Teaching MeditationTeaching Meditation to College Students to College Students

James L Spira, Ph.D., MPH, ABPPJames L Spira, Ph.D., MPH, ABPP

Outline

Principles of Meditation

Types of Meditation

Simple/Effective Techniques

Adapting to different problems

Adapting to different settings

Principals of Meditation:

Reducing attention to cognitions and reactions to cognitions and emotions

Reducing focus on and reaction to self and others and the world Allowing fuller perception of what presents itself, more as it is, with less biased distortion

Being fully and comfortably in the moment

Calming the mindComforting the body

Types of Meditation

Eastern Experiential vs Western Conceptual

Yogic OriginPranayamaHatha Yoga

TaoistTai ChiChi Kung

BuddhistVipassanaZen

Simple Effective TechniquesAbsorptive Approaches

Yoga

Tai Chi

Zen

Observational/Non-reactive Approaches Vipassana / Mindfulness

Combination ApproachesZen/Mindfulness

Heart Rate Variability (N=58)

30

35

40

45

50

55

B Rd P ST Rc Rd P

Condition:

SD

NN

MED-pre ED-pre Med-post ED-post

0

1

2

3

4

.05 Hz .15 Hz .40 Hz

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (Specific Frequencies of HRV)

RSA During Worry

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

.05 Hz .15 Hz .40 Hz

RSA During Zazen

Heart Rate Variability Frequency Distribution During Baseline, Zen Meditation and Stress Recall

(N=26 consecutive patients referred to Health Psychology)

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

Base Zen Meditation Stress Recall

% H

RV

Fre

qu

ency

V/v+l+h

L/v+l+h

H/v+l+h

EEG Aspects of Meditation

Hz ~ attentional focus ~ processing effort/style

Delta (0-4Hz)

Sleep

Effortless, recuperative

Theta (4-8Hz)

Daydreaming, background noise

Minimal effort, parallel processing

Alpha (8-12Hz)

Calm, clear open attention to sensation

Low effort, Bottom-up, sensory processing

Beta (12-16; 16+)

Focused attention to problem-solving task

Effortful, conceptually-driven processing

EEG States of Mind

02

468

1012

141618

Hypnosis Zazen ProblemSolving

AnxiousWorry

Theta (4-8Hz)

Alpha (8-12Hz)

Beta (12-16Hz)

Snapshots of a normal subject undergoing different activities (1 lead)

Functional Model of Attentional Processing

Attention/access to internal experiences

Attention to environment

Elite Athlete

Average Person

ADHD

Meditator

Attention is enhanced processing:

1) We enhance what we attend toPay attention to worry and we will enhance the worryPay attention to sensation and we will enhance sensation (+ or -)

2) We become what we attend toIf we attend to pain or worry, our nervous systems gear up for thatIf we attend to the softness of the breath or the simplicity of sensory input, our nervous systems reflect that processing

Attentional Retraining3) Pay attention to something if you can act on it to improve the situation.

Otherwise, switch your attention to:

Some other “beta” activity you can act on productively Rest in “alpha” receptive meditative state

Attentional RetrainingTwo ways to improve attention

(i.e. enhance S/N ratio for what one processes) 1) Reduce Theta (background noise)

through Vipassana style meditation (low alpha)

(one typically drifts into theta, learns to recognize it and let it go, to be replaced by alpha activity)

this is typically practiced in a meditation session

CBT may first need to be employed to support belief in the benefit of suspending self-image, especially among those who lack confidence in themselves (NPD, GAD, BN, etc.)* 

Attentional Retraining2) Enhance Alpha (attended signal) through Zen absorption techniques

A) high alpha this can be practiced either in a meditation practice (eyes open)or in receptive activities of daily life, such as driving, walking, eating, listening to a conversation, etc. (examples?)

B) low beta can be enhanced through training in sustained attention in active involvementfor anxious or ADHD types, being motorically involved is useful (chi kung, tai chi, Yoga, doing massage, Karate, etc.)

Attentional RetrainingThose who ignore internal activity need to emphasize

recognition of internal ‘noise’ and be less unconsciously driven by it (Vipassana)

Impulsivity/OCD/Conversion D/O

Those who are "stuck" in their thoughts need to emphasize

enhancement of signal (Zen)ADHD/GAD/PTSD/Psychosis

But all need to practice both approaches

typically practicing both each day

Practice

Active Absorptive Still Permissive