गुरु नानक जी कहते हैं:
नशा भंग चरस अफीम का रात चढ़े उतर जाये प्रभात,
हरी नाम खुमारी नानका, चढी रहे दिन रात ||
Guru Nanak says that intoxication all mind altering drugs like opium poppies and cannabies may remain for one night and then it goes away in morning while intoxication of Ram Naam remains forever.
Why smoking, boozing and other mind-altering drugs should not be used ?
Smoking, boozing or taking any mind-altering substances do effect one's physical health but damage to mental health is much severe.
That damaging mental aspect is that it makes you a mentally weak person. Tobacco for example is a depressant drug which slows down the firing rates of neurones (measured by EEG). An addictive pattern follows and brain gives signal to the body to consume the drug again or else withdrawal symptoms follow effecting the metabolism of the body. Soon a paradoxical syndrome follows which requires tremendous amount of will power to get out of this vicious circle.
We can preach other people to refrain from these intoxication but every one is afflicted with one or the type of weaknesses and intoxications . They key lies in the mind. As they say, if you conquer your mind, you conquer the whole world. Experimentation in psychology has proved that if you sit in meditation for at least 2-1/2 hrs daily, concentrating at your eye-centre then after 2-3 years, you are able to control the autonomic functions of your body like your heart beat, oxygen-expiration rate, galvanic skin response, blood pressure etc. At the time of stress, these autonomic functions are normally uncontrolled and leads to productions of toxins and abnormal increase in autonomic function.
After long period of meditation, one is able to control his autonomic functions of body and they remain normal. By EEG studies, it has been shown that they are able to produce alpha and theta waves which are associated with high tranquility yet active state. Previous studies have shown that theta waves indicate deep relaxation and occur more frequently in highly experienced meditation practitioners. The source is probably frontal parts of the brain, which are associated with monitoring of other mental processes.
When we measure mental calm, these regions signal to lower parts of the brain, inducing the physical relaxation response that occurs during meditation.
Silent experiences with alpha waves. Alpha waves were more abundant in the posterior parts of the brain during meditation than during simple relaxation. They are characteristic of wakeful rest.
Meditation, according to Penn neuroscientist Amishi Jha and Michael Baime, director of Penn's Stress Management Program, is an active and effortful process that literally changes the way the brain works. Their study is the first to examine how meditation may modify the three subcomponents of attention, including the ability to prioritize and manage tasks and goals, the ability to voluntarily focus on specific information and the ability to stay alert to the environment.
In the Penn study, subjects were split into two categories. Those new to meditation, or "mindfulness training," took part in an eight-week course that included up to 30 minutes of daily meditation. The second group was more experienced with meditation and attended an intensive full-time, one-month retreat.
Researchers found that even for those new to the practice, meditation enhanced performance and the ability to focus attention. Performance-based measures of cognitive function demonstrated improvements in a matter of weeks. The study, to be published in the journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, suggests a new, non-medical means for improving focus and cognitive ability among disparate populations and has implications for workplace performance and learning.
Participants performed tasks at a computer that measured response speeds and accuracy. At the outset, retreat participants who were experienced in meditation demonstrated better executive functioning skills, the cognitive ability to voluntarily focus, manage tasks and prioritize goals. Upon completion of the eight-week training, participants new to meditation had greater improvement in their ability to quickly and accurately move and focus attention, a process known as "orienting." After the one-month intensive retreat, participants also improved their ability to keep attention "at the ready."
The results suggest that meditation, even as little as 30 minutes daily, may improve attention and focus for those with heavy demands on their time. While practicing meditation may itself may not be relaxing or restful, the attention-performance improvements that come with practice may paradoxically allow us to be more relaxed.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Penn Stress Management Program
नशा भंग चरस अफीम का रात चढ़े उतर जाये प्रभात,
हरी नाम खुमारी नानका, चढी रहे दिन रात ||
Guru Nanak says that intoxication all mind altering drugs like opium poppies and cannabies may remain for one night and then it goes away in morning while intoxication of Ram Naam remains forever.
Why smoking, boozing and other mind-altering drugs should not be used ?
Smoking, boozing or taking any mind-altering substances do effect one's physical health but damage to mental health is much severe.
That damaging mental aspect is that it makes you a mentally weak person. Tobacco for example is a depressant drug which slows down the firing rates of neurones (measured by EEG). An addictive pattern follows and brain gives signal to the body to consume the drug again or else withdrawal symptoms follow effecting the metabolism of the body. Soon a paradoxical syndrome follows which requires tremendous amount of will power to get out of this vicious circle.
We can preach other people to refrain from these intoxication but every one is afflicted with one or the type of weaknesses and intoxications . They key lies in the mind. As they say, if you conquer your mind, you conquer the whole world. Experimentation in psychology has proved that if you sit in meditation for at least 2-1/2 hrs daily, concentrating at your eye-centre then after 2-3 years, you are able to control the autonomic functions of your body like your heart beat, oxygen-expiration rate, galvanic skin response, blood pressure etc. At the time of stress, these autonomic functions are normally uncontrolled and leads to productions of toxins and abnormal increase in autonomic function.
After long period of meditation, one is able to control his autonomic functions of body and they remain normal. By EEG studies, it has been shown that they are able to produce alpha and theta waves which are associated with high tranquility yet active state. Previous studies have shown that theta waves indicate deep relaxation and occur more frequently in highly experienced meditation practitioners. The source is probably frontal parts of the brain, which are associated with monitoring of other mental processes.
When we measure mental calm, these regions signal to lower parts of the brain, inducing the physical relaxation response that occurs during meditation.
Silent experiences with alpha waves. Alpha waves were more abundant in the posterior parts of the brain during meditation than during simple relaxation. They are characteristic of wakeful rest.
Meditation, according to Penn neuroscientist Amishi Jha and Michael Baime, director of Penn's Stress Management Program, is an active and effortful process that literally changes the way the brain works. Their study is the first to examine how meditation may modify the three subcomponents of attention, including the ability to prioritize and manage tasks and goals, the ability to voluntarily focus on specific information and the ability to stay alert to the environment.
In the Penn study, subjects were split into two categories. Those new to meditation, or "mindfulness training," took part in an eight-week course that included up to 30 minutes of daily meditation. The second group was more experienced with meditation and attended an intensive full-time, one-month retreat.
Researchers found that even for those new to the practice, meditation enhanced performance and the ability to focus attention. Performance-based measures of cognitive function demonstrated improvements in a matter of weeks. The study, to be published in the journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, suggests a new, non-medical means for improving focus and cognitive ability among disparate populations and has implications for workplace performance and learning.
Participants performed tasks at a computer that measured response speeds and accuracy. At the outset, retreat participants who were experienced in meditation demonstrated better executive functioning skills, the cognitive ability to voluntarily focus, manage tasks and prioritize goals. Upon completion of the eight-week training, participants new to meditation had greater improvement in their ability to quickly and accurately move and focus attention, a process known as "orienting." After the one-month intensive retreat, participants also improved their ability to keep attention "at the ready."
The results suggest that meditation, even as little as 30 minutes daily, may improve attention and focus for those with heavy demands on their time. While practicing meditation may itself may not be relaxing or restful, the attention-performance improvements that come with practice may paradoxically allow us to be more relaxed.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Penn Stress Management Program
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