There is an article in today's NY Times that some might find interesting. It's about the increasing use in psychotherapy of a procedure known as "mindful meditation". Not a new development to be sure and some are skeptical about whether it produces any benefit (including a former Tipster who is too busy these days writing books and giving quotes to newspaper reporters ;-). You can access the article at: (but you might be required to register to the website if you have not done so before):
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/health/research/27budd.html?ei=5070&en=6e9d0d5b0a0a0724&ex=1212552000&emc=eta1&pagewanted=all or http://tinyurl.com/67csnc Of course, the article is weak on details and raises a variety of questions. For example, given the relative ease with which meditation techniques can be acquired, I wonder why they aren't used more widely. Recognizing that such techniques might be best for certain types of problems (e.g., anxiety disorders), wouldn't allowing a person to learn and practice meditation as a calming technique (comparable to learning some version of relaxation training) also be helpful in: (1) developing a sense of self-efficacy (2) developing a sense of control over oneself and possibly one's enviornment, and (3) being able to handle emotional issues in a more detached way. I don't think that meditation alone may be sufficient in most situations, especially when skills training has to be conducted, but it is unclear to me how it could hurt. The article does say that it may not be useful in some cases but it doesn't go into specifiics. -Mike Palij New York University [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
