Meditation/In the news

Meditation in the news (From Google Alerts) and feeding into Meditation/Feeds

02 Feb 2006
 Many medical professionals in the West remain skeptical or are against the use of meditation for therapy.
 * Meditation Finding Converts Among Western Doctors (nationalgeographic.com) From the article:

But some are beginning to endorse its benefits, said neuroscientist Sara Lazar, who leads the research at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.

"Our hope is that by providing concrete evidence of (meditation's) benefits, more people will at least try it and see if it is beneficial for them," she said in an email interview.  Pictures linked from the article: * and

21 Jan 2006
Highlights:
 * Take it to work. Workers of the world, Meditate!
 * "It is simply experiencing what is happening in the present moment, as much as possible, without the usual mental commentary that we make: 'That's good,' 'That's bad,' 'I wish I could change this,' or 'I want more of that,' " Zeglovitch said. "It sounds easy, but it requires daily practice."
 * Increasingly, employers are making such alternative treatments available to their workers. A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria, Va., found that 33 percent now make acupuncture available, up from 18 percent five years ago, for example.
 * There is also a proliferation of organizations across the country that now sell Eastern-based leadership, ethics and stress-reduction programs, including the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society,Spirit in Business and Awake at Work.

09 Jan 2006
Time Magazine has an article titled:
 * How to Get Smarter, One Breath at a Time
 * Scientists find that meditation not only reduces stress but also reshapes the brain

07 Jan 2006

 * Study according to American Journal of Cardiology, shows that meditation can increase lifespan among the elderly and prolongs life. The study was done over an 18 year period. Interesting.
 * Works for this teacher too.

26 Dec 2005

 * The American Academy of Family Physicians has an article on how to deal with stress during this holiday season. (look at the end of the article to see what is cascading into the mainstream)

24 Dec 2005

 * Recall the article from Meditation/In the news named "Meditation movement lacks proper credentials" ? Well it seems the newspaper that published the editorial gave a platform for commentary by a representative of the David Lynch foundation. The article is titled Clearing up facts about Transcendental Meditation. The fact that the newspaper did this is quite cool.

22 Dec 2005
Man, thats not sane, B1 bombers cost that frickin-much?!?(7 billion dollars!)
 * David Lynch (see past articless below) has been busy as you might not know. Lynch has lectured at universities around the US and many different media related news sites. Some interesting points from this article:
 * Lynch, according to the article, has given $400,000 of his own funds toward his goal at raising 7 billion dollars for his proposal.
 * Has raised $1 million from a handful of individuals and organizations
 * The Maharishi effect is a tipping point phenomena calculated by taking the square root of %1 of the worlds population. If 8000 (the calculation) of serious practitioners of meditation, did their practice everyday diligently, there would be visible effects on the world as a whole. (btw, it sounds far-fetched, but the Trancendental Organization have made studies that have been printed in peer-reviewed journals about this phenomena. As well as media attention, like in Movies/What the Bleep Do We Know. Some of the studies consist of the organization showing up to war-torn countries like Lebanon and high-crime-rate cities like Washington, DC and demonstrated this 'Maharishi Effect' by calculating how much meditators it would need to affect on a region.)
 * An average hollywood film is $70million
 * The New York Times chose his plan as one of the 25 most intriguing ideas proposed in 2005
 * Naomi Watts (King Kong chick and Mullholand Drive) is a yogini
 * (Lynch) estimates that world peace, or 'Heaven on Earth', can be purchased for the price of 3 1/2 B-1 bombers. "In which case," he says, "it would be a bargain."

16 Dec 2005

 * Nepalese kid meditating for 6mo. straight?
 * (Follow Up article) Rant: no wonder we (the general public)do not hear; and why advanced yogic-like practices are secret. How can anyone complete them with such commotion.
 * '''Follow up picture of Ram Bahadur Bamjan

17 Nov 2005

 * American College of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Meditation Makes RA Easier to Bear SAN DIEGO - Meditation can ease the physical and psychological impacts of rheumatoid arthritis, a small randomized study suggests.

13 Nov 2005

 * Ex-convicts return to Tihar, to help inmates "Meditation changed their lives - turning them from criminals into hard working and creative people. And now they are determined to bring that turnaround in the lives of the thousands in the Tihar Jail here...."

12 Nov 2005

 * Christians seek peace through meditation Works for christian to.

11 Nov 2005

 * Meditation Can Increase the Brain's Grey Matter. Meditation has been linked to structural changes in areas of the brain that are important for sensory, cognitive and emotional processing, according to research published in the November issue of NeuroReport. Here is the Abstract the the cited study.
 * Meditation movement lacks proper credentials An editorial questioning David Lynch and the Trancendental Meditation movement. See the feedback at the bottom of the page pointing out some potential inaccuracies in the article (pertaining to lack of credible scientific peer reviewed methodolgy).

09 Nov 2005

 * 900 scientists sign petition of protest for Dalai Lama’s lecture on meditation
 * David Lynch visited campus to raise money and spread awareness about meditation "David Lynch, the director of dark films that often leave audiences in a disconcerted state, has found inner peace through transcendental meditation for 32 years..."

06 Nov 2005

 * Susan Green is a lawyer who specializes in resolving disputes through mediation rather than in court "..The lawyers' workshop is part of Meditate DC, a week-long, high-profile exploration of Eastern meditation's benefits that is being staged in Washington to coincide with a 10-day visit to the city by the Dalai Lama, the exiled Buddhist leader from Chinese-occupied Tibet."

23 Oct 2005

 * Wisconsin researcher back Dalai Lama as a group of neuroscientist protest an upcoming lecture he has been invited to with scientist on a panel

15 Oct 2005
Bangkok Post - Thailand - Phra Khru Paowana Waranusat of Nonthaburi's Wat Pai Lueng will lead a group of around 300 athletes in meditation practice, said Mr Suwat. ...
 * Meditation to help athletes