Psychiatrists and Psychologists

Biography

Biography: Reshu Gupta

Abstract

Meditation had long been believed to possess a multitude of putative beneficial effects which it could bestow upon its 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 the 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 aim to give a brief introduction to the world of meditation followed by discussion of the increasing evidence of mindfulness intervention by reviewing the effects of mindfulness interventions on reducing stress levels and boosting cognitive function along with the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of such interventions, with an aim to provide a robust understanding of the process involved in the benefits of practicing mindfulness, as well as a concise insight into the process of meditation.