Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 84 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 43-47).

Modernity has seen the exchange of ideas about cognition between western science and eastern meditation traditions. In particular, western ways of thinking about the natural world have infiltrated Indian theories of yoga. This intersection of ideas in the twentieth-century has resulted in a problematic trend to theorize yogic phenomena, including meditation, in scientific terms. These translations converge on explicating yogic processes within a context of advancing knowledge about the brain. This translational approach to bringing etic and emic perspectives together in the same framework results in interpretations of meditation that succumb to problems cognitive science faces at a broader level in theorizing cognition and mind-body interrelations. In this study, I take a different approach to bringing emic and etic perspectives together by placing a phenomenologically interpreted emic account of absorption (the meditative shift in consciousness) into dialogue with current scientific understandings of three central mental processes of meditation. Specifically, I analyze ways of conceptualizing attention, memory, and emotion, and their underlying mechanisms as posited in yoga and science, focusing on the problem of how each system interprets the reality of absorption. This comparison suggests a basic similarity between the two systems: theorizing cognition and meditative absorption in terms of embodiment. This finding emphasizes the dual nature of embodiment as both experiential and physical. Finally, I consider this dialogue from an embodied mind perspective, an emerging way of thinking about and theorizing the mind-body in cognitive science, because this perspective challenges longstanding theoretical problems in western understandings of how the mind works. This analysis suggests that theorizing meditation in these dual terms of embodiment potentially solves the reductive challenges of dualistic and materialist philosophy that have plagued both religious and naturalistic attempts to explain absorption. This interdisciplinary dialogue provides a framework with which to think more critically about translational and cross-disciplinary efforts that have previously confused the goals of yoga and science and their respective foci on practice and mechanisms. I conclude that bridging ideas in this dialogical way reveals a complementary perspective between phenomenological and biological ways of understanding the mind that both hinge on embodied cognition. / text

<p>Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the United States. Despite more women undergoing treatment and increased survival rates, many women continue to suffer from emotional distress and physical symptoms associated with treatments for breast cancer (e.g., surgery). To date, there has been limited research investigating the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for breast cancer patients during the surgical time frame. This randomized controlled pilot study examined the effect of a lovingkindness meditation intervention on key psychological and physical outcomes surrounding breast surgery. Sixty women undergoing surgery were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions at breast biopsy: 1) lovingkindness meditation, 2) music, 3) standard care. Assessments of emotional distress, physical symptoms, and positive psychosocial resources occurred prior to patients' biopsy, following their biopsy, one week after receipt of their biopsy results, and one week following breast surgery. Multilevel model analyses demonstrated that lovingkindness meditation significantly improved anxiety, pain, self-compassion, emotional suppression, mindfulness, social isolation, and heart rate levels over time compared to control conditions. These results support the efficacy of a brief lovingkindness meditation intervention for breast cancer patients during the surgical time frame. The implications of these findings on future research, theory, and policy are discussed.</p> / Dissertation

Section A summarises theory and research relevant to understanding the interaction between intimate-partnership and depressive relapse. Interpersonal theories of depression are introduced. Following this, extant empirical studies examining the effects of interpersonal processes on depressive relapse are critically evaluated. As these studies do not consider how depressive relapse might affect the intimate-partner over time, a separate body of literature examining the impact of depression on intimate-partners is reviewed. Limitations and gaps in the existing evidence-base are discussed, and areas for future research are outlined, such as studies to understand the bidirectional interaction and to explore alternative interventions that enable both partners to cope with relapses. Section B presents a Grounded Theory study of the process of engaging in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which is a relapse prevention strategy for depression, as an intimate-partnership. Twelve participants took part in a semi-structured interview about their experience of the MBCT course. These data were triangulated with sessional data from an MBCT course and facilitator validation. The proposed theory captured the ‘process of learning new mindfulness skills together’. While intimate-partnerships who engaged in an MBCT course seemed to learn similar mindfulness skills as in individual MBCT courses, learning as a partnership seemed to facilitate home practice, attendance and a sense of mutual support, which led to unique outcomes for the partnership and their sense of responsibility for each others’ wellbeing. Limitations and implications are discussed. Section C provides a critical appraisal of the process of conducting this research study, including the researcher’s learning experience, implications for clinical practice and future research.

Research has shown mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), to be effective for adults with clinical difficulties, but little research has focused on MBIs for mental health difficulties in adolescents. This study investigated a 6-week MBCT-based intervention, testing the hypotheses that mindfulness-training would reduce anxiety, and depression, and improve mindfulness, self-compassion and executive function, in adolescents with anxiety disorders. It also explored the experience of mindfulness-training and the changes experienced with mindfulness practice. The study used a mixed-methods multiple-case AB design with 6- and 12- week follow-up. Adolescents aged 14-17 (N=8), meeting DSM-IV criteria for an anxiety disorder, completed personal anxiety measures weekly during baseline, intervention and follow-up phases. The resulting time-series were analysed using simulation modelling analysis (Borckardt et al., 2008). Adolescents and parents also completed standardised measures at the start and end of each phase. Qualitative analysis of post-intervention interviews used Critical Incident Analysis (Butterfield et al., 2009) to identify helpful and hindering themes. Significant reductions in anxiety and/or concern about anxiety were found from baseline to follow-up for three participants. Reliable reductions were also found for some participants in anxiety and/or depression, and improvements in mindfulness, self-compassion, and executive function, on self- and/or parent-reported standardised measures, mostly maintained at follow-up. Qualitative themes included the importance of the group and usefulness of mindfulness practices in everyday life. The study concludes that an MBCT-based intervention may be effective for anxiety in adolescents, but further research with a randomised controlled trial is required.

Meditation training has been shown to improve attention and emotion regulation. However, the mechanisms responsible for these effects are largely unknown. In order to make further progress, a rigorous interdisciplinary approach that combines both empirical and theoretical experiments is required. This dissertation uses such an approach to analyze electroencephalogram (EEG) data collected during two three-month long intensive meditation retreats in four steps. First, novel tools were developed for preprocessing the EEG data. These tools helped remove ocular artifacts, muscular artifacts, and interference from power lines in a semi-automatic fashion. Second, in order to identify the cortical correlates of meditation, longitudinal changes in the cortical activity were measured using spectral analysis. Three main longitudinal changes were observed in the retreat participants: (1) reduced individual alpha frequency after training, similar reduction has been consistently found in experienced meditators; (2) reduced alpha-band power in the midline frontal region, which correlated with improved vigilance performance; and (3) reduced beta-band power in the parietal-occipital regions, which correlated with daily time spent in meditation and enhanced self-reported psychological well-being. Third, a formal computational model was developed to provide a concrete and testable theory about the underlying mechanisms. Four theoretical experiments were run, which showed, (1) reduced intrathalamic gain after training, suggesting enhanced alertness; (2) increased cortico-thalamic delay, which strongly correlated with the reduction in individual alpha frequency (found during spectral analysis); (3) reduction in intrathalamic gain provided increased stability to the brain; and (4) anterior-posterior division in the modeled reticular nucleus of the thalamus (TRN) layer and increased connectivity in the posterior region of TRN after training. Fourth, correlation analysis was performed to ground the changes in cortical activity and model parameters into changes in behavior and self-reported psychological functions. Through these four steps, a concrete theory of the mechanisms underlying focused-attention meditation was constructed. This theory provides both mechanistic and teleological reasoning behind the changes observed during meditation training. The theory further leads to several predictions, including the possibility that customized meditation techniques can be used to treat patients suffering from neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy. Lastly, the dissertation attempts to link the theory to the long-held views that meditation improves awareness, attention, stability, and psychological well-being. / text

The present study involved an extension and evaluation of a mindfulness-based training program for families of adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). MYmind: Mindfulness training for Youth with ADHD and their parents (Bogels et al., 2008) is an eight-week manualized treatment incorporating elements of mindfulness meditation, ADHD psychoeducation and cognitive behavioural therapy. MYmind focuses on helping families cultivate mindfulness through training in formal meditation practices and integrating this skill into the context of everyday life as a means of managing ADHD symptoms, stress, family relations and difficult emotions. A North American sample of 13 parents and 9 adolescents (ages 13-18) participated in MYmind; during the intervention, parents and adolescents attended separate groups that ran simultaneously. Using a time-series multiple baseline design, constructs of stress, distress from family conflict, ADHD symptomatology and meditation practice were measured via short questionnaires emailed daily to both parents and adolescents throughout baseline, treatment and six months of follow-up. For multiple baseline purposes, intervention was introduced in a time-lagged fashion. Results from parent and adolescent reports indicated reductions in parent and adolescent stress, parent and adolescent distress due to family conflict, and increased frequency and duration of meditation practice. Parent reports suggested a decrease in their adolescents’ inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms after participating in MYmind, a reduction that was not confirmed by adolescent reports. Most treatment gains were maintained up to six-months following treatment completion. Meditation practice was significantly correlated with reduced stress levels for both groups. Both parents and adolescents reported high satisfaction with the MYmind program overall. Mindfulness training appears to hold considerable potential for improving the multiple difficulties experienced by adolescents with ADHD and their parents.

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In the context of the contemporary rebirth of interest in contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition, many people, e.g., Laurence Freeman (1995), Eileen O'Hea (1990), Bede Griffiths (1991), have begun to examine the writings of John Main. / This thesis presents John Main's understanding of Christian Meditation, in particular, his recovery from the Desert monks of the 4th century, of the practice of 'pure prayer' (silent meditation using a prayer word or mantra). Main recovered the use of a mantra as a way of meditation within the tradition of the Christian church. / The thesis also discusses some aspects of the Christian life and themes which are relevant to his teaching and finally, articulates some implications for contemporary religious/spirituality education. Comparisons are made between Main's pedagogical approach and that of several other contemporary Christian educators.

This qualitative study sought to answer: How may I, as an artist, use art for my own transformation and healing? I am an artist and teacher living with chronic pain and fatigue and wanted to find healing through art and inspire others to do the same. During the three month study, I made artwork, reflected in my journal, and practiced guided imagery. The journal was used to reflect on my health, the creative process, and to record ideas generated through guided imagery. Findings showed that short term relief was provided during the act of creation, but no long-term relief was achieved. The primary conclusion was that I was able to use art for healing and transformation, but only after experimentation and reflection. By adapting the creative process to accommodate for my illness, I was able to include art making as part of a healthy life.