Mindfulness Meditation: Another Look

"Mindfulness meditation is primed to save all of us from anxiety and depression, it would seem. It’s also big business: in 2015, this growing industry made nearly USD 1 billion. The money comes from speaking engagements, workshops, books, as well as apps meant to guide you through the process. The popular Headspace app claims 70 million downloads; the #1 meditation app, Calm, over 150 million! Given the state of our world, the number of people seeking some relief from everyday stress shouldn’t be surprising.

"But does it work? Mindfulness meditation has been the subject of increasing scrutiny by scientists. We have seen an exponential growth in the number of studies published about it, and 2023 alone saw the publication of a considerable number of studies of studies on mindfulness, attempts at summarizing what we have learned so far on how mindfulness might help with anxiety, depression, ADHD, pain, sleep, and cognition, in all age groups.

"On the surface, it all looks promising. Beneath it, however, we find so many problems that the best conclusion I can come to is that something is better than nothing."

Click on the link below to see the flaw in research on the subject:

Mindfulness Meditation Often Fails the Scientific Test

The Effectiveness Of Common Physical Therapy Modalities

In 2016, I posted an online Continuing Education credit course I developed in 2009 shortly after I retired as a physical therapist:  Alternative Medicine and Physical Therapy (link). Since that course did not fully address heat and cold modalities that are used ubiquitously in orthopedic rehabilitation settings, as well as ultrasound, meditation, and friction massage, this post presents the current understanding of their effectiveness:

COLD

"Traditional cold therapy (e.g., topically icing the injured area) may not be helpful but rather act as a barrier to the recovery process." (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8173427/)

"There is limited evidence from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) supporting the use of cold therapy following acute musculoskeletal injury and delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)." (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25526231/)

HEAT

* "Starting of heat treatment immediately after muscle injury promoted the regeneration of muscle fibers." (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9272698/)  * study on rats

"There is limited overall evidence to support the use of topical heat in general; however, RCTs have shown that heat-wrap therapy provides short-term reductions in pain and disability in patients with acute low back pain - - - " (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25526231/

"The positive effects of local heat applications can be observed predominantly in acute conditions." (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003999321005050)

"It is increasingly clear that heat stress promotes signaling mechanisms involved in angiogenesis, muscle hypertrophy, mitochondrial biogenesis, and glucose metabolism through not only elevations in tissue temperature but also other perturbations, including increased intramyocellular calcium and enhanced energy turnover." (https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00061.2020)

ULTRASOUND

" - - - has significant promise, but conflicting data remain regarding the parameters used, and further studies are required to fully realize the potential benefits - - - "  (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8235587/)

MEDITATION

"Because the studies examined many different types of meditation and mindfulness practices, and the effects of those practices are hard to measure, results from the studies have been difficult to analyze and may have been interpreted too optimistically." (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-what-you-need-to-know)

"Meditation has proven difficult to define as it covers a wide range of dissimilar practices in different traditions." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation)

"Meditation and mindfulness practices may have a variety of health benefits and may help people improve the quality of their lives. Recent studies have investigated if meditation or mindfulness helps people manage anxiety, stress, depression, pain, or symptoms related to withdrawal from nicotine, alcohol, or opioids. Other studies have looked at the effects of meditation or mindfulness on weight control or sleep quality. However, much of the research on these topics has been preliminary or not scientifically rigorous." (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-what-you-need-to-know)

FRICTION MASSAGE

"We can conclude by saying that with the limited evidence, there is still a lot of research to do about friction massage. A lot of RCT’s are lacking a control group, are limited by the small sample size and are only investigating the short-term effects. Therefore it is very difficult to draw conclusions regarding the specific effects of frictions in the treatment of tendinitis and other conditions."  (https://www.physio-pedia.com/Friction_Massage)

The Positive And Negative Effects Of Meditation?

"Certain kinds of meditation can reduce feelings like guilt, sadness, etc. But is that good? Does it make people less likely to help others in different ways?"

It's assumed by many that meditation only has good qualities. Click on the link below for a podcast delving into the practice's effects on both the person and society at large:

Does meditation reduce pro-social behavior?

Meditation: It Has Its Dangers

While meditation has value, not all who engage in it obtain satisfactory results. In fact, there are many cases of harmful, if not disastrous, results. Below are four articles that help in choosing whether one should be involved with it:

Does meditation carry a risk of harmful side effects?

Meditation Is a Powerful Mental Tool—and For Some People It Goes Terribly Wrong

The Dangers of Meditation

The 5 Dangers of Meditation

Looking At Yourself In The Third Person

If you are like me, you tend to ruminate over negative thoughts. Science shows that such thinking only makes your well-being worse. Following are some links supporting the concept of habitually looking at yourself objectively when confronted with a person, idea, or situation that evokes negative emotions:

Speaking to Yourself in the Third Person Makes You Wiser

To De-stress, Talk to Yourself in the Third Person

Sam Harris and Mindfulness

This strategy can also be helpful after a religious person turns away from such, in conjunction with formal therapy perhaps (link).

A Current View Of Mindfulness Meditation

While many studies show some benefits of Mindfulness Meditation, it is becoming clear that the quality of the research is not up to par and there may be more hype than truth.

Where's the Proof That Mindfulness Meditation Works?

All about Mindfulness

A Simple Exercise In Mindfulness

Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, philosopher and best-selling author. Before he was recognized for these accomplishments, he spend a great deal of time studying and practicing meditation.  This is a 9-minute podcast giving you the experience of such.  If you think it is helpful, great.  If not, so be it.

The Science Of Meditation

Sam Harris is one of the most thoughtful, educated persons I can think of. Among his long resume, he is known for his personal experience, study and research on the subject of meditation.  This podcasts is an in-depth look at this activity.

Podcast 111: The science of meditation

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Sensory-Deprivation Tanks

"If psychological training is the next big thing for elite athletes, floating is right on the cutting edge—even if it isn’t exactly new. Neuropsychologist John C. Lilly began ­experimenting with sensory-deprivation tanks in the 1950s, and in the decades following, a wide body of research examined ­whether floating could be used to treat a ­variety of psychological disorders."

Steph Curry's Secret to Mental Strength?

Pursuing The Truth Regarding Meditation

If one has engaged with someone who is an avid meditator, one knows the religious-type zeal for such.  This article takes a science-based look at it.

On the Pursuit of Meditation: Buddha vs. Faust

Will Rogers had, not only many funny quotes, but also some of the most profound insights into humanity. Who of us does not worry about the future or dwell on the negatives of our past? The challenge is living more in the "now."  One does not have to spend a great deal of time on meditation to get adequate results from simple techniques.

 https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200811/the-art-now-six-steps-living-in-the-moment 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/02/09/7-ways-meditation-can-actually-change-the-brain/#502510bb1465