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relaxation with distressing thoughts, therefore, this can bring about a sharp change in a person's reaction to those thoughts and this change may be more or less permanent in its effect. The process by which this is done is called 'Systematic Desensitization'. In this form of behaviour therapy the person is deliberately presented with the distressing thoughts (and sometimes with the actual distressing situation) while he is in a state of deep muscle relaxation. This process is accomplished in small increments and may take many sessions to complete but it can overcome deep-seated fears and phobias in some people.
Daniel Goleman, a renowned psychologist has suggested that meditation may be a highly effective densensitization process which work much the same way as systematic desensitization except that it is much wider in its scope and under complete control of the meditator - no therapist is needed for it to work. He calls this process 'Global Desensitization' to indicate its all - inclusive nature (1). He has noted that when distressing thoughts and images float unbidden through the mind of a meditator, these typically occur in the deeply relaxed meditative state, and has suggested that this natural linking of distressing thoughts with deep physical calm makes the disturbing thoughts loose their emotional charge.
This concept coincides with the views of most of the therapists and scientists working in the field of meditation, which states that mediator will often report that in a particular meditation session thoughts of a disturbing nature have passed through their mind, sometimes with great vividness, but that somehow they were able to remain calm despite the unpleasantness of these thoughts. After such a session the disturbing thoughts or fears seemed no longer to 'bother them' the same way. Something has happened. Meditation may well have acted to desensitize the individual who reports such experiences.
Microcosm of Psychic Action and Meditation
A living organism is an organic unity of two elements - a nonmaterial conscious element called 'Psyche' or soul, and a material element called body, as per the view of spiritualistic philosophy. Acharya Mahaprajna opines that the organism is circumscribed by the limits of the gross body, sense-organs and brain, a subtle taijasa sarira, a more subtle karma sarira, conscious mind (chitta), psychical expression (adhyavasaya), and finally the psyche or the soul itself (2). The soul itself i.e. conscious substance (dravyaatma) forms the nucleus of the organism, which is surrounded by an envelope of contaminating field producing malevolence (kasaya) created by karma sarira. Adhyavasaya, the primal drives, are processed by all living organisms and are the prime movers of the three fold activities - mental, vocal and physical, to be manifested later on in the gross physical body.
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Jain Education International
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| SR No. | 524610 |
| Book Title | Tulsi Prajna 2002 01 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Shanta Jain, Jagatram Bhattacharya |
| Publisher | Jain Vishva Bharati |
| Publication Year | 2002 |
| Total Pages | 122 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Tulsi Prajna, & India |
| File Size | 6 MB |