Re: Mindfulness meditation training changes brain structure in 8 weeks

[Guest guest]

I don't talk about it much her in case people think I am pushing religion, which I am not, but I see mindfulness as the way out of my mess. But like many people with nervous illness my mind is full of chattering monkeys and so mindfulness is difficult, but one day I will be much better and be able to achieve it.

Mindfulness and Pain

When we feel pain we try to avoid it, hate it, and get distressed by it, etc, but the yogi's found out centuries ago that if you accept pain and become mindful of it the pain lessons, and with more practice it can completely go, or change into a pleasant sensation instead. In the modern world scientists now know why this phenomenon occurs, when we accept pain without adding more distress, the brain perceives the pain as not being a threat and actually undoes the circuits that are dealing with this pain.

My Night of Mindfulness

Recently a few weeks back I went into trauma when it seemed that I was about to split from my girlfriend. My mind then started playing up tormenting me (ACT talks a lot about how the mind will tell you all sorts of rubbish and keep you ill): Anyway, my mind started saying these horrible thoughts: `After years of trying at relationships, you're are all alone again'. Now the fun and games started, `you have a personality disorder', said my mind, `you will be alone forever, you will never become good musician, you're weird', etc. I was going into severe depression and I really needed to sleep so I thought about that beer which I have in the kitchen, but I realised that would make me worse. `Or what about some pain killers?', I thought, but I didn't think they would help much.

When I am very distressed I can become mindful and so I had a real go at it. This went on for the whole night where the peace was wonderful, like fresh air gently breezing through my mind, and in the morning I was transformed, like I had an epiphany or something. My neurosis was almost gone and the whole world was new again. I liked myself and felt attractive, and there was a skip in my step because I felt so much optimism for the future. I loved being with people and I had a lot of good hearted fun. I also became very optimistic about recovery from PSSD because I knew that my brain would significantly heal if I could experience this joy on a regular basis.

Alas, it didn't last as my body is wrecked, but I know that there is another way to be. Some folk say that mindfulness is better than sex and I can well believe it. When we like ourselves and others really like us we live in bliss, and my relationship with my girlfriend has blossomed since that terrible night.

For a more western form of mindfulness the Open Focus Technique looks good:

The Open Focus Brain: Deals with chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and ADHD, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Open-Focus-Brain-Harnessing-Power-Attention/dp/1590306120/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 & s=books & qid=1295708513 & sr=1-1

Open Focus and chronic pain - Disolving Pain:

http://www.amazon.com/Dissolving-Pain-Brain-Training-Exercises-Overcoming/dp/1590307801/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2

For neuroplasticity and the happiness of those that practice mindfulness, try Sharon Begley's, The Plastic Brain:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plastic-Mind-Sharon-Begley/dp/1845296745/ref=sr_1_1?s=books & ie=UTF8 & qid=1295708707 & sr=1-1

Kaivey

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[Guest guest]

Interesting you should bring this up. I am in the process of reading " The

Buddah's Brain " by Rick Hanson PhD and Mendius MD. It is about

neuroscience, Neuroplasticity, and mindfulness. Excellent book. Despite the

titile it is not a religious book but how you can change your brain. I have

read others on the topic but this one is far superior. I recommend you check

it out and even look at some of the reviews.

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[Guest guest]

A little bit more on neuroplasticity and the ability for change. This is about on Ford (one of hollywood's highest paid paid actrors ) and his deep shyness as a child:

Depression:

What many of his fans do not realize is that the future Indiana was far from the tough guy as a child. He was shy and often beaten up by his peers. Taking a stance of non-violence he refused to fight back, instead keeping the anger inside himself for years. During college he did not fit in, finding the school too conservative for his tastes. He began exhibiting typical signs of depression, such sleeping long hours, missing classes and struggling to keep up with his studies. He later said of his time at college, "The kindest word to describe my performance was Sloth". Due to his failing a philosophy class during his senior year, he was expelled from school. Notoriously private about his life, Ford has not personally characterized this period of his life as one of depression, but has confessed to being painfully shy until his junior year of college, when he signed up for a drama class and overcame his fears.

http://depression.about.com/od/famous/p/harrisonford.htm

Kaivey

>> http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-mindfulness-meditation-brain-weeks.h\> tml> <http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-mindfulness-meditation-brain-weeks.\> html>>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for that, , and I shall take a look at that book. This subject

really interests me.

Kaivey

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