Meditation as a Psychotherapeutic Tool

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32626/2227-6246.2020-47.141-158

Keywords:

meditation, personality, prefrontal cortex, happiness, mental disorders, psychocorrection.

Abstract

The article presents the results of an implementation of meditations into the
Ukrainian practice of psychocorrection of human mental disorders and an
adaptation of meditations to the socio-cultural features of Ukraine.
The modern understanding of the term «meditation» and the possibility
of using neurointerfaces for training and daily practice of meditations are
considered in the study. The expediency of studying the electrical activity of the
brain in laboratory and field conditions has been determined.
The aim of the article is systematization of the theoretical, methodological
and practical principles of the possibility to use meditations to preserve the
mental health of Ukrainian citizens.
Methods and techniques of the research. The EMOTIV Epoc+ mobile 14
channel neurointerface was used to study the meditation. We have used EEG
monitoring software to visualize brain electrical activity and to get transformed
EEG indicators in the form of basic cognitive-emotional indicators: MyEMOTIV,

EMOTIV Brain Activity Map and EmotivPRO. The empirical sample was 75
veterans.
Results. The influence of meditations on the mental condition of a human
has been shown. It has been shown that happiness is a trained skill through
daily meditation practice. Adaptation of secular meditations for the correction
of post-traumatic stress disorder is presented within the cognitive-behavioral
therapy. The changes in central nervous system activity while meditative session
are characterized, they manifest themselves as intensified activity of integrative
brain system, increased awareness and control of cognitive processes, emotional
sphere and functional states of mind among 75 veterans.
Conclusions. Summarizing the findings and interpreting the cognitiveemotional
indicators, it was concluded that implementation of meditations into
the practice of psychocorrection of human mental disorders was efficient. The
author has proved that the main criterion for the classification of the process of
meditation should be the EEG patterns of human cognitive activity more than
his/her behaviour. It is recommended to use the neurointerface in the course of
psychocorrection of mental disorders.

Author Biography

Микола Мазикін, Head of PO «European Halychyna», Organizer of the Project «Neuroculture», Lviv

Head of PO «European Halychyna», Organizer of the Project
«Neuroculture»

References

Apple, D. M., Fonseca, R. S., & Kokovay, E. (2016). The role of adult neurogenesis in psychiatric and cognitive disorders. Brain Res., 1655, Jan. 15, 270–276. DOI 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.01.023.

Benson, H., & Klipper, M. Z. (1974). The Relaxation Response. New York : William Morrow and Company, Inc.

Cunningham, L. S., & Egan, K. J. (1996). Christian spirituality: themes from the tradition. Mahwah : Paulist Press.

Davidson, R. J., & Begley, S. (2012). The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live – and How You Can Change Them. New York : Hudson Street Press. Davidson, R., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkrantz, M., Muller, D., Santorelli, S., … & Sheridan, J. F. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65 (4), 564–570.

Everly, G. S., & Lating, J. M. (2002). A clinical guide to the treatment of human stress response. New York : Springer-Verlag.

Gabbard, G. O., Litowitz, B. E., & Williams, P. (2012). Textbook of Psychoanalysis (2 ed.). Arlington : American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

Hanson, R., & Mendius, R. (2009). Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. Oacland : New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Insight (2017). Emotiv. Retrieved from https://www.emotiv.com/insight.

Kellawon, G. A. (2014). Yoga Meditations. Bloomington : Balboa Press.

Maksymenko, S. D. (2015). Genesis of Personality Existence: monography. Montreal : Accent Graphics Communication.

Maksymenko, S., Tkach, B., Lytvynchuk, L., & Onufriieva, L. (2019). Neuro-Psycholinguistic Study of Political Slogans in Outdoor Advertising. PSYCHOLINGUISTICS, 26 (1), 246–264. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.31470/2309-1797-2019-26-1-246-264.

Penman, D., & Burch, V. (2013). Mindfulness for Health: A Practical Guide to Relieving Pain, Reducing Stress and Restoring Wellbeing. London : Little, Brown Book Group.

Rinpoche, Y. M., & Tworkov, H. (2014). Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism. Boston & London : Slow Lion.

Schwartz, J., & Begley, S. (2002). The mind and the brain: Neuroplasticity and the power of mental force. New York : Regan Books.

Tarrant, J. (2017). Meditation Interventions to Rewire the Brain: Integrating Neuroscience Strategies for ADHD, Anxiety, Depression & PTSD. Eau Claire : PESI Publishing & Media.

Tkach, B. (2018). Neuropsychological features personalities with deviant behavior. Fundamental and applied researches in practice of leading scientific schools, 27 (3), 201–206.

Published

2020-01-25

How to Cite

Мазикін, М. (2020). Meditation as a Psychotherapeutic Tool. Collection of Research Papers "Problems of Modern Psychology", (47), 141–158. https://doi.org/10.32626/2227-6246.2020-47.141-158