Meditation and marijuana

Meditation and Hemispheric Specialization I: Absorbed Attention in Long-Term Adherence

The hypothesis that meditation facilitates cognitive processing of the right hemisphere (RH) and impairs processing of the left hemisphere (LH) was tested in three groups of matched subjects: long-term practitioners of Transcendental Meditation (TM), non-meditators, and novice TM practitioners who were followed for 3–5 months to identify drop-outs. A test battery of verbal, musical, and spatial tests yielded performance data for LH- and RH-mediated cognitive abilities. Interpreting the data gathered in terms of current cognitive models of memory processing, we conclude that, prior to learning TM, the successfully adherent meditator is predisposed to readily alter his/her attentional focus from a LH dominant to a RH dominant cognitive mode. A clinical implication in the assessment of this trait of absorbed attention may be valuable to therapists in choosing whether to use meditation as an adjunct to psychotherapy.

The Transcendental Meditation® Program and Rehabilitation At Folsom State Prison

The effects of the Transcendental Meditation program in a maximum security prison were studied via cross-validation design. Each of two experiments involved the pre- and postmeasurement of a treatment and a control group with a 14-week treatment interval. All subjects were administered the Eysenck Personality Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, and a survey of sleep patterns and smoking habits. Parallel significant differences between the Transcendental Meditation and control groups across all the inventories were found via MANCOVAs, indicating reduction in anxiety, neuroticism, hostility, and insomnia as a function of the treatment.

Expectation and Meditation

94 prospective meditators were administered 2 14-item questionnaires to ascertain their present perceived-selves and their expectations of Transcendental Meditation on 3 occasions: (1) just before 2 introductory talks on meditation, (2) just after these talks, and (3)7 mo. later on follow-up. 36 subjects decided against taking up meditation. Analysis of variance and correlations showed that those who took up meditation were older, initially had more negative perceived-selves, and had higher expectations. In general, a more positive perceived-self at retest and high expectations at the 3 testing periods were related to a high frequency of meditation practice. Frequent practice, in turn, was related to improved perceived-self and increased expectation scores on follow-up. Younger subjects appeared to be more suggestible (responded more positively to the talks); on follow-up they meditated more frequently, had more positive perceived-selves, and were more likely to report an improved perceived-self compared with their initial pre-talk scores, than older subjects.

Posttraumatic stress and marijuana use coping motives: the mediating role of distress tolerance

The present investigation examined the explanatory (i.e,. mediating) role of distress tolerance (DT) in the relation between posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptom severity and marijuana use coping motives. The sample consisted of 142 adults (46.5% women; M(age) = 22.18, SD = 7.22, range = 18-55), who endorsed exposure to at least one Criterion A traumatic life event (DSM-IV-TR, 2000) and reported marijuana use within the past 30 days. As predicted, results demonstrated that DT partially mediated the relation between PTS symptom severity and coping-oriented marijuana use. These preliminary results suggest that DT may be an important cognitive-affective mechanism underlying the PTS-marijuana use coping motives association. Theoretically, trauma-exposed marijuana users with greater PTS symptom severity may use marijuana to cope with negative mood states, at least partially because of a lower perceived capacity to withstand emotional distress.

The effectiveness of drug abuse treatment: a meta-analysis of comparison group studies

A meta-analysis was conducted on 78 studies of drug treatment conducted between 1965 and 1996. Each study compared outcomes among clients who received drug treatment with outcomes among clients who received either minimal treatment or no treatment. Five methodological variables were significant predictors of effect size. Larger effect sizes were associated with studies with the following characteristics: smaller numbers of dependent variables, significant differences between groups at admission, low levels of attrition in the treatment group, a passive comparison group (no treatment, minimal treatment) as opposed to an active comparison group (standard treatment), and drug use determined by a drug test. Controlling for these methodological variables, further analyses indicated that drug abuse treatment has both a statistically significant and a clinically meaningful effect in reducing drug use and crime, and that these effects are unlikely to be due to publication bias. For substance abuse outcomes, larger effect sizes tended to be found in studies in which treatment implementation was rated high, the degree of theoretical development of the treatment was rated low, or researcher allegiance to the treatment was rated as favorable. For crime outcomes, only the average age of study participants was a significant predictor of effect size, with treatment reducing crime to a greater degree among studies with samples consisting of younger adults as opposed to older adults. Treatment modality and other variables were not related to effect sizes for either drug use or crime outcomes

Mind-body interventions: applications for social work practice

In the past decade, we have seen an increase in the popularity of mind-body medicine as an alternative or complement to traditional health care interventions. This paper explores the history of mind-body medicine and how particular mind-body interventions focusing on stress reduction and relaxation can be useful complements to social work practice. Four types of mind-body interventions are described, research on their effectiveness is reviewed, conclusions are drawn, and the applicability to social work practice is discussed. Given existing empirical support for the effectiveness of these interventions, the authors suggest that efforts at both the systems and individual levels, including changes in social work education, can be made to enhance their use in traditional health settings, as well in other types of settings.

The physiology of meditation: a review. A wakeful hypometabolic integrated response

While for centuries a wakeful and tranquil state or experience variously called "samadhi," "pure awareness," or "enlightenment" had been said to be a normal experience and the goal of meditation in Vedic, Buddhist, and Taoist traditions, there was little known about this behavior until recently, when the practice of "transcendental meditation" (TM) became available for study in Western scientific laboratories. Derived from the Vedic tradition, TM is unique because it requires no special circumstances or effort for practice. Based upon a wide spectrum of physiological data on TM, we hypothesize that meditation is an integrated response with peripheral circulatory and metabolic changes subserving increased central nervous activity. Consistent with the subjective description of meditation as a very relaxed but, at the same time, a very alert state, it is likely that such findings during meditation as increased cardiac output, probable increased cerebral blood flow, and findings reminiscent of the "extraordinary" character of classical reports: apparent cessation of CO2 generation by muscle, fivefold plasma AVP elevation, and EEG synchrony play critical roles in this putative response.

Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in preventing and treating substance misuse: a review

This article reviews 24 studies on the benefits of Transcendental Meditation (TM) in treating and preventing misuse of chemical substances. Studies cover noninstitutionalized users, participants in treatment programs, and prisoners with histories of heavy use. All the studies showed positive effects of the TM program. Some of the survey-type studies were unable to exclude the possibility of self-selection or responder biases. However, longitudinal, random-assignment studies with objective measures also showed positive results. Taken together, these and other studies indicate the program simultaneously addresses several factors underlying chemical dependence, providing not only immediate relief from distress but also long-range improvements in well-being, self-esteem, personal empowerment, and other areas of psychophysiological health.

Meditation and psychotherapy

Meditation has been increasingly recommended as a practice with potential psychotherapeutic benefit. This paper provides a description of meditative practice and discusses selected issues related to the conceptual and technical integration of meditation with modern psychotherapeutic interventions. Evidence suggests that meditation may contribute to psychotherapeutic change and that the disciplines from which meditation arises are in some respects similar to modern psychological formulations, and in other respects are complimentary. It is hoped that improved understanding of meditation will contribute to an increased acceptance and use of these practices as aids to psychotherapeutic change and will facilitate meaningful research regarding meditation.

Large group influence for decreased drug use: findings from two contemporary religious sects

This paper reports on studies designed to clarify the role of large cohesive groups in effecting diminished drug use among their members. Subjects were drawn from two contemporary religious sects and data were obtained by administering self-report questionnaires under controlled conditions, in cooperation with the sects' leadership. Data which bear directly on changes in drug use are reported here. Members of the Divine Light Mission (DLM), many of whom had been involved in the "counterculture" of the early 1970s, reported incidence of drug use prior to joining which was much above that of a nonmember comparison group. Reported levels were considerably lower after joining, and the decline was maintained over an average membership of 2 years. Unification Church (UC) members showed a similar pattern but their drug use began at a somewhat lower level and declined further still; this reflects a stricter stance toward illicit intoxicants in the UC, and relatively less openness to transcendental altered consciousness, which is an integral part of DLM meditation. Data from persons registered for UC recruitment workshops corroborated retrospective reports of the long-standing members. Changes in the consumption of tranquilizers were also considered. Data on caffeine consumption reflected less strict commitment to controls over this agent. The decline in drug use was considered in relation to feelings of social cohesiveness toward fellow group members, which was a significant predictor of change in drug use in multiple regression analysis. The findings are examined in relation to the interplay between behavioral norms in a close-knit subculture and the role of its beliefs and values in determining levels of drug use.

Relaxation as principal treatment for excessive cigarette use and caffeine ingestion by a college female

A female graduate student with diagnosed tachycardia was the subject in an experiment to reduce consumption of caffeine and use of cigarettes. The relaxation procedure described by Benson was used as the principal treatment. Reinforcement cards for nonsmoking and elimination of caffeine were also used. The subject was successful in reducing her caffeine intake and completely extinguished use of cigarettes. She reported that she was still practicing the relaxation procedure 1 yr. later. Apparently these procedures can be helpful in modifying use of cigarettes and caffeine.

Secondary prevention of drug dependence through the transcendental meditation program in metropolitan Philadelphia

Using mailed questionnaires, the Transcendental Meditation program was investigated as an approach to the secondary prevention of substance dependence. Significant differences were found between a random sample of meditators and matched control subjects in usage levels and percentage of users for almost all legal and illegal drugs. Meditators had used more prescribed psychoactive medications before learning meditation, but usage levels returned to normal soon after starting. Former users of alcohol, cigarettes, or illegal drugs achieved remarkable abstinence records. For most substances the amount of decrease was positively correlated with degree of participation in the program and the length of time meditating.

Personality and meditation

The relationship of psychoticism, extraversion-introversion, and neuroticism to the practice of Transcendental Meditation was studied. Male meditators (n = 39) were more introverted and more neurotic than the normal population, whereas the female meditators (n = 27) had a higher mean psychoticism score. Over a 6-mo. period of meditation, the males (n = 24) became less neurotic; the degree to which they did so was related to the frequency of meditation. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine metabolites in transcendental meditation-technique

The highly significant increase of 5-HIAA (5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid) in Transcendental Meditation technique suggests systemic serotonin as "rest and fulfillment hormone" of deactivation-relaxation. Furthermore 5-HT (5-hydroxytryptamine, serotonin) is considered to be the EC-cell (enterochromaffine-cell) hormone requested by Fujita and Kobayashi and its role for EEG synchronisation via area postrema chemoreceptor as anti arousal agent is being discussed. The significant decrease of the catecholamine metabolite VMA (vanillic-mandelic acid) in meditators, that is associated with a reciprocal increase of 5-HIAA supports as a feedback necessity the "rest and fulfillment response" versus "fight and flight". As the adreno medullary tissue serves for hormonal reinforcement of orthosympathetic activity, the Enterochromaffine Cell System (having taken the form of distinct organs in some species as octopus and discoglossus) is suggested to serve via serotonin for humoral reinforcement of parasympathetic activity in deep relaxation.