Transcendental Meditation and Mental Retardation

2006

A series of case studies is presented in which the Transcendental Meditation program has been used as part of the treatment for various mental disorders at the Institute of Psychophysiological Medicine, San Diego, California. The Transcendental Meditation program proved to be a useful therapy for anxiety neurosis, obsessive-compulsive neurosis, depression, drug abuse, and psychosomatic disease. In general, patients practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique were found to improve at an unusually fast rate and to benefit more from each of their therapy sessions. A review of the use of the Transcendental Meditation program with in-patients of a psychiatric hospital indicates that this program was a successful adjunct to therapy in this setting also. Finally, the value of the Transcendental Meditation program for therapists and for the mental health field is discussed.

Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021

BACKGROUND: Mental retardation (MR) is a developmental condition that is associated with significant intellectual and adaptive behavioral limitations, whereas dissociative trance disorder (DTD) is a dissociative condition characterized by a temporary altered state of consciousness formed by one’s culture. Comorbidity between these two disorders has rarely been reported. CASE REPORT: We found a case of MR in a 32-year-old woman, Mrs. S, with a DTD who killed her five children during her trance. CONCLUSION: It was found that there is a relationship between psychosocial stressor factors, trauma, underlying psychiatric conditions, culture, and communication that influence trance conditions. Further research is needed to study and understand more about these disorders and comorbidities.

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2014

Objectives: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that is clinically characterized by progressive weakness leading to death by respiratory insufficiency, usually within three years. Although the patient's intellect and personality usually remain unimpaired, as the disease progresses, the patient becomes immobile, develops wasting, and speech becomes impaired, often resulting in social isolation and a high degree of psychological suffering. Mindfulness meditation has proven to be effective technique for reducing distress in many chronic diseases. However, to date, no study has investigated the effect of mindfulness meditation on patients with ALS. Design: A mindfulness meditation training program for ALS patients needs to consider the particularities of ALS symptoms, including the loss of muscular functions and difficulties in respiration, together with the subsequent emotional impairments. With these caveats in mind, a modified protocol, based on original mindfulness meditation interventions, has been created specifically for the ALS population. This article describes the protocol and preliminary results.

2006

Concrete experiences from daily practice.

European Journal of Neurology, 2017

Objectives: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that is clinically characterized by progressive weakness leading to death by respiratory insufficiency, usually within three years. Although the patient's intellect and personality usually remain unimpaired, as the disease progresses, the patient becomes immobile, develops wasting, and speech becomes impaired, often resulting in social isolation and a high degree of psychological suffering. Mindfulness meditation has proven to be effective technique for reducing distress in many chronic diseases. However, to date, no study has investigated the effect of mindfulness meditation on patients with ALS. Design: A mindfulness meditation training program for ALS patients needs to consider the particularities of ALS symptoms, including the loss of muscular functions and difficulties in respiration, together with the subsequent emotional impairments. With these caveats in mind, a modified protocol, based on original mindfulness meditation interventions, has been created specifically for the ALS population. This article describes the protocol and preliminary results. The Psychological Impact of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis A myotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. People who have been diagnosed with ALS face progressive muscular weakness and the consequent loss of strength. As the disease progresses, their speech becomes impaired, and they lose the ability to move their arms, legs, and body. Over time, the course of the disease often leads to what is known as a ''locked-in'' state in which only residual muscular movement is possible. So far, there is no treatment that reverses or blocks this progression. 1 The incidence of the disease is reported to be between 1.5-2.7/100,000 population/year, or an average 1.89/100,000/year) in Europe and North America. 2 The psychological and social impact of the disease is severe for both patients and caregivers. For patients, depres

2016

Objectives: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that is clinically characterized by progressive weakness leading to death by respiratory insufficiency, usually within three years. Although the patient's intellect and personality usually remain unimpaired, as the disease progresses, the patient becomes immobile, develops wasting, and speech becomes impaired, often resulting in social isolation and a high degree of psychological suffering. Mindfulness meditation has proven to be effective technique for reducing distress in many chronic diseases. However, to date, no study has investigated the effect of mindfulness meditation on patients with ALS. Design: A mindfulness meditation training program for ALS patients needs to consider the particularities of ALS symptoms, including the loss of muscular functions and difficulties in respiration, together with the subsequent emotional impairments. With these caveats in mind, a modified protocol, based on original mindfulness meditation interventions, has been created specifically for the ALS population. This article describes the protocol and preliminary results. The Psychological Impact of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis A myotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. People who have been diagnosed with ALS face progressive muscular weakness and the consequent loss of strength. As the disease progresses, their speech becomes impaired, and they lose the ability to move their arms, legs, and body. Over time, the course of the disease often leads to what is known as a ''locked-in'' state in which only residual muscular movement is possible. So far, there is no treatment that reverses or blocks this progression. 1 The incidence of the disease is reported to be between 1.5-2.7/100,000 population/year, or an average 1.89/100,000/year) in Europe and North America. 2 The psychological and social impact of the disease is severe for both patients and caregivers. For patients, depres

Journal of Maharishi Vedic Research Institute, 2016

David Lovell-Smith. A pandemic of type-2 diabetes threatens to bankrupt Western industrialized nations. In 2012, in the United States alone, more than 22.3 million people (about 7 percent of the U.S. population) suffered from the disease at an estimated cost of $245 billion. Prevention has so far focused on dietary manipulation and exercise. On completing this paper the reader will have gained practical knowledge of the significant contribution that Transcendental Meditation and its associated techniques from Maharishi Ayur-Ved can make in extending these measures to a more global prevention strategy.

2015

Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)approved treatment for insomnia, depression, and anxiety consisting of pulsed, low-intensity current applied to the earlobes or scalp. Despite empirical evidence of clinical efficacy, its mechanism of action is largely unknown. The goal was to characterize the acute effects of CES on resting state brain activity. Our primary hypothesis was that CES would result in deactivation in cortical and subcortical regions. Eleven healthy controls were administered CES applied to the earlobes at subsensory thresholds while being scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging in the resting state. We tested 0.5and 100-Hz stimulation, using blocks of 22 sec “on” alternating with 22 sec of baseline (device was “off”). The primary outcome measure was differences in blood oxygen level dependent data associated with the device being on versus baseline. The secondary outcome measures were the effects of stimulati...

SBV-IDY2019: Souvenir of the National Seminar and Workshop on Divyanga Yoga, 2019

Pellissier Auriane , Ramanathan M, Bhavanani AB. Introducing Pranayama to Children with Special Needs. Souvenir of the National Seminar and Workshop on Divyanga Yoga: A Yogic approach to children with special needs. International Day of Yoga celebrations. Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry. 13-24 June 2019. Pg 105-108.

Holistic Nursing Practice, 2016

Because of the multifaceted process of weaning patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation, enhancing weaning success remains a challenge. The Care-Integrated Concentration Meditation Program was developed on the basis of Buddhist philosophy and implemented to determine its procedural feasibility. A qualitative case study with 3 participants was conducted, and the process and initial outcomes were evaluated.