Psychologists at Oxford University have found that people suffering from chronic depression could benefit from meditation in combination with existing cognitive behavior therapy. The new approach is called MBCNT which stands for Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. Follow up work will be carried out to see if the groups studied relapse after the therapy. Professor Williams who is one of the researchers who developed the therapy said:
‘We are on the brink of discovering really important things about how people can learn to stay well after depression. Our aim is to help people to find long-term freedom from the daily battle with their moods.’
You can read about the story further at science daily.
Another study cited by science daily discovered that some sects of Buddhist monks have exceptional skills at maintaining complex visual images in their short term memory for hours. Most people are only able to do this for a few minutes at best. The authors of the study say that this “has many implications for therapy, treatment of memory loss, and mental training.” The particular form of meditation that is most effective is called Deity Yoga (DY) and involves focusing on a deity’s emotions and environment. Other forms of meditation seem not to be as effective since they require one to focus on nothingness.
There are numerous other studies showing that meditation can improve focus, attention and performance even when practiced in small 30 minute sessions. The benefits apply also for people who never practiced meditation before. Other benefits include reducing blood pressure, better response to stress and alleviating pain.
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About Danny Sheehan
Danny lives in Hong Kong but is originally from Australia. He is Married to Maggie and together they have two children with whom they enjoy sharing and enjoying an exciting life with daily. Danny's passions are freedom, adventure and discovery, mainly in nature and science but also spiritually. He is a great believer in living in the NOW.
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