Autogenic Relaxation Research Articles

Ocular relaxation to reduce eye movements

Cognitive activities influence the rate and direction of eye movements, but the effect of various levels of eye activity on cognition has not been tested. Jacobson (1938) claimed to have reduced cognitive activity with some eye exercises by decreasing ocular motility. The current study assessed the effects of ocular relaxation eye exercises, adapted from Jacobson, on two subjects with a single-subject withdrawal design. Ocular relaxation brought about a 40% reduction in eye movements but was slightly less efficient at producing physiological and self-reported relaxation than autogenic relaxation. Utility of the procedure in cognition and imagery research and in clinical applications was discussed.

Effects of biofeedback and “autogenic relaxation” techniques on physiological and subjective responses in psychiatric patients: A preliminary analysis

Four relaxation techniques, autogenic phrases, frontalis muscle biofeedback, unaided self-relaxation, and a noncontingent tone, were compaired for their ability to help hospitalized psychiatric patients to relax. The four treatment groups were assessed before and during four daily 20-min training periods, in a 4×4 independent groups by repeated measures anlysis of variance design. Frontalis muscle tension, heart rate, skin resistance, hand and forehead temperature, and the Nowlis Mood Adjective Check List (MACL) were used to measure baseline and within-session treatment effects. Heart rate, and MACL “anxiety” and “egotism” scores decreased significantly with the noncontingent tone treatment. However, except for a decrease in MACL “anxiety” during the autogenic phrases, the other three treatments did not significantly affect any of the measures.