Mantra Meditation Research Articles

Meditation and college students' self-actualization and rated stress.

This paper concerns the efficacy of meditation and relaxation in promoting self-actualization and changes in self-reported stress among 62 college students. Two groups were given mantra meditation and a yogic relaxation technique referred to as Shavasana. Pre- and posttest measures were taken on the Personal Orientation Inventory and the Behavioral Relaxation Scale. Both groups showed significant increases in scores on self-actualization; however, no differences were found between groups. Meditation training was associated with larger gains in scores on measures of systematic relaxed behavior than of the relaxation training.

States of Consciousness Induced by Mantra Meditation of Some Eastern and Christian Ways Respectively

Mantra is a word or a short saying, a short prayer repeated in order to fix the distractions of the mind. Under mantra meditation I mean the repetitive prayer, the aim of which is meeting with God, and involving the whole person at prayer. (I do not speak about the simplified techniques aiming only at healing or success and using only parts of the capacity inherent in this meditation technique). The mantra has a meaning, a melody of sounds and vibration, and hence it acts upon the reason, the feelings and the senses (functions of the spirit, soul and body). In case, of its meaning is paradoxical, it acts even upon intuition. Consequently mantra meditation is a suitable technique for all psychological types of people (i.e. predominantly thinking, feeling, sensation or intuitive types). In the present age when „Word (verbal thinking) infiltrates throughout almost all of our activities, this technique has a preferential importance. The history of mantra meditation goes back to the Vedic times, it has been used in all great religions and recently (in 1975) it has been revived even in Western Christianity by the benedictine Christian Meditation Centre. Its effect upon the organism is twofold. 1. By repetition the mantra becomes faster and finer and leads from the realm of the body through the soul to the spirit, from the sound of the everyday life to the silience of the divine background. While repeating the mantra, one leaves behind thoughts and images, reminiscences and desires, past and future and gets in contact with the eternal present. This offers a simple and humble contempla tive way for a great number of people who are ready to accept it. Its fruits should be: calmness, joyfulness, helpfulness, respect for the others steps towards the final aim: „sanctification. 2. By ardent practice mantra meditation causes an illumination (awakening, enlightenment) or even a mystical union in some of the meditators. This is the mystical way for a much smaller number of people. Both processes involve moral purification (purgation). None of the above mentioned goals can be achieved exclusively by medita tion, Conversion, deep faith, reception of the Holy Spirit in Christianity, or practicing constant mindfulness (vipassana) in Buddhism are sufficient in them selves for spiritual unfolding without this sort of deep absorption („dhyana in sanskrit). Noone denies, however, that the above mentioned processes and repetitive prayer (i.e. mantra meditation) mutually promote the progress of the individual on these various ways. The great advantage of mantra meditation is

Motivational Processes and Behavioral Inhibition in Breath Holding

Large individual differences in breathing performance have made it difficult to investigate the effects of psychological variables on respiratory parameters. This study uses an experimental approach to investigating the effects of attentional and motivational factors on breath-holding span in humans. The effects of shock threat (negative incentive), monetary reward (positive incentive), and mantra meditation (attentional control) on breath-holding span at functional residual capacity (FRC) were compared. Based on Jeffrey Gray's (1975, 1987) theory of behavioral inhibition, it was predicted that shock threat would extend FRC breath holding. Breath holding was increased under the shock threat condition but not under the monetary reward or mantra meditation conditions.

Mantra Meditation as a Case of Habituation: Implications for a New Theory of Consciousness

I proposed that the study of mental exercises, such as meditation, may lead to a radically different theory of consciousness than has been previously held in Western thought. The use of a mantra as a concentrative device that may undergo habituation is discussed as a possible vehicle for gaining a new understanding of mind.

Psychophysiological effects of progressive relaxation and mantra meditation

Psychophysiological effects of progressive relaxation and mantra meditation