Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects. Western medicine has recently discovered the powerful affects of meditation, by allowing doctors to treat the body and the mind. In reality, the mind is a very misunderstood and unexplored region of the human existence. Modern science knows more about the composition of the earth than it does about the mechanics of the human brain. Yet, meditation thwarts all notions of modern medicine with its shocking ability to to take obscure visualizations and create physical responses in the body. Mahayana Buddhism, found mainly in the autonomous region of Tibet, has become the main reference and standard for meditation practices in the west. Tibetans have used meditation for centuries as treatment for illness, and now, modern medicine of the western world is just beginning to reap the benefits of this unique and unconventional treatment for a variety of physical and mental ailments. Once a practice reserved strictly for Buddhist monks, meditation has become a worldwide phenomenon. Simply enter “Buddhist meditation” into the any Inter... ... middle of paper ... ...ay 2015. https://www.sbp-journal.com/index.php/sbp/article/view/390 Michalon, Max. “Selflessness in the Service of the Ego,” American Journal of Psychotherapy. Vol.55, No.2, 2001. Web. 21 May 2015. http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/4765470/selflessness-service-ego-contributions-limitations-dangers-buddhist-psychology-western-psychology Tacon, Anna. “Meditation as a Complementary Therapy in Cancer,” Family and Community Health. Vol. 26, Issue 1. pp63-73, January – March, 2003. Web. 18 May 2015. http://www.researchgate.net/publication/10712485_Meditation_as_a_complementary_therapy_in_cancer Terrence, Clifford. Diamo Healing: The Buddhist Medicine and Medical Psychiatry of Tibet. Motilal Banarsidass. 2003. Thera, Nyanaponika. Translated by Roberts, Peter. The Heart of Buddhist Meditation. Weiser Books; Revised edition, July 1, 2014.
Ramaswami, S. & Sheikh, A. (1989). Buddhist psychology: Implications for healing, In A. Sheikh & S. Sheikh's Eastern and western approaches to healing: Ancient wisdom & modern knowledge, NY: John Wiley
In Eastern cultures, meditation has been practiced for over two thousand years. Through this training a culture has developed in which an individual is empowered to engaged in preventative behaviors, which reduce stress and morbidity, resulting in a general state of wellbeing, with stability and mental peace in the face of everyday challenges (Richardson and Lutz, 2008). Over the last half-century, the western-scientific community has begun to evaluate the efficacy of the eastern methods of meditation. In the modern western world there is an over abundance of stress, pressure and over stimulation. These conditions often result in stress-related morbidity, high levels of anxiety and mental illnesses. This cause and effect relationship is well established, and typically emphasis is placed on symptom control and less on preventative behavior modification. There are clinically documented see table 1, meditation practices that can be taught over a short period of time to an individual which have been shown to have positive results. Meditation can be used preventatively in supporting immune function and during illness as a method to aid healing and wellbeing for nominal costs. This paper will make an literary examination of a variety of studies of which examine the role of meditation training in regards to promoting immune function in athletes, recovering cancer patients, in addition to reducing stress and promoting well being in business professionals, cancer patients and seasoned meditation practitioners.
Director Tod Browning was a product of circus life. He grew up in the circus with manic clowns, hairy women and human deformity all lined up for our entertainment, so he sheds a bit of light on the reality of our idea of what is freakish and what is normal. The film begins with disclaimer about its subject matter set up in the format that would later be adopted and tweaked just a bit by Star Wars. He calls this film a “Highly Unusual attraction” keeping with the circus theme of the film. We have a history of beasts of abnormal birth and who did not fit into society such as Frankenstein, Tom Thumb, Thumbelina, Goliath and Nosferatu. These things were all feared but they also fascinated us. Tod Browing goes on to explain that It's a natural urge to be beautiful across all species. To carry your genetics into the next generation, you had to be a desirable partner and abnormalities just won't cut it. Judging the so called freaks has been going on for thousands of years and it's a taught habit. There is an emphasis put on the freaks code to stick together, as it reads “ the hurt of one is the hurt of all; the joys of one is the joys of all” showing there is a deep need to stick together in a world against them. He ends this opening with “We present the most startling horror story of the abormal and the unwanted.” The word “abonormal” and the phrase “the unwanted” are both in bold. I take this as an emphasis on the circus performers who are deformed, mentally impaired and otherwise mutilated and it puts in a nutshell how many people have labeled them and others like them for thousands of years.
Last Spring, as part of a senior project, I took Tai Chi classes and researched how meditation is used in mind/body medicine. I read several books by doctors who use meditation as a form of healing, in stress-reduction clinics and as treatment for people suffering from severe pain and panic disorders. One doctor in particular, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn teaches a method he calls mindfulness, in which he has his patients meditate in order to achieve total mind/body awareness. Zinn instructs patients to focus on their pain and to become aware of it. This often helps them realize that they can live with their pain. No pain is too extreme, he says, in the same way that no emotion is a wrong emotion. Awareness is the only absolute, and the only thing that allows people to live in the moment. Not live for the moment, but live in the moment.
Though Buddhism has long been a disciplined and strict religion since its’ beginning in the 3rd Century, it has recently gained positive utilitarian use within the psychological and neurological fields of science. Programs dedicated to improving and helping the lives of those who suffer from mental illness have started to incorporate the use of meditation as a form of treatment. Meditation is enforced in many schools of Buddhism as a method, or a way of life, to becoming enlightened. With growing qualitative and quantitative research on meditation, it becomes more evidential of the positive and life changing impact meditation serves in improving overall health of the mentally ill. Additionally, meditation can be implemented as a preventative
Humans are always fascinated by power. Sadly, they do not realize the danger of it until it is too late. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare's underscores how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both consumed by power. In the beginning, Lady Macbeth dominates Macbeth, manipulating him to kill Duncan. After the death of Duncan, Macbeth becomes ambitious, and hires murderers to kill Banquo without notifying Lady Macbeth. Even though he is a decorated soldier, when Macbeth rises to power, he becomes ruthless. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth becomes weak, and insane. Shakespeare illustrates how Macbeth’s obsession with power undermines his moral judgement, leads to his mental deterioration, and ultimately results in his death.
The input and output properties of the fiber are very important. They give us an idea about the nature and working of fiber materials. The fiber cables can transport light signals from one place to another place just similar to the way the metallic conductors transport electric signals. The fiber cables guide light around bends and they are able to carry light for very long distances with very little attenuation. But the transmission characteristics of the fiber are not complete and completely efficient. The fiber cables introduce loss of light and smearing of the modulation imposed on the light signals to represent information. These affects of delay distortion and attenuation limit the distances that can be spanned without electro-optic repeaters and thus limit the information rates which can be carried over long distances as well.
Mindfulness meditation is also useful for medical practice concerning complementary interventions through health behavior change and coping with chronic illness. Mindfulness-based interventions and mindfulness meditation are effective in cultivating greater awareness and sensitivity towards one’s body and emotions. Increased awareness of one’s body has been shown to improve health behavior and health-related choices. Mindfulness meditation is also important as a form of complementary treatment for individuals living with chronic conditions such as cancer, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, chronic anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress disorder and many other conditions that impact health and health behavior decisions.
The number of times per day that comments are made about how people wish they looked a different way, even just around my school, is outrageous. In places including schools, the workplace, the household, and many more, people are constantly wishing they had what others around them have. They never stop to recognize and appreciate who they are or realize that they are that way for a reason. I wish everyone could realize that perfection is a hoax brought to us by the media to promote products and, for the long term, low self-esteem. There is certainly beauty in every single human being, no matter what they look like. All shapes, forms, sizes, and colors are equally beautiful, and if someone fails to see that, then they are missing the true meaning of beauty - loving oneself and not judging others based on looks. Everyone is unique and the people in this society need to stop wishing that they looked like other people, especially the models in photo shopped images, because it simply cannot be
Meditation originated in the eastern religion with Buddhism and Hinduism. Monks have meditated their whole life, through time, helping them become better people. Tibetans and the Dalai Lama have been performing meditation intensely for centuries. These Buddhist followers train using the Tibetan Nyingmapa and Kagyupa traditions for about 10,000 to 50,000 hours over 15-40 years. At one time meditation was part of the basic training for the entire Mozambique military. (Kaufman 2)(Roach 2)
Mindfulness refers to attending to an experience on purpose and non-judgmentally and seeing yourself and others holistically. Mindfulness and meditation practices are positively correlated with physical and mental well-being. This research paper will look at the history of Theravada Buddhism, its mindful meditation practices, and the beneficial effects that its practice can have on one’s physiological and psychological health. Additionally, I will discuss the practical applications of this practice in an educational and workplace setting.
Story, Francis. "Buddhist Meditation." Access to Insight: Readings in Theravada Buddhism. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
The concept of fiber optics is simple, yet it provides so many potentialities in the world of technology. Presently the world relies on fiber optical technology for its data and communications systems. The consumer can converse on the telephone and hear voices with clarity, as well as send and receive information on the Internet with ease. However, there still lay a sea of possibilities in this area of technology that has not yet been discovered.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). (2010). Health info. Meditation: An introduction. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm
How exactly does hydropower work, though? As it turns out, dams are the main source of harvesting energy via hydropower. There are about 80,000 dams in the United States, although not all are active producers of power. There are four main types of hydropower facilities, which all require turbines: impoundment, diversion, run-of-river, and pumped storage. Also, there are two main types of hydro turbines: impulse turbines and reaction turbines ("Hydropower…”).