A New Hope of Students Suffering Trauma

by Dr. Scott F. Terry & David Shapiro

New Study in Psychological Reports: Transcendental Meditation (TM) Significantly Reduces Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression in Students

Before practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM), it was mayhem at our school. A lot of fights were going on, basically every day. People were not friendly, they were mean. When I learned it I noticed it was different, because TM is not just closing your eyes, it is deeper than that. It makes you feel better, makes you more energized and it takes away all your stress. It really, really helps. – 7^th grade student

I used to be really fidgety, I used to move a lot, couldn't' stay in my seat for very long. Now after meditating I can sit down for a whole class without standing up. Before practicing TM, it was hard for me to concentrate; after practicing TM, I could concentrate very well. – 7^th grade student

These children live in communities and go to schools where violence threatens the children and puts them at risk for accumulating high levels of stress and even suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, a chronic and debilitating condition, arises from life-threatening and deeply traumatic events: war, sexual abuse, violence and natural disasters. Symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, fear, hyper-vigilance, emotional numbness, anger, and violent behavior, often leading to the abuse of drugs and alcohol. PTSD is a chronic, debilitating condition that may last a lifetime if not treated effectively. (more…)

How To Use Meditation To Improve Psychic Abilities

by Alissa Monroe

Everyone is psychic to a degree. It is how open we are to our abilities that allows us to use and strengthen them just like working out will help build muscles. One of the keys to building stronger psychic powers is meditation.

The following tips will work whether you are a practitioner looking to help and heal others or you are just looking to develop your psychic abilities more. Cultivating a regular meditation practice is essential for beginners as well as advanced psychic practitioners. It works to ground and center you which is important when getting ready to read for a client or for yourself. (more…)

Essential Buddhism for Modern Life

Buddhism is based on teachings of the Buddha (dharma), Siddhartha Gautama, who lived some 2500 years ago. It is estimated to have some 500 million followers, over 7% of the global population [Pew Research Center]. While traditionally considered an Eastern 'religion' it is gaining popularity in the West in recent years with some 4 million adherents in North America in 2010 [Pew Research Center], likely seen as an antidote to the perceived stresses and ultimate emptiness of modern life.

Buddhism is more a philosophy than a religion. It has no God, but rather offers a description of the nature of reality and guidance on how a being with free will might negotiate that reality.

The ultimate Buddhist goal of enlightenment can take a lifetime (or several) of the contemplative existence of a monk to reach. However, such devotion is not essential to benefit from Buddhist teachings, even in the midst of worldly life. (more…)

Going Inward

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

Q: How to shut off the ramblings of the everyday mind and hear the whisperings of the heart?

Several weeks ago, independent of each other, 2 people mentioned they wished they could learn how to go inward; they were having a difficult time of it.  Since much of the spiritual journey involves going inward- listening to inner perceptions- they wondered how this inner learning/awareness might be facilitated.  They wanted to be instructed/shown how to do this.

For well over 3 weeks, I have been thinking about their request.  During this period several thoughts occurred to me. (more…)

Buddhism and Meditation Practice

The Buddhist response to the pervasiveness of unsatisfactoriness is to seek to extinguish attachment and craving (ie enlightenment or nirvana). The practice of meditation plays a significant role towards this end.

There are numerous varieties of Buddhist meditation, eg Zen, Vipassana, concentration to name but a few. However, one that has gained much attention and credibility in the West is mindfulness (eg a Google search for this term yields 39 million hits, an Amazon search some 56,000 titles).

Mindfulness meditation is about objective observation. It's about simply being in the here and now, seeing and accepting reality as it is, without feelings or judgement, not measuring it against some ideal that we'd like it to be. (more…)

The Egg Meditation

by Catherine Auman

I invented The Egg Meditation after reading Becoming a Woman by Dr. Toni Grant. The book was the first time I encountered the idea that as women, we are losing our yin. Dr. Grant never used that language, but as a Jungian she taught that humans are made up of different components or subpersonalities, and that as modern women; we are emphasizing our active “doing” parts at the expense of our quiet “being” parts. Today, women are busy expressing our assertiveness: becoming CEO’s, stripping for our lovers and being on top. We reject what has classically been considered female: being quiet, receptive, and demure. We’re all yang and no yin. (more…)

You Might Prefer an Active Meditation

by Catherine Auman

When most people hear the word “meditation,” they envision a serenely calm person sitting blissfully, probably with their legs crossed in the lotus position. What is going on inside that meditator’s head, however, may be a different story. Their mind is most likely struggling and overwhelmed with its many dramas, anxieties, and infatuations. Many people can’t stick with a meditation practice because it is just too darn uncomfortable.

The benefits of meditation have been well documented: reduced stress, better health, concentration, spontaneity and creativity. There are purported psychological and spiritual benefits, such as helping to keep things in perspective, developing intuition, greater tolerance of others and self, and even enlightenment. Nearly everybody who learns about it agrees that meditation is a good thing.

Then why do so few practice it? (more…)

Top Five Reasons Forgiveness Will Make You Happy

by Joseph Drumheller

You can never be happy if you cannot forgive.  The truth is if you can’t forgive, somewhere inside, you will always be a victim to your own anger, hurt or fear. (more…)

The Healing Power of Meditation

By William T. Hathaway

I suffered a brain injury at birth. An EEG test showed chaotic, abnormal brain waves, and in school I had attention deficit disorder. I couldn't concentrate and my thoughts were cloudy. My grades were mediocre, and I flunked out of my first university. I wanted to become a writer, but my writing was disorganized and unclear. In despair I took marijuana and other drugs, but they made my thoughts even foggier.

Then I started Transcendental Meditation. (more…)

Conscious Peace

From the Book RADICAL PEACE: People Refusing War By William T. Hathaway

I was sitting in full lotus, body wrapped in a blanket, mind rapt in deep stillness, breathing lightly, wisps of air curling into the infinite space behind my closed eyes. My mantra had gone beyond sound to become a pulse of light in an emptiness that contained everything.

An electric shock flashed down my spine and through my body. My head snapped back, limbs jerked, a cry burst from my throat. Every muscle in my body contracted ― neck rigid, jaws clenched, forehead tight. Bolts of pain shot through me in all directions, then drew together in my chest. Heart attack! I thought. I managed to lie down, then noticed I wasn't breathing ― maybe I was already dead. I groaned and gulped a huge breath, which stirred a whirl of thoughts and images.

Vietnam again: Rotor wind from a hovering helicopter flails the water of a rice paddy while farmers run frantically for cover. Points of fire spark out from a bamboo grove to become dopplered whines past my ears. A plane dives on the grove to release a bomb which tumbles end over end and bursts into an orange globe of napalm. A man in my arms shakes in spasms as his chest gushes blood. (more…)