Mind/Body/Spirit V: Positive Energy flow- meditative states

Most of us live busy lives, scurrying about doing stuff. We are in the Rat Race, responding to “triggers” at work, at home, and sometimes even in our off-duty pleasure activities. Our brain wave pattern reflects this frenetic trigger-to-trigger time: it is called the “Beta” brain wave pattern with matching frenetic up and down movements. It looks stressful, and it is. The meditative states, up to and including sleep, are typically smoother and even look calmer! See this informative and entertaining ten minute “Ted Talk”: http://blog.ted.com/2013/01/11/4-scientific-studies-on-how-meditation-can-affect-your-heart-brain-and-creativity/

Scientific/medical studies have shown that these meditative states indeed have physical and chemical effects on their practitioners; their blood chemistry shows increased levels of de-stressor hormones. These studies show meditators to be significantly happier and healthier. We will consider four of these meditative states: Prayer, Traditional, Guided, and Brainwave entrainment meditative states.

Prayer: There are many accounts of the positive effects of prayer, and prayers being answered. Most people, at least in the United States, pray and believe in the healing power of prayer, even in the absence of “scientific”, explanations for how this occurs. The traditional medical establishment has refused to consider the possibility of spiritual healing, but that is now changing. The site: http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/can-prayer-heal gives us an update: even the NIH is now studying this possibility.

Barbara Bradley Haggerty, author of the book Fingerprints of God, has spent a year researching the connection between science and spirituality, and reports that there is strong evidence for the healing effect on those who pray, but the “scientific” evidence is mixed when the effect on the recipient of prayer is being tested. This is summarized in her interview with NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104466652 . The jury is still out, however; the traditional scientific method and measuring instruments may not be equal to testing in the world of the Spirit. Time will tell!