Meditation and prayer
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Experienced meditators seem to switch off areas of the brain associated with wandering thoughts, anxiety and some psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Researchers used fMRI scans to determine how the brains of meditators differed from subjects who were not meditating.
If this is the case prayer does the same thing . During prayer the individual focuses its mind into a focal point which is God .
There have been study made in conjunction with MRI which shows similarity
If this is the case prayer does the same thing . During prayer the individual focuses its mind into a focal point which is God .
There have been study made in conjunction with MRI which shows similarity
As I recall, the primary physiologic difference is that an area of the right temporal region is stimulated in practiced meditators and an area of the left temporal is stimulated in those who are practiced prayers.
It would seem that - if one wished to exercise their brain this way in a balanced manner, one would do both.
It would seem that - if one wished to exercise their brain this way in a balanced manner, one would do both.
Meditation is generally an inwardly oriented, personal practice, which individuals can do by themselves. Prayer beads or other ritual objects may be used during meditation. Meditation may involve invoking or cultivating a feeling or internal state, such as compassion, or attending to a specific focal point. The term can refer to the state itself, as well as to practices or techniques employed to cultivate the state.
There are dozens of specific styles of meditation practice; the word meditation may carry different meanings in different contexts. Meditation has been practiced since antiquity as a component of numerous religious traditions.
WIKI
There are dozens of specific styles of meditation practice; the word meditation may carry different meanings in different contexts. Meditation has been practiced since antiquity as a component of numerous religious traditions.
WIKI
I don't need beads I don't need any thing ,beside humbling myself and talk to God as to my father ,praise Him thank Him and as for His blessing Then help me to respect my fellow man.
I saw a PET scan study, using a Buddhist monk and a Catholic nun. Both were asked to pray or meditate in their normal fashion.
The results showed high activity in the nun's speech cortex and no activity there at all by the monk.
I think I saw this in Discover or Science a few years ago.
The results showed high activity in the nun's speech cortex and no activity there at all by the monk.
I think I saw this in Discover or Science a few years ago.
When you speak or think about speaking you activate your speech center. Silent prayer is still speaking, just silently, so you would of course activate that area.
When we meditate, we concentrate on nothing - that is what is meant by "being empty", "mu" in Chinese, so of course if you are concentrating on NOT speaking or even thinking of speaking, your speech areas will be silent...unless you are a novice meditator, in which case you will have sporadic speech thoughts.
For the uninformed, ECT = EleCtroconvulsive shock Therapy is an outmoded form of torturing the mentally ill that was based on scientific fallacy and is no longer in much use.
It is still used for cases of severe depression which are unresponsive to treatment. The patient is put under general anesthetic now for the treatments and they use much less current.
Yes, I thought it was fascinating that the PET scan could confirm how these completely different modes of introspection appear as distinct patterns
Prayer and meditation can also be the same thing.
To chant the names of God repetitavely induces a meditative state.
This can be effective as it engages not only mind, but the body also.
jan.
Effective for what?
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
Chanting is an ancient practice that can have many effects. Perhaps the most familiar one is passion: battle cries, sports cheers, the chants at events ranging from political rallies to rap and dub-reggae concerts. When chanting in a group the sounds of the other people reinforce our own, potentially causing a multiplier effect.
The simple answer is that chanting--the combination of rhythm, repetitive tone, and words taken slightly out of their normal linguistic context--can easily (almost reliably in most of us) cause the release of endorphins. What you do with those endorphins is up to you, although the linguistic meaning of the words is intended to guide you in a specific direction. Depending on the situation, your priest, general, team captain, therapist, candidate or performer hopes to guide an entire group of people in that specific direction, to accomplish a goal or just to have more intense fun.
I practice a form of unsupervised psychotherapy called the Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT. The essence of the technique is to craft a short phrase describing your problem and what you'd like to do about it (within a set of compositional rules defined by the technique), then chant it while tapping on a circle of easily-reached acupressure points. (It breaks from the chant model rather quickly, as ideas are expected to pop into your head which you then insert into the lyrics of the chant, and eventually you find yourself describing in prose--or simply writing or typing--a way to approach your problem.) I have found it quite useful and have a years-long diary documenting problems which I have unraveled this way.
Religion is all about archetypes and the unconscious (both individual and collective), so one would expect any technique that plumbs below the conscious level to be drafted into use by religious leaders.
That is a fascinating regimen, Frag. It seems a plausible method for problem - solving as well. My lovely wife knows where all of those (painful) acupressure points are, can use them to release charlie - horsed muscles when/as needed. Painfully.
Some of the older, more conservative Buddhist methods involve the use of a mantra for meditation, which would likely accomplish the involvement of both temporal regions similar to chanting the names of God, a combination of prayer and meditative techniques.
Some of the older, more conservative Buddhist methods involve the use of a mantra for meditation, which would likely accomplish the involvement of both temporal regions similar to chanting the names of God, a combination of prayer and meditative techniques.
WoW! 16 answers ahead of this, and nobody said the obvious definitions.
Meditation - is a calm peaceful and relaxing imaginative journey inside ones mind.
Prayer - is speaking out loud or in your mind to appeal/request/give thanks to a god figure.
I read so many answers about Brain studies/PET scans/Temporal regions/Schizophrenia/ECT, but nobody really just said the correct difference. Answer #2 came close.
Meditation - is a calm peaceful and relaxing imaginative journey inside ones mind.
Prayer - is speaking out loud or in your mind to appeal/request/give thanks to a god figure.
I read so many answers about Brain studies/PET scans/Temporal regions/Schizophrenia/ECT, but nobody really just said the correct difference. Answer #2 came close.
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
Perhaps for some people. We're all different.
Oh heck - I didn't know it was a test! If I had known there was gonna be a pop quiz I would have studied harder beforehand......
*pouts*