This thesis offers the first anthropological description of Movement Medicine, a contemporary movement meditation practice that blends together and is informed by different ingredients such as ecstatic dance, shamanism, voice work, and psychotherapeutic elements. Both the practice and the thesis emphasise movement, relationship with self, others and the world, ritual and ceremony. My argument is that the combination of different traditions that inform the practice, together with its metaphoric language and use of a variety of symbols opens different ways of viewing and managing life processes, so contributing to experiences of expanded consciousness and a sense of reconnection. The dance enables an integration of opposites and the creation of a new frame of meaning or reference. The motivation behind this study is a curiosity about people’s search for meaning and (self-)understanding in western culture at this time. With the decline of traditional religious frameworks, the focus of this search has changed, leading to the remarkable rise of so called alternative spiritualities. Having danced all my life and being a Movement Medicine participant myself, I am particularly intrigued by the role that dance can play in dealing with the increasing demands of a fast and often fragmented world. Through a combination of hermeneutic and ethnographic methodologies, which include over five years of participant observation, 25 qualitative interviews and analysis of 190 articles in three volumes of the ‘School of Movement Medicine’s’ newsletter, I provide an analysis of people’s experiences to elucidate the mechanisms and contributions of this practice to the participants’ wellbeing, their personal growth and their experience of spirituality. In the first part of the thesis (Introduction, and Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4), I situate the practice within the socio-historic context of growth movements that have emerged since the 1960s, and explore the background of Movement Medicine, its 9 ‘philosophy’ and symbols, aspects regarding the ‘School of Movement Medicine’ as a business, and the relation of the practice to other traditions and world views such as (neo-)shamanism and New Age. This also includes a detailed description of the practice in Chapter 4. After a brief Intermezzo, in the second part of the thesis (Chapters 5-8) I discuss the empirical data, describing how, according to participants, Movement Medicine contributes to personal growth and wellbeing in the areas of body, emotions, mind and spirituality. Through this dance practice, people are able to experience anew their own embodiment and connection to others, and this has an empowering, healing and transformational impact on their sense of self. The insights gleaned through the practice do not remain within the confines of the studio but are integrated into participants’ daily lives in multiple ways, contributing to changes with regard to the body, self, relationships, work, values, actions and spirituality. The thesis contributes to understanding what can constitute meaningful, transformative experiences and therefore has a wider relevance. It presents not just another example of the rise of alternative spiritualities and the continued search for meaning in western culture, but develops this understanding in a way that might also be applied to and implemented in settings such as schools, community centres and social care work, helping people deal with the demands of contemporary culture in a variety of situations.

This study examines the experience of people who have begun practising mindfulness as it is taught in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programme (MBSR). The study has two aims: 1) to conceptualise the psychological mechanisms underpinning any change, and 2) to see if the changes produced are the same or similar to those produced in a cognitive therapy programme. The study focuses on two female participants, both with diagnosable psychopathology, who were part of the same MBSR programme at the Cape Town Medi-Clinic. Quantitative self-report measures of depression, anxiety, and medical symptoms were used as a measure of change. In-depth qualitative data which explored psychological, emotional and behavioural changes came from semi-structured interviews taken before, during, and immediately after the MBSR, and at a one-month follow-up. The interview data was supplemented by daily diaries documenting the participants' experiences of mindfulness, together with in-session video recordings. The analysis of these cases provide support for the model proposed by Segal, Teasdale and Williams (2002) of the factors underpinning improvement using mindfulness as a treatment. The changes were found to be similar, but not identical, to those that one would expect in a cognitive therapy programme.

No description available.

I det här arbetet utforskar jag vilka konstnärliga beslut jag tar som producent och varför. Jag har skrivit mycket musik i mitt liv och är bekant med vilka beslut jag behöver ta i låtskrivarprocessen men som producent har jag, än så länge, inte lika stor erfarenhet. Jag har därför analyserat min egen kreativa process som producent av mitt soloalbum. Frågor jag har tagit upp är instrumentering, arrangering, psykiska och fysiska aspekter av musikproduktion och personlig utveckling. Det som blev tydligt i det här arbetet är att gränsen mellan vilka beslut som tas som låtskrivare, musiker och producent är inte lika tydliga som jag tidigare trott. Hur jag väljer att lägga en sångmelodi påverkar soundet så pass mycket att andra musikaliska element berörs och behöver anpassas efter det beslutet. Gitarrarrangemanget, som jag oftast skriver under tiden låten skapas, påverkar hur mycket plats som finns kvar till resterande pålägg osv. En lärdom jag har tagit av detta arbete är vikten av att våga ställa de rätta frågorna när produktionen inte känns bra. Istället för att försöka rädda en låt eller produktion med fler pålägg är ofta problemet att låten inte är tillräckligt bra eller att jag inte har haft en tillräckligt tydlig vision om hur produktionen ska låta. Då är det mycket effektivare att angripa kärnproblemet än att försöka rädda låten med många pålägg. Jag har även observerat när och varför jag har hamnat i ett kreativt gynnsamt och behagligt tillstånd, som ofta kallas för flow. När jag har fokuserat på prestation och fastnar vid för små detaljer blir det tydligt att flow inte kan infinna sig, men när jag däremot har en tydlig vision om vart jag vill med en produktion eller låt och känner att jag vet hur jag ska ta mig dit, hamnar jag lätt i flow. Jag har fokuserat mest på mitt eget förhållningssätt till musikproduktion men har även lyft in andras erfarenheter i ämnet, t.ex. producenterna Pharrell Williams och Rick Rubin.

abstract: Background: Unmanaged stress is a major contributing factor to the development of disease in both men and women. Middle-aged adults (40-64) have some of the highest stress of all age groups and the use of meditation may provide relief for conditions such as stress. A smartphone application (app) may help limit the magnitude of the perceived challenges of meditation. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of a consumer-based meditation app (i.e., Calm) to reduce stress in middle-aged adults who self-report elevated stress. The preliminary effects of Calm on stress and health outcomes related to stress were explored as well as the preliminary effects of Calm on mindfulness and coping behaviors for stress were explored. Methods: Adults were recruited to a 4-week app-based health and well-being study. Participants were randomized into either a mindfulness meditation (i.e. Calm) group or a health education (POD) control group. Participants were asked to participate at least 10 minutes per day. Assessments were conducted for stress, anxiety, depression, mindfulness, physical activity, eating habits, and coping behaviors at pre- and post-intervention and voluntary phone interviews were held post-intervention. App usage data were collected subjectively through weekly participation logs and through objective app usage data provided by Calm. Results: Eighty-three participants were enrolled into the study and 60 completed the intervention and were analyzed. Feasibility and demand benchmarks were met with 96% of participants satisfied with the intervention and 93% found it enjoyable, appropriate, and useful. There was a 70% adherence (minutes/week) to the meditation intervention. Recruitment of men into the intervention group was 38.1% and retention of men was 81.3%. Significant changes were not observed in stress, anxiety, depression, or mindfulness, physical activity, eating habits, and coping behaviors. Conclusion: The findings of this study support the feasibility of a 4-week, mobile app-based mindfulness meditation intervention (i.e. Calm) in middle-aged adults. These finding do not demonstrate preliminary efficacy of Calm to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression or improvement of mindfulness, physical activity, eating habits, or coping behaviors among middle-aged adults who report elevated stress. These results can be applied for improved design of future studies. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Behavioral Health 2020

As mental health is becoming increasingly prioritized, the disparity between the amount of undergraduate students who need mental health services and the amount of undergraduate students that actually receive this help is also becoming more noticeable. Over the past decade, there have been an increasing number of students seeking mental health services, with more students being diagnosed with mental health conditions. There have also been a rising number of students reporting heightened stress and anxiety due to COVID-19. With the increasing mental health diagnoses, especially during COVID-19, it is more important than ever to provide effective options for students to reduce their anxiety. To address this issue, we examined the effects of short easily accessible interventions including chair yoga, visual meditation and sound therapy to decrease anxiety in healthy college students. We report that a single session of five-minute chair yoga (p = 0.001) or visual meditation (p = 0.026) significantly reduced anxiety, as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. We propose that results of this study be considered preliminary data in starting a self-help system for undergraduate students, especially during periods of exceptionally high stress, such as midterms or finals.

Abstract An estimated 33% to 54% of hospital nurses exhibit signs of emotional stress and decreased well-being, which is associated with a negative impact on nurses’ health, job performance, patient care outcomes, and healthcare cost. This project sought to improve nurse well-being by providing nurses with education on mindfulness-based practices. The practice question addressed whether implementing a mindfulness-based education strategy for nurses improved nurse well-being. Three models informed this project: the health promotion model, the andragogical model, and Kirkpatrick’s 4 levels of training evaluation. Sources of evidence included the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and a knowledge assessment administered to 10 registered nurse participants before and after a 6-week education program. An overall evaluation was also given at the end of the program. Analytical strategies included frequency distributions for demographics and program evaluation as well as measuring the mean difference between pre- and postscores using a paired t test for the MBI and the knowledge assessment. The results of this project demonstrated a significant improvement between pre- and postscores for basic knowledge of mindfulness practices (p = .004), confidence in performing mindfulness practices (p = .001), ability to apply mindfulness practices in the work setting (p = .004), participant’s belief that applying mindfulness practices supports self care (p = .013), and improvement in emotional exhaustion (p = .025). The implications are that teaching nurses mindfulness strategies can decrease emotional exhaustion and stress. Recommendations are to continue this program. The positive impact on social change included improved nurse well-being leading to better patient outcomes.

Internal rhetoric describes how individuals engage in self-persuasion. Jean Nienkamp developed a theory of internal rhetoric by drawing on both the rhetorical tradition and the field of psychology. I build on Nienkamp's work by arguing that the Christian meditative practice outlined by Joseph Hall in The Arte of Divine Meditation (1607) and Edmund Calamy in The Art of Divine Meditation (1634) provides a theoretical and practical framework for performing a particular kind of internal rhetoric in which people become the rhetorical critic by reading their own beliefs and knowledge and then become the rhetor by composing self-directed arguments. This process of internal rhetoric aims to increase understanding, rouse affections, and change behavior. Synthesizing Hall and Calamy's meditative approach to internal rhetoric with Gregory Schraw's model of metacognition creates a more complete theory and practice of internal rhetoric, a practice that transforms the very nature of the individual. By bringing scholarship from multiple disciplines into conversation with one another, we can better understand how internal rhetoric is enacted and how to teach it.

Mindfulness meditation is known to improve attention, and neuroscience appears to be a field that can elucidate how mindfulness meditation achieves such an outcome. However, studies on mindfulness meditation have been criticized for a low methodological quality. Thus the current paper aimed to provide a literature review on the neural basis of the effects of mindfulness meditation on attention. Additionally, there was a critical examination of this research to evaluate factors that might compromise the validity of the research. The scope of the thesis was limited to studies on healthy adults using fMRI and on studies that incorporate the generally accepted elements of mindfulness meditation. A total of 17 cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies were reviewed with 510 participants in all. The main result of this literature review were that changes were observed in the mPFC. Furthermore, activation was seen in the insula, prefrontal areas and the ACC. Some of the interpretations of the selected studies were in conflict with each other. This can perhaps be explained by differences in neural activation depending on how experienced the subjects are in mindfulness meditation practices. Some prevalent methodological issues with the studies were small sample sizes, cross-sectional design, and poor or unclear instructions (e.g., not describing the instructions or the mantra employed). There were also more general problems regarding functional neuroimaging. These included movement artefacts and cardiovascular effects. However, based on the 19 studies reviewed in this paper there is tentative evidence for the beneficial effects of mindfulness meditation on attention.

Thesis advisor: John . Makransky / “The body” has become a major focus of intellectual inquiry across academic disciplines over the last fifty years. The interest in the body has also intensified with recent advances in studies of materiality, affect, technology, and neuro and cognitive sciences. In Christian theology, works on the body have also grown rapidly. My aim in this essay is to make a contribution to contemporary Christian theological discussions on the nature and role of the human body by turning to Edith Stein’s writings on contemplation and engaging a comparative theological study of a particular Tibetan Buddhist meditation tradition called lojong (Tib. blo sbyong). The core issue that I address is the lack of practical traction between theologies of the body and a person’s actual relationship with her body in a life of Christian formation. Christian theology has not provided an adequate model of the body that can concretely inform Christian experience of the body and guide Christian practice. I argue that Stein’s extensive work on the body in both philosophical phenomenology and ascetico-contemplative theology can make a particularly important contribution to addressing this issue. However, Stein’s theory of the body has limitations that point to deeper issues in the ontology and anthropology she inherits from the Western Christian tradition. I argue for a comparative theological study of non-Christian sources that conceive the body in ways that shed new light on her view of the body. The current theological literature shows three broad approaches to constructing a theology of the body: re-appropriating neglected sources within the Christian tradition; appropriating concepts and methods from academic disciplines outside Christian theology; or a combination of the two. Yet, these approaches fall short of elucidating how theoretical work on the body should concretely affect bodily experience and practice. In addition to these approaches, there is a need to study theological sources that employ models where the body is better integrated into the anthropology and contemplative framework. I turn to Tibetan Buddhist lojong to reflect on how the points of convergence and divergence between lojong and Stein can help us develop a model of the body that addresses the lacunae in Christian theology of the body. I examine the underlying ‘subtle body’ model operative in lojong texts and argue for explicitly using a subtle body model in Christian contemplation. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2019. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.