why the stigma, when coping is hard enough?

[newbby]

oh sorry,

that was in response to outcast saying that you shouldnt mess with brainwaves, and i was trying to say that surely naturally altering the thresholds as you described was far preferable to altering the brains chemistry using meds.

[Outcast]

also i dont understand how somebody who advocates artificially messing with ones brain chemicals (meds) to show concern over meditating to alter brain waves.

 

Meds replace chemicals your own brain isn't making. Think of insulin and diabetics. Remove the insulin and the diabetics are still sick. The organ isn't altered.

 

I agree that meditation has been demonstrated to be healthy but it's not the cure-all for everything and talk of things like 'lowering threshholds' is snake oil. There's no science in what that dude writes.

 

If you want to gain the benefits of meditation, meditate.

 

http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug02/peace.html

 

These practitioners do not use a mantra. These practitioners just watch the breath -- inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. It's sometimes referred to as mindfulness meditation or insight meditation

 

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/11/16/cnna.sara.lazar/

[phrekmon]

yes , Me too I hadnt read anything like that before as I am trying to think my way out now . Dennis

[newbby]

that was an interesting link you posted outcast, it actually says that meditation can cure depression and even suicidal tendencies. i'm wondering why it would not alter brain chemistry, i am sure if it can be changed by a state of mind, it cant also be healed by a state of mind. it makes sense to me. also how about 5htp, isnt that natural serotonin?

[Outcast]

i'm wondering why it would not alter brain chemistry

 

Brain chemistry and brainwaves are two different things. Both can be altered but you maybe don't want to mess with altering brainwaves per se. People in neurofeedback have been discussing the wisdom of this. Certainly meditation changes the wavelength while you're doing it and that seems to be pretty safe but I wouldn't buy special machines to do it or go to 'treatment' centres.

 

There are scientists studying neurofeedback for some conditions, particularly ADHD (at NASA) but it's still not that well-studied.

 

i am sure if it can be changed by a state of mind, it cant also be healed by a state of mind.

 

Depression is responsive to both chemical treatment and non-chemical treatment depending on how severe the depression. You can't talk, meditate, or otherwise help someone who's deeply into a clinical depression. One of the newest treatments that has success for the truly severly depressed people consists of putting a pacemaker-like neurostimulator into the brain to help the brain function better.

 

However for less serious cases, and to a lesser degree for some other conditions, cognitive therapy can work and can help to change brain function. So I'm not saying that depression won't respond to meditation at all, but you can't say that it will definitively cure every case or reject meds in cases where CBT or meditation can't help.

 

it makes sense to me. also how about 5htp, isnt that natural serotonin?

 

No. It's a precursor to serotonin. If ever you want to consider taking a supplement, check it out on a reputable medical website, not Dr. Joe-Bob's healt central type thing. Here's some info from the Psych department at Vanderbilt U

 

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/5htp_myth.htm

 

and from the University of Maryland. Particularly note the caveats in terms of safety and potential side-effects.

 

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsSupplements/5Hydroxytryptophan5HTPcs.html

[newbby]

ok thanks outcast