Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Southern California, 2001. / Adviser: Charlotte Furth. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 460-474)

Thesis (M.A.)--Texas State University--San Marcos, 2009. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-60). Also available on microfilm.

Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Asian Studies. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-100).

Thesis (D.W.S.)--Institute for Worship Studies, 2006. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-142).

Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Asian Studies. / Electronic thesis. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-100). Also available in print ed.

<p>Numerous studies have presented physical and psychological benefits of meditation. Many of these are due to the so called Relaxation Response. In our study, we compared a concentrative meditation practice and a relaxation practice to investigate potential differences in the elicitation of the Relaxation Response. The study was performed during 12 weeks on 15 subjects employed by the Police Authority. We measured the subjective well-being, according to the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and by reading blood pressures. The descriptive analysis of the results, supports that the Relaxation Response is elicited by meditation and, although weaker, by physical relaxation. An elicited Relaxation Response is, however, maintained by relaxation. We also looked at the possibilities of introducing these practices in the work environment. There are several issues to deal with if the methods are to be applied in the work environment, mainly creating the time and place for the employees.</p>

Project (D. Min.)--Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, 1986. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 339-346).

Meditation, used initially as a vehicle for self-discovery and attainment of enlightenment, is today a tool for well-being among the general public and has even found its way into the clinical milieu. Meditation is challenging term to define and the variety of meditation practices, all with their own aims, pose a problem in terms of scientific understanding. A better sense of how these practices compare will help both general public and neuroscientists. Here, two of the fundamental practices originating from Buddhist tradition, focused attention (FA) and open monitoring (OM) meditation are compared. FA meditation activates mainly right medial/lateral PFC, parts of the limbic system and ACC. These regions help with sustaining attention and monitoring goal-conflicting distractors. FA deactivates parts of the default mode network (DMN), responsible for non-task specific processes and mind wandering. OM meditation reduces pain by top-down regulation of the limbic system. OM engages left fronto-parietal and insular regions, which help with conscious access of thoughts and emotions. OM seems to affect parts of the DMN. The thalamus is involved in both practices, where it helps to relay sensory signals in accordance with the different aims of each practice. This thesis hopes to contribute to a better understanding of how two main categories of meditation compare concerning their neural correlates.

The aim of this study was to present and understand therapists’ experiences of the impact of their mindfulness meditation practice on their role in the therapeutic alliance. The topic emerged in response to extant research recommendations and researcher observations of the compatibility between mindfulness meditation outcomes and the demands on therapists for establishing effective alliances with clients. The study adopted an interpretive phenomenological analysis strategy located within the qualitative paradigm, and thus a small sample of therapists practicing mindfulness meditation were selected and interviewed on their experiences using semi-structured interviewing. Data were analysed for meaning units, which were then interpreted inductively and hermeneutically and categorized into superordinate themes. Three superordinate themes within participants’ experiences of how their mindfulness meditation practice impacts upon their role in the alliance were determined, namely: ‘self-care’; ‘insight into the structure of selfhood’; and ‘immediate mindfulness meditation during therapy’. This study found these experiences capacitated participants with compassionate interpersonal affects used for creating secure bonds with clients; skills for accurate empathic understanding; and skills and attitudes for working collaboratively with clients. Should future research confirm these findings, mindfulness meditation may be used as a tool to developed alliance formation abilities for therapists in training. Importantly, findings from this project called for a more comprehensive integration of theoretical positions on the construct of mindfulness meditation.

Este estudo investigou a relação entre o tempo de prática de meditação e o bem-estar psicológico, controlando para traços de personalidade, assim como a experiência subjetiva dos meditadores acerca dos efeitos de sua prática no seu cotidiano. Os instrumentos utilizados foram o Questionário de Saúde Geral de Goldberg, a Bateria Fatorial de Personalidade e um Questionário Sociodemográfico contendo uma pergunta aberta sobre a percepção dos efeitos da meditação e itens para definição operacional de meditação. A amostra, selecionada por conveniência, constituiu-se de praticantes da meditação passiva - sentada e silenciosa - cuja experiência variou entre um e 420 meses. Os resultados obtidos através das análises de conteúdo quantitativa, de regressão linear múltipla e regressão de Poisson foram convergentes, indicando que a prática meditativa pode produzir efeitos psicológicos positivos. Foi observado que quanto maior o tempo em meses e a freqüência semanal da prática, maior o bem-estar psicológico. Também foi verificada uma interação entre meses e freqüência semanal, sugerindo que para as pessoas que meditam 6/7 vezes por semana, os escores de bem-estar psicológico não diferiram estatisticamente entre os praticantes considerados iniciantes, intermediários e avançados. Extroversão, neuroticismo e realização são os traços de personalidade que possivelmente mediaram o efeito da meditação sobre o bem-estar, sendo que o primeiro teve uma associação positiva com o desfecho e os dois últimos uma associação negativa. Além disso, a experiência subjetiva da prática de meditação, segundo os participantes desta pesquisa, se reflete predominantemente na percepção de benefícios cognitivos e emocionais. Estes achados corroboram outros estudos e apóiam a idéia de que a meditação pode ser uma ferramenta para o cultivo do bem-estar. Por fim, sugere-se que mais estudos sejam realizados no Brasil e que a prática meditativa pode ser considerada uma ferramenta útil para o contexto clínico em saúde mental. / This study investigated the relationship between the length of experience in meditation practice and psychological well-being, controlling for personality traits, as well as the subjective experience of meditators concerning the effects of their practice on their daily lives. The instruments used were the General Health Questionnaire, the Factorial Battery of Personality and a Sociodemographic Questionnaire containing an open question about the perception of the meditation effects and the items for the operational definition of meditation. The sample was selected by convenience and comprised of passive meditation practitioners - sitting and silent - whose experience varied from one to 420 months. The results obtained through quantitative content analyses, multiple linear regression and Poisson regression were convergent, indicating that the meditation practice can promote positive psychological effects. It has been observed that the greater the number of months and the weekly frequency, the greater the psychological well-being. An interaction between number of months and weekly frequency has also been observed, suggesting that for those people who meditate 6/7 times a week, the psychological well-being score did not differ among practitioners considered beginners, intermediate and advanced. Extraversion, neuroticism and conscientiousness were the personality traits that possibly mediated the effect of meditation on well-being. The first one was positively associated with the outcome, and the other two were negatively associated. In addition, the subjective experience of the meditation practice, according to the participants of the present research, reflects predominantly cognitive and emotional benefits. These findings corroborate other studies and give support to the idea that meditation can be a tool for cultivating wellbeing. Finally, we suggest that more studies should be carried out in Brazil and that the practice can be considered a useful tool for clinical and mental health contexts.