Developing situation awareness capacity to improve executive judgment and decision making under stress

This study examined multiple factors that underlie a key component of leadership resilience, situation awareness (SA), and its role in executive judgment and decision making under stress. SA, researched for over 30 years in military and critical incident professions by researchers from the field of Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM), has increasing relevance to leaders in organizations, particularly those who are challenged by high uncertainty and accelerating change, traditionally addressed by the field of organization development (OD). The study specifically examines the Transcendental MeditationTM technique within the context of a 10-week intervention for developing SA capacity in emerging leaders (N = 35), for which pre- and post-data were collected and analyzed. The research approach involved an intervention group (n = 18) trained in the twice-daily practice of the Transcendental MeditationTM technique and a control group (n = 17) with no intervention. Participants in both groups completed three instruments, Trail Making B, Wisconsin Card Sort Test, and Constructive Thinking Inventory, as a means to measure the three elements of SA (perception, comprehension, projection). Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that TM practice produced significant effects (p levels ranged from .033 to .047) on two of the three measures, specifically, perception and projection. The results of the study support a positive relationship between the Transcendental Meditation technique on the improvement of SA capacity in emerging leaders, and advances the body of research on the use of meditation as an intervention in leadership resilience development programs to prepare leaders for high-demand settings

Meditation Experiences, Self, and Boundaries of Consciousness

Our experiences with the external world are possible mainly through vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell providing us a sense of reality. How the brain is able to seamlessly integrate stimuli from our external and internal world into our sense of reality has yet to be adequately explained in the literature. We have previously proposed a three-dimensional unified model of consciousness that partly explains the dynamic mechanism. Here we further expand our model and include illustrations to provide a better conception of the ill-defined space within the self, providing insight into a unified mind-body concept. In this article, we propose that our senses “super-impose” on an existing dynamic space within us after a slight, imperceptible delay. The existing space includes the entire intrapersonal space and can also be called the “the body’s internal 3D default space”. We provide examples from meditation experiences to help explain how the sense of ‘self’ can be experienced through meditation practice associated with underlying physiological processes that take place through cardio-respiratory synchronization and coherence that is developed among areas of the brain. Meditation practice can help keep the body in a parasympathetic dominant state during meditation, allowing an experience of inner ‘self’. Understanding this physical and functional space could help unlock the mysteries of the function of memory and cognition, allowing clinicians to better recognize and treat disorders of the mind by recommending proven techniques to reduce stress as an adjunct to medication treatment

To what extent does Transcendental Meditation (TM) relieve symptoms in patients with PTSD?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that is currently increasing among the general public. Unfortunately, researchers have yet to find an effective treatment. Due to the lack of treatment, Transcendental Meditation has become a popular option and may potentially be an alternative treatment therapy. The aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which Transcendental Meditation (TM) relieves symptoms in patients with PTSD by analyzing brain activity. A comparison was also made between traditionally used PTSD therapies and TM. Because the research regarding this topic is relatively new and was more heavily focused on patients with severe PTSD, the investigation focuses on analyzing studies done on war veteran PTSD patients. It was concluded that TM did greatly reduce symptoms of PTSD patients. Compared to the control group who used the regular PTSD therapies, the experimental group that practiced TM had clinically significant results. Unlike the other therapies, TM is able to reduce the “flight-or-fight” response seen in PTSD patients, as well as heal the overactive amygdala. TM is easier to practice compared to most PTSD therapies and is more effective, making this technique preferable among PTSD patients

An exploration of the transcending experience in the art-making process

This study explored the transcending experience as described by visual artists that sometimes occurs during the art-making process. The exploration was conducted within a philosophical framework informed by the researcher\u27s practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM). From this perspective, transcending is related to personal, inner (subjective), and ephemeral aesthetic experiences which never-the-less make a powerful contribution to the visual artist\u27s experience of the creative process and to a lesser extent, the final product. The focus of the study was on the identification and documentation of the personal and subjective aspects of art-making. The study consisted of two parts; (a) this written thesis that elucidates and supports the argument, and (b) an exhibition of paintings, drawings, and journals which represent a personal narrative. The research questions for the written document are directed towards extracting artists\u27 statements that describe the nature and benefits of transcending during art-making. Document analysis techniques were employed to study the writings of a variety of artists and to create a mosaic of insightful commentary. As a visual arts educator, the significance of the study related to the benefits of the art-making process for students of all ages. Both the exhibition and written document are presented to demonstrate that art-making and the viewing of art can provide access to silent (inner) experiences of the human mind. Strengthening the students\u27 spiritual/aesthetic experience through art-making may bring the benefits of personal enrichment for some students by promoting the development of stronger self-concepts and self-esteem. This study presents research about an aspect of visual arts education that has to date been largely ignored. Arguments for the development of self-realization and a fuller understanding of the aesthetic experience may contribute to a case for strengthening the place of the visual arts within the curriculum

An annotated historical survey of 84 publications by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi from 1957-2015

There is a significant body of extant published literature about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the impact his insights into Vedic Science have had on the modern academic disciplines, on applied areas of personal and collective life, and on the future. This literature appears throughout the academic record, and includes publications on topics as diverse as the arts and architecture, the environment, higher education, health and healthcare utilization, management and leadership, and government; even specialist analyses of supersymmetric quantum unified field theories, neuroscience, genetic engineering, mathematics and gerontology by Nobel Laureates, business and government leaders, academics, educators and scientists from virtually every major discipline form part of this anthology. These publications have appeared in the literature of countries as diverse as Australia, Sweden and Senegal, with the bulk of the collection published in Europe, India and the United States. Moreover, leading peer-reviewed journals, including Scientific American, American Journal of Physiology, British Journal of Educational Psychology and International Journal of Neuroscience have published empirical findings and theoretical papers, and some of the world’s most notable research institutes have conducted research, on Maharishi’s programs. However, few, if any, scholarly research studies have attempted to document the publications by Maharishi himself, despite the fact he was a prolific writer and teacher over the course of 50 years. For this reason, the present paper introduces an annotated historical survey of 84 published documents by Maharishi from 1957 to 2015, all of which form part of the public record. By evaluating this catalogue of published material—including the identification of central themes, key words and phrases, and encapsulating quotes—and by cross-referencing the material with an index of terms and a bibliography of 419 related third-party publications which validate the written statements made by Maharishi, it is hoped this study will serve as a platform upon which further reading and analysis of Maharishi Vedic Science can systematically be conducted, thereby preparing the ground for future scholarship and research

Managing the Built Environment for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention With Maharishi Vastu Architecture: A Review

Background and objectives: The evolution of healthcare from 18th-century reductionism to 21st-century postgenomic holism has been described in terms of systems medicine, and the impact of the built environment on human health is the focus of investigation and development, leading to the new specialty of evidence-based, therapeutic architecture. The traditional system of Vāstu architecture—a design paradigm for buildings which is proposed to promote mental and physical health—has been applied and studied in the West in the last 20 years, and features elements absent from other approaches. This review critically evaluates the theory and research of a well-developed, standardized form of Vāstu—Maharishi Vastu® architecture (MVA). MVA’s principles include development of the architect’s consciousness, universal recommendations for building orientation, siting, and dimensions; placement of key functions; and occupants’ head direction when sleeping or performing tasks. The effects of isolated Vāstu elements included in MVA are presented. However, the full value of MVA, documented as a systematic, globally applicable practice, is in the effect of its complete package, and thus this review of MVA includes evaluating the experience of living and working in MVA buildings. Methods: The published medical and health-related literature was systematically surveyed for research on factors related to isolated principles applied in MVA as well as on the complete system. Results: Published research suggests that incorporating MVA principles into buildings correlates with significant improvements in occupants’ physical and mental health and quality of life: better sleep, greater happiness of children, and the experience of heightened sense of security and reduced stress. The frequency of burglaries, a social determinant of health, also correlates. Potential neurophysiological mechanisms are described. Conclusions: Findings suggest that MVA offers an actionable approach for managing a key social determinant of health by using architectural design as preventive medicine and in public health

The Science of Meditation: From Mysticism to Mainstream Western Psychology

Psychological applications of meditative practice have become the ‘third-wave’ tools in the psychology clinician’s therapeutic tool kit. Meditation techniques for numerous psychological disorders, as well as the psychological impacts of chronic medical conditions, are being used by a growing number of mainstream clinicians in Western healthcare contexts, which were previously the domain of alternative practitioners, and formerly the sometimes secretive and mysterious domain of the orthodox and esoteric spiritual traditions. Many questions arise regarding how this conversion has taken place and why. This thesis explores some of the issues surrounding the adoption, reduction, and application of meditation practices from the Eastern and Western origins and transmission to mainstream Western healthcare contexts. By tracing the history of the rise in popularity of meditation in the mainstream Western health sciences, particularly within the mental health sector over the past century or so, it is intended to contribute to an answer to, in part, the question of ‘why’ and, in part, the question of ‘how’. A further question of whether sufficient cognizance has been taken of the subjective experiences and understandings of long-term meditation practitioners and what they can contribute to Western psychological understanding of meditation—its application potentials and pitfalls—is explored. Why is this important? At present, being intelligent, and highly trained, as most clinicians have come to believe they are, it has become somewhat taken for granted that reading journal articles or books on meditation, and attending a workshop or two, perhaps even a week-long residential training retreat, qualifies one to begin using meditation processes with clients. However, is clinician training and competency in the use of meditation currently sufficient to ensure its safe and appropriate use, particularly for psychologically impaired clients, given the phenomena reported by long-term meditators and the judicious preparatory processes required by teachers in the wisdom traditions of origin? Using qualitative methodology and a social constructionist viewing lens, I elucidate whether Western psychology’s reductive approach may create barriers to the growth of a knowledge-field of the potential of meditation for personal and collective development and wellbeing—which has existed since antiquity, but which current psychological interest indicates is by no means antiquated. Twenty three semi-guided indepth interviews were conducted with 18 long-term meditators from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, to explore their subjective experiences—the phenomena they encountered and the meanings they ascribed to their meditation practices. What became apparent through the course of this research was the divergence that exists between the positivist Western scientific literature on meditation and the experiences and understandings of this sample of meditators. The implications that arise from a paradigm clash between the fundamental premises of a positivist approach to a Western science of meditation for the healthcare sector and those of the wisdom traditions of origin are discussed. Finally, potential paths of resolution to enable contributions to the development of a knowledge-field of meditation for Western healthcare contexts from the understandings and technologies of both ways of knowing are mooted

The Future of Medicine: Frontiers in Integrative Health and Medicine

Contemporary healthcare trends indicate that many chronic and communicable diseases are related to lifestyle, stress, personal choices and systemic factors. In response to the shortfalls of modern medicine regarding the prevention of these diseases and the promotion of whole-person health, providers and consumers worldwide are exploring integrative, natural and complementary approaches to prevention, treatment and health promotion. These trends harbor the future of medicine. The issues of clinician burnout, high rates of adverse effects, high cost, and lack of rigorous methods to promote individual and collective immunity are addressed by leading physicians and scientists from around the world. The original research and reviews in this volume investigate efficacy, molecular mechanisms and hypotheses that suggest that traditional systems of medicine and health, e.g., Ayurveda, yoga, traditional Chinese medicine, and mind–body–lifestyle medicine, may offer preventive and cost-effective solutions to contemporary health care challenges. Integrating innovative health approaches with conventional medicine offers a whole system of medicine that encompasses the individual, family, community and environment—from single person to planetary health

Spirituality Within Reach: A Pathway through Meditation

Meditation is an ancient spiritual practice that has been demonstrated to be beneficial in reducing chronic pain, substance use, and eating disorders, as well as aiding in the treatment of sleep disorders, cancer, and psychological distress. In an effort to enhance the benefits, many contemporary meditation practices have been secularized, focusing on the cognitive, the psychological, and the emotional components, while de-emphasizing the spiritual aspects of meditation. However, spiritual meditation practices also demonstrate benefits, including stress reduction, improved emotional well being, increases in pain tolerance, reductions in mental health symptoms, and increased faith. However, little is known regarding the effects of different types of meditation on the reported achievement of a sense of spiritual height. Further, it is unclear whether age, gender, or months of meditation practice might be related to achieving spiritual height. The present study was specifically designed to determine whether meditation results in achieving spiritual height, and whether the rates of reportedly achieving spiritual height many times or almost always might significantly differ by various meditation types, including Transcendental Meditation (TM), Relaxation Response (RR), Mindfulness Meditation (MM), Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Christian Devotion Meditation (CDM) and Other types of meditation that do not fit into these categories by analyzing an international database of meditators. Survey data (N = 965) were tested using t-tests, chi square, and logistic regression statistics at the p \u3c .05 threshold for statistical significance. Overall, 53% of the total sample reported achieving spiritual height many times or almost always during meditation, with 62% of MM practitioners reporting experiencing spiritual height many times or almost always. Additionally, one third or more of secular meditation (MBSR and RR) practitioners reported achieving spiritual height many times or almost always. Combined, these findings indicate that the clinical community needs to be aware that meditation is a viable strategy to achieve spiritual height in clients, even if the meditation is secular in nature, and that MM may provide the best odds of experiencing spiritual height during meditation. This Dissertation is available in Open Access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu and OhioLink ETD Center, http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd

Spirituality Within Reach: A Pathway through Meditation

Meditation is an ancient spiritual practice that has been demonstrated to be beneficial in reducing chronic pain, substance use, and eating disorders, as well as aiding in the treatment of sleep disorders, cancer, and psychological distress. In an effort to enhance the benefits, many contemporary meditation practices have been secularized, focusing on the cognitive, the psychological, and the emotional components, while de-emphasizing the spiritual aspects of meditation. However, spiritual meditation practices also demonstrate benefits, including stress reduction, improved emotional well being, increases in pain tolerance, reductions in mental health symptoms, and increased faith. However, little is known regarding the effects of different types of meditation on the reported achievement of a sense of spiritual height. Further, it is unclear whether age, gender, or months of meditation practice might be related to achieving spiritual height. The present study was specifically designed to determine whether meditation results in achieving spiritual height, and whether the rates of reportedly achieving spiritual height many times or almost always might significantly differ by various meditation types, including Transcendental Meditation (TM), Relaxation Response (RR), Mindfulness Meditation (MM), Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Christian Devotion Meditation (CDM) and Other types of meditation that do not fit into these categories by analyzing an international database of meditators. Survey data (N = 965) were tested using t-tests, chi square, and logistic regression statistics at the p \u3c .05 threshold for statistical significance. Overall, 53% of the total sample reported achieving spiritual height many times or almost always during meditation, with 62% of MM practitioners reporting experiencing spiritual height many times or almost always. Additionally, one third or more of secular meditation (MBSR and RR) practitioners reported achieving spiritual height many times or almost always. Combined, these findings indicate that the clinical community needs to be aware that meditation is a viable strategy to achieve spiritual height in clients, even if the meditation is secular in nature, and that MM may provide the best odds of experiencing spiritual height during meditation. This Dissertation is available in Open Access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu and OhioLink ETD Center, http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd