________________
110
TULSI PRAJÑA fatigue, its psychological correlate should be control of ergic tension, neurasthenia and anxiety.
5. Meditation increases skin resistance nearly five-fold. (Since fall in skin
resistance cause allergies, like simple asthma or urticaria and rashes, it :: psychological correlate should be lessened sensitivity to the evnironment).
6. As given earlier, mind-body is a single entity. A disorder may originate in the
mind and effect the body as urticaria, migraine etc. (such disorders are known as psychosomatic). A disorder may originate in the body and effect the mind as continuous dyspepsia causes pessimistic attitudes.
7. Many research/experimental studies have been conducted to show the effect
of meditation on biochemistry of reduced stress, coherence of brain waves, physiological rest maintained during the activity, increased automic stability, effective interaction with the environment, prevention of alcohol and cigarettes abuse, relief from insomnia, normalization of weight, beneficial effects on bronchial asthma, increased tolerance for physical activity in heart patients (angina pectoris), increase in self actualization, decrease in aggression, depression and neuroticism, increased creativity, higher states of consciousness, EEG, Coherence and experience of siddhis, etc.
: Functions of Meditation
-
Meditation cannot be simply taken as a physiological exercise engineered through verbal commands of a psychologist. It performs certain other functions too, in addition to its well-recognized function of slowing down the breathing and pulse rate, decreasing blood pressure and blood lactates, increasing skin resistance and producing electrical rhythms of the brain on an unusual pattern different from the three known states of consciousness pointing towards the possibility of the fourth state of consciousness. Meditation can be viewed to have at least three functions:
i
Meditation as a tranquilizer of body and mind and a powerful therapy for psychosomatics.
ii. Meditation as an unfolder of the unconsciousness.
iii. Meditation as precursor of higher mental activities.
Unfortunately concentration of mind' and its natural culmination into meditation are two such topics which have found no place in psychology texts so far. This may be due to lack of reflection and research in this area but the
January-March 1993
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
