Re: Study: Meditation Aids Teen Blood Pressure

From: pinecone (poodlebreeze_at_netscape.net)
Date: 08/30/04 

Date: 29 Aug 2004 20:34:06 -0700

"Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD" <andrew@heartmdphd.com> wrote in message news:<41323420.66B4@heartmdphd.com>...
> Mozz wrote:
> >
> > ATLANTA - A study by the Medical College of Georgia found that two
> > 15-minute meditation sessions each day ? once at home, the other at
> > school ? helped teenage students lower their blood pressure over four
> > months. Their blood pressure even continued to drop for four months
> > after the meditation sessions ended, researchers said Friday.
 
> > When college officials asked Fitts to join a study of whether
> > meditation could lower blood pressure, he thought they were out of
> > their minds. But getting into his mind was the key.
> >
> > Fitts says the program helped him.
> > "The meditation calms me down and makes me think better about things,"
> > said Fitts, now a nursing student at the University of South Carolina
> > at Aiken.
>
> Prayer likely would have had the same effect with the added bonus of
> God's blessing (assuming one prayed to God).

I agree that focused meditation of any type might also be found to
have the same effect. What makes this interesting, though, is that
it's not religious, and shouldn't upset people of different faiths who
have their own version of meditation, affirmation, prayer, spiritual
mind treatment, etc. The teacher could lead a meditation without
religious focus if they have people of many faiths (like they do in
the area where I live). This sounds like a good way to get the
benefit without focusing on religion of any kind.
 
> > Researchers screened 5,000 students and found 156 had blood pressure
> > similar to Fitts. Half of that group received the meditation sessions
> > and the other half, a control group, were placed in health education
> > classes. All students wore blood pressure monitors 24 hours a day.
>
> What would have been more interesting if the control groups included a
> prayer group and an aerobic exercise group.

Yes--I think more research should be done with different meditative
practices and exercise.
  
> > The control group did not have any reduction in blood pressure,
> > according to the study in the American Journal of Hypertension.

> I can imagine Buddhist meditation being welcomed in schools where prayer
> has been banned.

I doubt that any specific religious practice would be acceptable to
everyone--it would have to be more like Herbert Benson's relaxation
response work, where the practice is non-religious in focus.
Otherwise, belief being what it is, there would be one horrible hue
and cry! Benson's practice was clearly demonstrated to have a positive
affect and is not attached to any religion. I always wondered why it
never spread. Maybe now it finally will. The regularity seems to be
the key. I've started and stopped several meditation techniques, and
I did feel great while I was doing it.

--pc

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Study: Meditation Aids Teen Blood Pressure
    ... Their blood pressure even continued to drop for four months ... >> after the meditation sessions ended, ... benefit without focusing on religion of any kind. ... >> and the other half, a control group, were placed in health education ...
    (sci.med.cardiology)
  • Re: Its not just Catholic priests...They arent Baptised either!
    ... Golden Rule (if you also put no pressure on others). ... unless I blend in and "look Christian" which doesn't help ... You said "Meditation might help". ... wonder what the different distribution graphs for each religion would ...
    (uk.religion.christian)
  • Ratacirile yoghine: Brahmas fatal embrace
    ... Transcendental Meditation ... (Russian Orthodox Church Abroad) ... knowledge but in "doing" or, as one practitioner explains, in "not ... TM does, in fact, constitute a religion. ...
    (soc.culture.romanian)
  • Study: Meditation Aids Teen Blood Pressure
    ... Their blood pressure even continued to drop for four months ... after the meditation sessions ended, ... One high school senior who benefited from the study was Nick Fitts. ...
    (sci.med.cardiology)
  • Re: ot/my sincere thanks to all.
    ... I'm only reading about meditation and implementing some very basic forms for stress-relief etc. ... With all the time you've spent meditating, I bet you know exactly how much the brain wanders so well. ... I'll spare you the spiel about what I think about religion. ... So, I hate to suggest it, because it might be hard, but you might want to try and get her to sing a song along with you and see if she can vocalize that way. ...
    (alt.smokers.pipes)