Reshu Gupta
RUHS College of Medical Sciences, India
Title: Effectiveness of meditation programs in empirically reducing stress and amplifying cognitive function and boosting individual health status: A review
Biography
Biography: Reshu Gupta
Abstract
Meditation had long been believed to possess a multitude of putative beneficial effects which it could bestow upon it’s practitioner, but it was not until the 1960’s that scientific exploration into the process began. Rigorous
increase in randomized controlled trials on mindful interventions has been observed in past two decades. It has
been shown, with increasing evidence, to harbor a myriad of positive effects, a few including, but not limited to, stress reduction, cognition enhancement, an increase in memory, boosted intelligence, etc. Such profound positive
influences have led to it being rather commonly deployed to promote general health and treat stress and stress related
conditions. Meditative modalities are broadly classified as those stressing on mindfulness, concentration or automated
self-transcendence. Certain popular modalities such as transcendental meditation follow the use of a mantra such
that one transcends to a state where focused attention is absent. In contrast, others such as mindfulness-based stress
reduction are based on present focused awareness or mindfulness. While it is not clear if these differences influence
the result of practice, all classes are broadly considered ‘meditation’ and studied as such. The session shall evaluate the
increasing evidence of mindfulness intervention by reviewing and discussing the effects of mindfulness interventions
on boosting memory, recall, learning and reducing stress levels along with the psychological and neurobiological
mechanisms of such interventions. This shall provide a robust understanding of the process involved in benefits of
practicing mindfulness.