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Why Meditate When You Could Just Rest?

Why Meditate When You Could Just Rest? Paul-Labrador and colleagues reported that the use of TM for 16 weeks in patients with CHD improved blood pressure and insulin resistance, as well as other components of the metabolic syndrome, compared with a control group receiving health education.1 But was there something specific about TM that brought about these remarkable beneficial changes in physiological responses to stress and CHD risk factors? A wide variety of different meditation and relaxation techniques converge on achieving generalized muscular relaxation and focused attention, so perhaps these are the specific aspects of TM that were helpful, but they do not require TM to be attained.2,3 A recent survey of the literature even points out that many of the widespread physiological effects of meditation are indistinguishable from simple “resting,” according to recent investigations.4 This review also indicates that there has been a recent paucity of studies comparing resting with meditation to probe whether in fact it is possible to distinguish the mental and physical states achieved.4 It is therefore entirely possible, given the current state of the literature on the subject, that the benefits to metabolic syndrome achieved by TM, as recently reported by Paul-Labrador and colleagues,1 could have just as likely been achieved by merely advising subjects to rest for the equivalent amount of time that they practiced TM. If the authors had included a resting comparison group in their important study, more would have been revealed to us of what specific aspect of TM, if any, is rescuing patients from metabolic syndrome. This is a particularly important consideration, given how time consuming the TM arm of the study was: it included 2 introductory lectures (1.5 hours each), personal interview (usually 10-15 minutes), personal instruction (1-1.5 hours), 3 group meetings (1.5 hours each), and follow-up and maintenance meetings (1.5 hours) twice per week for the first 4 weeks and weekly thereafter. For most clinicians, advising patients with metabolic syndrome to take up TM may not be realistic, given this time commitment and the motivation required. There may be an aversive reaction to the philosophy behind TM or its public image. However, the simple advice to rest might be more likely to be followed, is less expensive, has few adverse effects, and could be just as effective. Resting—in case busy physicians have forgotten what this means—involves relaxing, clearing the mind of thought, and avoiding distractions, which of course duplicates meditation instructions and strategies.4 Correspondence: Dr Persaud, Department of Psychiatry, The Bethlem Royal and Maudsley NHS Hospitals Trust, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, London, Kent BR3 3BX, England (r.persaud@iop.kcl.ac.uk). References 1. Paul-Labrador MPolk DDwyer JH et al. Effects of a randomized controlled trial of transcendental meditation on components of the metabolic syndrome in subjects with coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med 2006;1661218- 1224PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref 2. Holmes DS Meditation and somatic arousal reduction: a review of the experimental evidence. Am Psychol 1984;391- 10PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref 3. Holmes DS The influence of meditation versus rest on physiological arousal: a second evaluation. West MA The Psychology of Meditation. Oxford, England Clarendon Press1988;Google Scholar 4. Marr AJ Relaxation and muscular tension: a biobehavioristic explanation. Int J Stress Manage 2006;13131- 153Google ScholarCrossref http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archives of Internal Medicine American Medical Association

Why Meditate When You Could Just Rest?

Archives of Internal Medicine , Volume 166 (22) – Dec 11, 2006

Why Meditate When You Could Just Rest?

Abstract

Paul-Labrador and colleagues reported that the use of TM for 16 weeks in patients with CHD improved blood pressure and insulin resistance, as well as other components of the metabolic syndrome, compared with a control group receiving health education.1 But was there something specific about TM that brought about these remarkable beneficial changes in physiological responses to stress and CHD risk factors? A wide variety of different meditation and relaxation techniques converge on achieving...
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References (4)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
0003-9926
eISSN
1538-3679
DOI
10.1001/archinte.166.22.2553-b
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Paul-Labrador and colleagues reported that the use of TM for 16 weeks in patients with CHD improved blood pressure and insulin resistance, as well as other components of the metabolic syndrome, compared with a control group receiving health education.1 But was there something specific about TM that brought about these remarkable beneficial changes in physiological responses to stress and CHD risk factors? A wide variety of different meditation and relaxation techniques converge on achieving generalized muscular relaxation and focused attention, so perhaps these are the specific aspects of TM that were helpful, but they do not require TM to be attained.2,3 A recent survey of the literature even points out that many of the widespread physiological effects of meditation are indistinguishable from simple “resting,” according to recent investigations.4 This review also indicates that there has been a recent paucity of studies comparing resting with meditation to probe whether in fact it is possible to distinguish the mental and physical states achieved.4 It is therefore entirely possible, given the current state of the literature on the subject, that the benefits to metabolic syndrome achieved by TM, as recently reported by Paul-Labrador and colleagues,1 could have just as likely been achieved by merely advising subjects to rest for the equivalent amount of time that they practiced TM. If the authors had included a resting comparison group in their important study, more would have been revealed to us of what specific aspect of TM, if any, is rescuing patients from metabolic syndrome. This is a particularly important consideration, given how time consuming the TM arm of the study was: it included 2 introductory lectures (1.5 hours each), personal interview (usually 10-15 minutes), personal instruction (1-1.5 hours), 3 group meetings (1.5 hours each), and follow-up and maintenance meetings (1.5 hours) twice per week for the first 4 weeks and weekly thereafter. For most clinicians, advising patients with metabolic syndrome to take up TM may not be realistic, given this time commitment and the motivation required. There may be an aversive reaction to the philosophy behind TM or its public image. However, the simple advice to rest might be more likely to be followed, is less expensive, has few adverse effects, and could be just as effective. Resting—in case busy physicians have forgotten what this means—involves relaxing, clearing the mind of thought, and avoiding distractions, which of course duplicates meditation instructions and strategies.4 Correspondence: Dr Persaud, Department of Psychiatry, The Bethlem Royal and Maudsley NHS Hospitals Trust, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, London, Kent BR3 3BX, England (r.persaud@iop.kcl.ac.uk). References 1. Paul-Labrador MPolk DDwyer JH et al. Effects of a randomized controlled trial of transcendental meditation on components of the metabolic syndrome in subjects with coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med 2006;1661218- 1224PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref 2. Holmes DS Meditation and somatic arousal reduction: a review of the experimental evidence. Am Psychol 1984;391- 10PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref 3. Holmes DS The influence of meditation versus rest on physiological arousal: a second evaluation. West MA The Psychology of Meditation. Oxford, England Clarendon Press1988;Google Scholar 4. Marr AJ Relaxation and muscular tension: a biobehavioristic explanation. Int J Stress Manage 2006;13131- 153Google ScholarCrossref

Journal

Archives of Internal MedicineAmerican Medical Association

Published: Dec 11, 2006

Keywords: metabolic syndrome x,meditation

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