ed as a powerful instrument to restrain sense organs, control autonomic nervous system and also to attain superconsciousness.[1-3] ordinarily there are two planes in which the mind functions, the conscious and unconscious. Yet there can be one more plane which is higher than both, one where the mind goes beyond the level of self consciousness called super consciousness. When a man goes to sleep he enters the plane of subconsciousness; on waking up he regains his consciousness and becomes a normal person. But when a person has attained superconsciousness, usually through the prolonged practice of meditation, on returning to the conscious state he becomes a different person having acquired greater knowledge and wisdom. After practising kundalini type of meditation for many years, Gopikrishnan described his great experience of attaining superconsciousness and the subsequent remarkable events that occurred in his life. [4] Still recently Maharishi Mahesh Yogi described a simple method popularly known as transcendental meditation for attaining self consciousness to be guided by the law of Nature. [5,6]

METHODS OF MEDITATION

There are many methods of meditation. Sage Patanjali described eight steps in yoga to achieve the goal of superconsciousness. [1] Vipasana meditation of Lord Buddha (500 BC) and other types of meditation has been reviewed recently. [2,3]

In order to study the utility of these methods and also to know the degree of attainment in each individual case a biofeedback system has been introduced, using an electronic instrument that can amplify the various psychosomatic changes in the body such as blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, skin temperature and brain wave patterns. By observing one’s own bodily functions with this device, one can gradually, through meditation, develop a mental power to control the involuntary functions. [1]

RESULTS

Studies on normal individuals have indicated that a regular practice of yogic postures (physical) leads to psychological improvement in the intelligence and memory quotient and a decrease in the pulse rate, blood pressure, respiration and body weight. The biochemical examination of the blood has shown decrease in blood sugar and serum cholesterol and a rise in the serum protein level. However, practice of breathing exercise Pranayam etc. alone produces similar results except that fall in serum lipids was more marked than was noted in the practice of physical postures. After intensive meditation for 10 days there was a marked rise of neurohumours and their enzymes such as acetylcholine, catecholamine, cholinesterases and monoamine oxidases with a fall of plasma cortisol. When all the three integrated yogic practices, namely physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation were combined it was found that there was a decrease in the neurohumours and their related enzymes and an increase in the plasma cortisol levels. Based on these findings it can be postulated that the regular practice of integrated yoga can promote tranquility of mind and increase resistance to stress. Kundalini meditation has beenused with great benefit not only for improving the level of consciousness, but also in the treatment of certain mental illnesses. [1] Recently mindfulness meditation of yoga has been shown to reduce stress in psychological symptomatology and suggested that mindfulness meditation course can be an effective stress reduction programme in a health care setting. [8]

In recent years vipasana meditation of Lord Buddha (500 BC) has been used for clinical utility in terms of providing a general psychological pattern of positive mental stress [9,10] particularly as a perfect antistress remedy. [11] Biochemical studies have indicated that after ten days of intensive vipasana type of meditation produces similar changes in neurohumoral contents of the blood as in integrated yoga. [1] Wallace and Benson who conducted extensive studies on transcendental meditation [12-14] observed that the electroencephalograph showed an increase in the alpha wave activity indicating greater tranquility of mind. They also observed a decrease in the heart beat and a 20% decrease in oxygen consumption. There was also a marked increase in skin resistance. In several subsequent studies this method has been used clinically in cases of hypertension [15,16] drug addiction, alcoholism and smoking, [17], [19,20] serum cholesterol, [21,22] bronchial asthma, [23,24] insomnia [25,26] etc. with significant results. It has been demonstrated that practice of transcendental meditation morning and evening significantly reduces anxiety, [27,28] decreases incidence of disease [29] and causes reversal of aging process. [30,31] It has also been shown that regular practice of transcendental meditation improves intelligence (IQ), [32-35] academic performance [36-37] and alertness. [38], [40] These effects have recently been reviewed. [2,3], [6]

The promotion of mental health can also be obtained by using other methods of meditation e.g. Zen meditation as practised in Japan, Suffism in the Middle east, and autogenic training in western countries. [1] Recently Lama Gangchen has described five limitless meditation - love, compassion, joy, equanimity and peace and cures many diseases of body and mind. [41]

MEDITATION AND ELDERLY

Although yogic exercises are effective in certain diseases e.g. hypertension, anxiety neurosis, mucous colitis, bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis migraine and rheumatic disorders, [42] it can not be practised by elderly subjects, in debilitate conditions and even in young women during pregnancy and menstruation. But meditation particularly, transcendental meditation in a comfortable sitting position and Benson’s meditation for beginners even in lying down position short of sleep can be practised in all conditions and at all ages.

It has been suggested that regular meditation is the key to health (mental, physical and social well being) in elderly subjects. [2] Balanced diet [43] and moderate exercise. [3] are complimentary to the effects of meditation. [2]

CURRENT RESEARCH

In a recent study using 10 channel polygraph, recording respiratory and autonomic variables, ECG, recording standard limb I, photo-electric plethysmograph, recording skin blood flow, nasal thermisters, recording breath cycle and closed circuit Benedict - Roth apparatus, recording oxygen consumption; it has been shown that ‘OM’ meditation compared to nontargetted thinking caused increased mental alertness, even while being physiologically relaxed. [44] Still recently same group of authors have demonstrated that mental repetition of ‘OM’ caused a significant decrease in skin resistance and heart rate. [45]

Presently controlled studies are going on in the Medical Research Centre of Bombay Hospital, amongst the Nursing students on meditation in relation to improved intelligence, performance, and alertness and in the elderly subjects in relation to improved health and reversal of aging process.

CONCLUSION

Meditation is a vedic technique known for thousands of years claiming wide ranging effect on body and mind, however, scientific research on meditation is quite recent. Yogic exercises have been shown to benefit certain diseases however, when combined with meditation (integrated yoga) produces tranquility of mind and increases resistance to stress including elevating the level of superconsciousness.

Vipasana meditation has recently been shown as a perfect antistress remedy with significant increase in neurohumoral contents of blood and a decrease in plasma cortisol level, whereas transcendental meditation caused greater tranquility with increase in alpha wave activity in addition to wide ranging effect on health, memory, intelligence, performance and reversal of aging process.

Current research shown mindfulness meditation and ‘OM’ mantra can influence mental alertness. Controlled studies of effect of meditation in young students in improving intelligence, memory and performance and in elderly in relation to health and reversal of aging process are under study at Medical Research Centre, Bombay Hospital.

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Dhar HL. Health and aging. Ind J Med Sc 1977; 51 (10) : 373-77.

Dhar HL. Meditation and health. Bombay Hosp J 1977; 39 (4) : 738-41.

Gopikrishna. The awakening of kundalini. New York, Dutton. 1975.

Scientific research on Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation, a review. Maharishi International University press. Fairfield, USA. 1993.

Dhar HL. Veda in relation to human physiology and health. Bombay Hosp J 1996; 38 (2) : 354-71.

Astin JA. Stress reduction through mindfulness meditation. Effects on psychological symptomatology, sense of control and spiritual experiences. Psychother psychosom 1997; 66 (2) : 97-106.

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Chokhani RM. The role of vipasana meditation in psychiatric practice in a reader. International seminar on vipasana meditation and health. Igatpuri, Nasik, Vipasana research institute. 1986; 49-53.

Khosla R. Psychological benefits of vipasana meditation a longitudinal pilot study of sixty individuals paper read at the international seminar on vipasana meditation and health. Igatpuri, Nasik. Vipasana research institute in abstract of scientific papers. 1990; 11.

Chokhani RM. Coping with stress. The vipasana meditation, Bombay Hospital J 1986; 30 (1) : 27-30.

Wallace RK, Benson H, Wilson AF. A wakeful hypometabolic state. Am J Physiol 1971; 794-9.

Wallace RK. Physiological effects of TM. Science 1970; 167 : 1751-4.

Wallace RK, Benson H. The physiology of meditation scientific American. 1972; 226 : 84.

Chapter in personality, elevated blood pressure and essential hypertension Washington DC; Hemisphere publishing 1992 quoted in Maharishi’s transcendental meditation - a review (ref No. 5 ), 12.

Psychosomatic medicine 1983; 45 : 41-6 Ibid.

International journal of the addictions 1977; 12 : 729-54 Ibid.

American journal of psychiatry 1974; 131 : 60-63 Ibid.

International journal of the addictions 1991; 26 : 293-325 Ibid.

Bulletin of the society of psychologists in addictive behaviours 1977; 12 : 729-54 Ibid.

Journal of human stress, 1979; 5 (4) : 24-7 Ibid.

Journal of Biomedicine. 1980; 1 : 73-88 Ibid.

Clinical Research 1973; 21 : 278 Ibid.

Respiration. 1975; 32 : 74-80 Ibid 13.

Journal of counseling and development 1986; 64 : 212-15 Ibid 12.

Japanese journal of public health. 1990; 37 : 729 Ibid.

Journal of clinical psychology 1977; 33 : 1076-8 Ibid 16.

Journal of clinical psychology. 1989; 45 : 957-74 Ibid.

Psychosomatic medicine 1987; 49 : 493-507 Ibid. 12.

International journal of Neuroscience 1982; 16 : 53-8 Ibid. 13.

Journal of personality and social psychology 1989; 57 : 950-64 Ibid.

College student journal 1981; 15 : 140-46 Ibid 9.

The journal of creative behaviour 1985; 19 : 270-75 Ibid.

Journal of clinical psychology 1986; 42 : 161-64 Ibid.

Personality and individual differences 1991; 12 : 1105-6 Ibid.

Education 1989; 105 : 302-4 Ibid 10.

Modern science and vedic science 1987; 1 : 433-68 Ibid.

Science 1970; 167 : 17,51-4 Ibid 9.

Am J Physiology 1971; 221 : 795-99 Ibid.

Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology 1973; 35 : 143-51 Ibid.

Tys Lama Gangchen. Training Buddhist self healing medicine, Buddha centre, Jalan, IPOH, Kaulalumpur, Malasia. 1995.

Udupa KN. Yoga and meditation. Sivanandanagar, UP, India divine life society. 1975.

Dhar HL. Nutrition and aging. Bombay Hosp J 1997; 39 (1) : 150-61.

Shirley Telles, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR. Ind J Physiol Pharmacol 1998; 42 (1) : 357-63.

Shirley Telles, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR. Ibid 1998; 42 (1) : 57-63.

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