Meditation as a Complement to Cancer Treatment
Let's begin by acknowledging that millions of people have used meditation for general health and mental health benefits for centuries. When I was a graduate student in clinical psychology, my wife, who was then suffering from frequent head and neck aches, tried everything from massage (delivered by me in a less than expert manner) to medications to the original "earth shoes" in an effort to find relief, with little effect. Then one day she told me that she'd signed up for a class in Transcendental Meditation (TM). All I knew about TM was that it was something The Beatles were into, and I was skeptical. Nevertheless, my wife took the day-long class, returned home with her secret mantra, and proceeded to practice TM twice a day. Three weeks later she told me that she'd had only one brief headache, whereas she was used to having two or three serious ones a week. So there you go -- some testimonial data from your blogger!
The two primary modalities of meditation that are practiced here are:
- Concentrative Meditation (CM)
This describes TM and similar meditation practices that teach individuals to focus on a single image, sound or mantra, or even on their own breathing. - Mindful Meditation (MM)
In mindful meditation, individuals are taught not to focus their attention in a singular way, but rather to be aware of any and all thoughts, feelings, sounds and images that may pass through their mind. And that is the key to MM: Letting them pass through your mind, as opposed to trying to hold on to any one of them.
There is good news when it comes to meditation as a complementary treatment, and that is that a number of rigorous clinical trials are underway. Using controlled clinical trials, these investigators are studying the effects of both types of meditation on health issues such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease and the side effects of cancer treatment. The common denominator driving this research is a general recognition that chronic stress is linked to a variety of health problems, such as increased heart disease, compromised immune system functioning and premature cellular and cognitive aging. It makes sense, then, to take a closer look at how meditation can help. Here is a sample of what researchers have discovered and verified so far:
- In a study of 60 breast cancer survivors, women who practiced meditation reduced the number and severity of hot flashes and also reported improvements in mood and sleep.
- A study of 63 people with rheumatoid arthritis found that mindfulness meditation helped to improve quality of life and reduce psychological distress.
- A study of 298 college students found that transcendental meditation helped students reduce stress and improve coping strategies.
- A "meta-analysis" of 10 studies found that mindfulness meditation improves the overall mental health of cancer patients.
Looking Beyond What Works
Clinical research (including research in psychology) often seeks to ask a simple question: Does a treatment work? That is an important question. But an equally important question is: What works for whom, and when? Consider the following email message I received from a woman who has been working with her doctors to confront metastatic cancer ("mets"):
"This recent cancer treatment is very hard on me ... and I don't suspect the remaining chemos will be much different. I want to spend the years I have left on a healing spiritual quest ... for me.For this woman, as for many women (and men) who are faced with cancer, the issue becomes not just "what works" but "what works and when." Clearly, what worked before does not necessarily work now for this woman - but that does not mean that the various complementary treatments she tried were not worthwhile at the times she turned to them.
I have bone mets and massage is not advised due to pressure on the bones that are already weakened. I have lymphedema in my arms and chest, leaving just my legs, feet, back, face and ears for acupuncture needles. In the earlier stages, I did get relief from acupuncture, but not so much now.
I am a big time meditator and do lots of energy work. Frankly I think that has had some impact on my being alive eight-plus years with mets. We all have to die of something. I am not afraid to die, but am afraid to die before I am able to fully accept myself with no judgments. That is what I am devoting my remaining time to."
To join the conversation about how modern medicine has transformed death and dying, visit newgrief.com.
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Chanting the transcendental vibration is the sublime method for reviving our transcendental consciousness, or Krishna consciousness. As living spiritual souls, we are all originally Krishna conscious or God conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere, called maya, or illusion . And what is this illusion? The illusion is that we are all trying to be lords of material nature, while actually we are under the grip of her stringent laws. When a servant artificially tries to imitate the all-powerful master, he is said to be in illusion. We are trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. Therefore, although we are engaged in a hard struggle to conquer nature, we are becoming ever more dependent on her. This illusory struggle against material nature can be stopped at once by revival of our eternal Krishna consciousness.Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear and chant the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived.
This simpliest method of meditation is recommended by learned authorities for this age. By practical experience also, one can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chant for Deliverance, one at once feels transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum.
In the material concept of life we are busy in the matter of sense gratification, as if we were in the lower, animal stage. A little elevated from this status of sense gratification, one engages in mental speculation for the purpose of getting out of the material clutches. A little elevated from this speculative status, when one is intelligent enough, one tries to find out the supreme cause of all causes, within and without. And when one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind, and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane. The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is directly enacted from this spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness—namely sensual, mental, and intellectual.
There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need of any mental speculation or intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and thus anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification and dance in ecstasy. We have seen this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting and dancing.
Of course, for one who is too entangled in material life, it takes a little more time to come to the standard point, but even such a materially engrossed person is very quickly raised to the spiritual platform.