Good synopsis and points. Actually the TM part seemed rather insubstantial and the general impression came across that all the scientific claims for TM (for cardiovascular effects, for instance) did not amount to much when properly "reviewed". The following piece from BBC Health News is all about the programme and there is not even a mention of TM....
Scientists probe meditation secrets By Naomi Law Scientists are beginning to uncover evidence that meditation has a tangible effect on the brain. Sceptics argue that it is not a practical way to try to deal with the stresses of modern life. But the long years when adherents were unable to point to hard science to support their belief in the technique may finally be coming to an end. When Carol Cattley's husband died it triggered a relapse of the depression which had not plagued her since she was a teenager. "I instantly felt as if I wanted to die," she said. "I couldn't think of what else to do." Carol sought medical help and managed to control her depression with a combination of medication and a psychological treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. However, she believes that a new, increasingly popular course called Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) - which primarily consists of meditation - brought about her full recovery. It is currently available in every county across the UK, and can be prescribed on the NHS. One of the pioneers of MBCT is Professor Mark Williams, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford. He helps to lead group courses which take place over a period of eight weeks. He describes the approach as 80% meditation, 20% cognitive therapy. New perspective He said: "It teaches a way of looking at problems, observing them clearly but not necessarily trying to fix them or solve them. "It suggests to people that they begin to see all their thoughts as just thoughts, whether they are positive, negative or neutral." MBCT is recommended for people who are not currently depressed, but who have had three or more bouts of depression in their lives. Trials suggest that the course reduces the likelihood of another attack of depression by over 50%. Professor Williams believes that more research is still needed. He said: "It is becoming enormously popular quite quickly and in many ways we now need to collect the evidence to check that it really is being effective." However, in the meantime, meditation is being taken seriously as a means of tackling difficult and very modern challenges. Scientists are beginning to investigate how else meditation could be used, particularly for those at risk of suicide and people struggling with the effects of substance abuse. What is meditation? Meditation is difficult to define because it has so many different forms. By meditating, you can become happier, you can concentrate more effectively and you can change your brain in ways that support that Dr Richard Davidson Broadly, it can be described as a mental practice in which you focus your attention on a particular subject or object. It has historically been associated with religion, but it can also be secular, and exactly what you focus your attention on is largely a matter of personal choice. It may be a mantra (repeated word or phrase), breathing patterns, or simply an awareness of being alive. Some of the more common forms of meditative practices include Buddhist Meditation, Mindfulness Meditation, Transcendental Meditation, and Zen Meditation. The claims made for meditation range from increasing immunity, improving asthma and increasing fertility through to reducing the effects of aging. Limited research Research into the health claims made for meditation has limitations and few conclusions can be reached, partly because meditation is rarely isolated - it is often practised alongside other lifestyle changes such as diet, or exercise, or as part of group therapy. So should we dismiss it as quackery? Studies from the field of neuroscience suggest not. It is a new area of research, but indications are intriguing and suggest that meditation may have a measurable impact on the brain. In Boston, Massachusetts, Dr Sara Lazar has used a technique called MRI scanning to analyse the brains of people who have been meditating for several years. She compared the brains of these experienced practitioners with people who had never meditated and found that there were differences in the thickness of certain areas of the brain's cortex, including areas involved in the processing of emotion. She is continuing research, but she believes that meditation had caused the brain to change physical shape. Buddhist monks In Madison, Wisconsin, Dr Richard Davidson has been carrying out studies on Buddhist monks for several years. His personal belief is that "by meditating, you can become happier, you can concentrate more effectively and you can change your brain in ways that support that." In one study he observed the brains of a group of office workers before and after they undertook a course of meditation combined with stress reduction techniques. At the end of the course the participants' brains seemed to have altered in the way they functioned. They showed greater activity in the left-hand side - a characteristic which Davidson has previously linked to happiness and enthusiasm. This idea that meditation could improve the wellbeing of everyone, even those not struggling with mental illness, is something that is exciting researchers. Professor Williams believes it has huge potential. "It involves dealing with expectations, with constantly judging ourselves - feeling we're not good enough," he said. "And, that is something which is so widespread in our communities. "All of these things are just thoughts. And, they will come up in meditation and learning to recognize what they are as thoughts, and let them go, can be enormously empowering for anybody." There is, of course, a distinct possibility that this research will come to nothing and that interest in meditation will turn out to be a passing fad, but for now this ancient discipline is being taken seriously by scientists as a tool with potential to make each one of us happier and more content. Alternative Therapies: Meditation will be broadcast on Monday 31 March 2008 at 2100 GMT on BBC Two. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/7319043.stm Published: 2008/03/31 09:58:59 GMT © BBC MMVIII --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "gruntlespam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Just finished watching the program... > > If you are in the UK you can watch the program online at the BBC's website - go to the > iPlayer section. But you MUST be in the UK - ie. with a UK IP address. If you are outside the > UK, you will need to go via a UK proxy server, this will fool the BBC website into thinking > you are in the UK. Look on the web for such a service. > > Plus the program is only online for the next 7 days. > > http://tiny.cc/S9msm > > Synopsis: > > The presenter (a scientist - physicist) first does buddhist meditation with Matthiew Ricard > in Nepal (AKA "The Happiest Man Alive"). Sitting cross-legged on a small stool; following > her breath, days and days of practice etc. > > Then she (yes - she) looks at all the medical studies - and goes off to Vedic City, as the > most pure research she could find is by the TM movement. She's given a tour of the SV > houses, meets a nice TM family (the Johnsons) and then watches some flying - and is > invited onto the foam to try for herself in the physical sense. Funny - she is laughing and > no match for the male TMSP guys who have their flying down pat. > > But it's interesting how the flying does not shock her - she just finds it amusing. The guy > showing her around was a touch creepy, a real TBer I'm sure. > > She hears about the "Unified Field Theory" and remarks in the voice- over how that's "not > even been established yet". Shame they could not get John Hagelin to have a chat with her. > Don't know what she would have made of a fellow physicist - he is very eloquent. > > She remarks how all the secrecy seems so odd, and baulks at the $2,500 to learn!!! But > she say how happy and content everyone looks. No mention of the ME. > > Then she has a teleconference with a TM scientist in Holland who gives her the standard > spiel. Then she goes back to the UK and looks at some of the major "reviews" of research > into TM and heart health. Concludes that TM is a shade better then other techniques as far > as the reviews are concerned. > > Then she moves onto other research on general buddhist "breath" meditation etc, as is > amazed at the MRI scanning evidence. "Cortical thickness" is 0.1 to 0.2 mm thicker in > people who meditate etc.. > > Then she talks to some doctors etc. who are doing "ground breaking research" etc - and > coming to conclusions that the TM research established decades ago. It does take decades > to change scientific viewpoints. > > But then some doctor who's working with depressed patients and using "mindfulness" > meditation says how everybody should meditate, and how it helps emotionally in so many > ways etc. She's very impressed. > > In the end she concludes that meditation is amazing, and she seems to now meditate > regularly and how it's changed her life and she muses on what would happen if everyone > meditated etc. > > So a good program - but just such a shame that the TMO were bit- players, and came out > of it "odd" to say the least. I've never been in the movement as such - just a TMSP guy for > 13 years with a few courses here and there. I feel sad for the TMO and all you folks who > hoped it could be so much. But who knows what was MMY was really up to. > > How amazing it would have been if she'd tried these other buddhist meditations, and then > been able to learn TM for say just $100 in a simple and un-strange environment. It would > have been great to see what her experience would have been. You would have thought > that they would have at least taught her - but no; that's just not what there about. > > It was strange to see Vedic City and the Domes etc; plus the SV houses and the Raj. Never > been there. > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "hugheshugo" <richardhughes103@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "uns_tressor" <uns_tressor@> > > wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "uns_tressor" <uns_tressor@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "hugheshugo" > > > > <richardhughes103@> wrote: > > > > > Next monday on BBC2, a programme about meditation is being > > > broadcast > > > > > part of which was filmed at MIU........ > > > > > http://open2.net/alternativetherapies/meditation.html > > > > > > > > > > Oops, just realised I will probably be the only one on > > > > >here who will be able to watch it... > > > > > > > > > Not so, these days. There are numerous electronic fandagoes > > > > that should allow anyone with an Internet connection (probably > > > > need broadband). Check out their web page. > > > > Uns > > > > > > > > > This is the programme's web page: > > > http://tinyurl.com/34fgwp > > > I think you would need to download the BBC's "IPlayer" > > > software which is free. There is a time difference of > > > seven hours. > > > Uns. > > > > > > > Thanks for doing the research on this Uns, it saved me a job. I'll > > watch on the TV but as it's got Stephen Fry visiting Fairfield it > > should be interesting enough for anyone to have a look as the series > > has been fascinating so far. > > >
