
In the other lecture that I watched from Ramachandran (and other great minds) on the science network’s website, I learned a lot of great stuff. However, most of the content was on the biology of belief, and the ethics of whether or not religion should be allowed in medical practices. I loved every second of it, but this blog post is intended to talk about the neurology of these mystic experiences, not the degradation of religion. The link is included below, so feel free to watch it. For my third link I decided to read a chapter of a book online regarding the neuroimaging of religious activity. I apologize that this was not better synthesized into the blog, but I figured it would work just as well slapped on at the end. In this chapter, they talked about specific brain areas that were active during religious experiences in general, and they even had a section on Buddhism. For this study, they used SPECT scans on Tibetan Buddhist monks as they meditated. They found activation in the cingulate cortex, superior frontal cortex, dorsolateral cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, precuneus, thalamus, and cerebellum during the peak meditative state, as well as decreased blood flow in the superior parietal cortex. One very interesting part of the research was that the researchers found a single neural network primarily responsible for positive emotions and religious experience. That is, the one neural network had two distinct forms of expression. Also, they noted the sense of unity found by meditators, not as decreased activity in the orientation association area or by remarking Ramachandran’s Gandhi neurons, but by saying that there was decreased activity in the superior parietal cortex (Note: the orientation association area is found toward the top of the parietal lobe, so that may be what they were talking about, but did not specifically name it.)
http://www.ted.com/talks/vs_ramachandran_the_neurons_that_shaped_civilization.html?quote=628
This link contains a ted talks lecture where Ramachandran talks about how our neural connections make who we are, specifically a group of neurons he referred to as ‘Gandhi neurons’ that fire in response to empathy.
http://thesciencenetwork.org/programs/beyond-belief-science-religion-reason-and-survival/session-10-2
This link has a 90-minute lecture, but the first half is the part that I will be referencing as Ramachandran was a speaker, alongside Richard Sloan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Terrence Sejnowski. It’s very interesting, although not all of it is directly applicable to the class.
http://books.google.com/books?id=3_TFQE_syJUC&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&dq=Religious+Experience+and+Emotion:+Evidence+for+Distinctive+Cognitive+Neural+Patterns&source=bl&ots=sr1aiLoA1G&sig=UGFKAhEudcmQrNuZvm5RjcIc5Dk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=aMfhUvujL-ih2AWH4YG4BQ&ved=0CE8Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Religious%20Experience%20and%20Emotion%3A%20Evidence%20for%20Distinctive%20Cognitive%20Neural%20Patterns&f=false
This link shows part of a book called “Where God and Science Meet: The neurology of religious experience”. In it, specifically chapter 3, they talk about neural imaging of religious experiences.
Vaitl, Dieter., Birbaumer, Niels., Gruzelier, John., Jamieson, Graham., Kotchoubey, Boris., Kübler, Andrea., Lehmann, Dietrich., et. al. Psychobiology of Altered States of Consciousness. 2013. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice. 1 2-47. DOI: 10.1037/2326-5523.1.S.2
I’m interested in the neurological differences between hypnosis, and meditation. Little is known about the neuro activation during these two separate activities, and even less is known about the psychobiological states induces during these mind states. Unfortunately, due to the conscious fluctuations experienced during individual episodes of hypnosis is not really comparable; each person depending on their hypnosis susceptibility. So, I will be looking into the activation experienced during meditation. Mandell believed that during all form of altered states of consciousness (a category that both hypnosis, and meditation fall into) that hippocampal-septal microseizures produced the mystic experience. However, Persinger claimed that microseizures in temporal lobe were the reason for mystical experiences. The answer to this question is not yet known, as measuring a ‘mystic’ experience is currently outside the realm of scientific ability.
I looked up some of the original research cited in H&M’s Chapter 2. My topic is related to the book in terms of social separation. The title of the article I chose is, “Why rejection hurts: A common neural alarm system for physical and social pain.” People commonly refer to emotional pain with physical pain, such as “hurt feelings” or “broken hearts.” Losses of important social bonds are some of the most painful that humans experience. Physical pain words used to describe social pain is common across many different languages. The article states that the shared system which detects potential harmful cues and that may threaten survival is a reason why physical and social pains share a common neural alarm. Physical danger and social separation are two potential dangers to survival where one must pay attention or find coping resources to minimize the threat to survival.
It is said the overlap of physical and social pain is evolutionarily adaptive. Evidence that supports this theory is how opioids are effective in alleviating both physical pain and separation distress in many animal species. Mammals are in need of their mothers for nurturance, which includes protection and food that is necessary for survival.
Within this study was a study about the link between social rejection and self-esteem. Psychological well-being is correlated with high self-esteem; however, research suggests that it is not self-esteem per se, but the amount of social connectedness that underlies psychological well-being. Self-esteem is a measure to which a person is included or excluded. Social ties are vital for human survival.
Key Terms: social separation; neural alarm system; physical/social pain; coping resources; evolutionarily adaptive; self-esteem; social rejection; psychological well-being
Eisenberger, N. I., and M.D. Lieberman. 2004. Why rejection hurts: A common neural alarm system for physical and social pain. Trends in Cognitive Science 8:294-300.
For my exploration blog I wanted to see an in-depth look at the experiment cited on fearful faces being perceived faster than happy or neutral faces. In our book it is only briefly mentioned in a very short paragraph on sensitivity to negative information. I went online and found the experiment done by Yang, Zald and Blake. This is a summary of what they found and how they did the experiment. In the experiment subject were shown four different faces, two women and two men, the faces were then categorized into three separate groupings showing a happy version, a fearful, version, and a neutral version. The subjects were then measured on their reactiveness to each of the different kinds of faces. The experiment was then done again only with flash faces meaning that they could only see distinctive features on the person like the whites of the eye or curve of the smile. Both experiment did show a slight decrease in the amount of time it took for subject to recognize the fearful faces compared to the neutral or happy. Interestingly enough the neutral face were also recognized faster than the happy ones, but not much was spoken on that since they were focusing more on the fearful compared to the happy. I do not however think this was an appropriate citation for this book. While yes it did show faster reaction to fearful faces, it did not make a comparison from that to the evolution of our brain to be more susceptible to suffering. In my honest opinion it was kind of a stretch that the author made using that source to support his point.
From there I went to search for another source that may have been better suited for this section in the book. I then found another experiment that focused in on negative word and human sensitivity. This one measure the attention and arousal of subject when presented with negative, neutral, and positive words. In the results the negative word caused more attention in the subject than the neutral or positive. I believe this does a better job on focusing in on what the author is trying to convey in that part of the book.
The last article I found focus on the impact of evaluations after listen to a certain kind of seminar. Like the other experiments the candidates had to listen to either a positive, negative or neutral seminar. Afterward they were given evaluation to fill out. This experiment showed a major difference between the negative and the positive seminars. If a subject viewed a negative seminar then they were more like to be very harsh on the evaluation. This article would have helped the author make another argue that these negatively inhertitied traits can appear to be stronger than the positive, this would then help the author to convince more people to be interested in meditation.
Terms: sensitivity to negative information, evolution, suffering, inhertitied traits meditation
http://psychology.uchicago.edu/people/faculty/cacioppo/jtcreprints/ilsc98.pdf
http://zaldlab.psy.vanderbilt.edu/resources/Publications/ey07emo.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2759814/
While reading through the chapters, I couldn’t help but wonder about Buddhism’s history. Where did it start? Who is Buddha and when did people start worshiping him? The first chapter discussed the Buddha, Siddhartha. It mentioned that he wasn’t always the Buddha, that it came from learning’s later in life. This implies the being the Buddha is not a birth right but something that is learned. Aside from that conclusion, not much was mentioned about the Buddha or Buddhism so I decided I would research more about how the Buddha and Buddhism came to be.
The Buddha is a man by the name of Siddhartha Gautama. Scholars are not sure when Gautama lived but they do know he is from India. Actually, most of what we know of Siddhartha Gautama and the beginning of the Buddha are what we were able to piece together from many scriptures, myths and legends. In his youth, Gautama was a man of many privileges. He was from a wealthy family but lived a sheltered life until he came across an old man, an ill man, a corpse and an ascetic. After encountering each, he came to the realization that there is more to life than material items. He realized that material items will soon fade and it that is all you live by, you will have nothing left. Siddhartha Gautama is now known as the Enlightened One and is considered to be the founder of Buddism.
Four Noble Truths are the foundation of Buddhism. The first truth is that life is suffering. Life includes pain, getting old, disease, and ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, fear, embarrassment, disappointment and anger. Buddhism explains how suffering can be avoided and how we can be truly happy. The second truth is that suffering is caused by craving and aversion. Getting what you want does not guarantee happiness. The third truth is that suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained; that true happiness and contentment are possible. The fourth truth is that the Noble 8-fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering.
Terms: Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, Four Noble Truths
Buddhism: An Introduction
http://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm
http://www.ancient.eu.com/Siddhartha_Gautama/
http://www.buddhanet.net/4noble.htm