Is mindfulness training old wine in new bottles?
Posted: January 11, 2024 Filed under: attention, behavior, biofeedback, Breathing/respiration, CBT, cognitive behavior therapy, healing, health, meditation, self-healing, stress management | Tags: anxiety, autogenic training, biofeedback, health, meditation, mental-health, mindfulness, pain, passive attention, progressive muscle relaxation, wellness, yoga 2 CommentsAdapted from: Peper, E., Harvey, R., & Lin, I-M. (2019). Mindfulness training has themes common to other technique. Biofeedback. 47(3), 50-57. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-47.3.02
This extensive blog discusses the benefits of mindfulness-based meditation (MM) techniques and explores how similar beneficial outcomes occur with other mind-centered practices such as transcendental meditation, and body-centered practices such as progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), autogenic training (AT), and yoga. For example, many standardized mind-body techniques such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (a) are associated with a reduction in symptoms of symptoms such as anxiety, pain and depression. This article explores the efficacy of mindfulness based techniques to that of other self-regulation techniques and identifies components shared between mindfulness based techniques and several previous self-regulation techniques, including PMR, AT, and transcendental meditation. The authors conclude that most of the commonly used self-regulation strategies have comparable efficacy and share many elements.
Mindfulness-based strategies are based in ancient Buddhist practices and have found acceptance as one of the major contemporary behavioral medicine techniques (Hilton et al, 2016; Khazan, 2013). Throughout this blog the term mindfulness will refer broadly to a mental state of paying total attention to the present moment, with a non-judgmental awareness of the inner and/ or outer experiences (Baer et al., 2004; Kabat-Zinn, 1994).
In 1979, Jon Kabat-Zinn introduced a manual for a standardized Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, 2003). The eight-week program combined mindfulness as a form of insight meditation with specific types of yoga breathing and movements exercises designed to focus on awareness of the mind and body, as well as thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
There is a substantial body of evidence that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT); Teasdale et al., 1995) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, 2003) have combined with skills of cognitive therapy for ameliorating stress symptoms such as negative thinking, anxiety and depression. For example, MBSR and MBCT has been confirmed to be clinical beneficial in alleviating a variety of mental and physical conditions, for people dealing with anxiety, depression, cancer-related pain and anxiety, pain disorder, or high blood pressure (The following are only a few of the hundred studies published: Andersen et al., 2013; Carlson et al., 2003; Fjorback et al., 2011; Greeson, & Eisenlohr-Moul, 2014; Hoffman et al., 2012; Marchand, 2012; Baer, 2015; Demarzo et al., 2015; Khoury et al, 2013; Khoury et al, 2015; Chapin et al., 2014; Witek Janusek et al., 2019). Currently, MBSR and MBCT techniques that are more standardized are widely applied in schools, hospitals, companies, prisons, and other environments.
The Relationship Between Mindfulness and Other Self-Regulation Techniques
This section addresses two questions: First, how do mindfulness-based interventions compare in efficacy to older self-regulation techniques? Second, and perhaps more basically, how new and different are mindfulness-based therapies from other self-regulation-oriented practices and therapies?
Is mindfulness more effective than other mind/body body/mind approaches?
Although mindfulness-based meditation (MM) techniques are effective, it does not mean that is is more effective than other traditional meditation or self-regulation approaches. To be able to conclude that MM is superior, it needs to be compared to equivalent well-coached control groups where the participants were taught other approaches such as progressive relaxation, autogenic training, transcendental meditation, or biofeedback training. In these control groups, the participants would be taught by practitioners who were self-experienced and had mastered the skills and not merely received training from a short audio or video clip (Cherkin et al, 2016). The most recent assessment by the National Centere for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health (NCCIH-NIH, 2024) concluded that generally “the effects of mindfulness meditation approaches were no different than those of evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise especially when they include how to generalize the skills during the day” (NCCIH, 2024). Generalizing the learned skills into daily life contributes to the successful outcome of Autogenic Training, Progressive Relaxation, integrated biofeedback stress management training, or the Quieting Response (Luthe, 1979; Davis et al., 2019; Wilson et al., 2023; Stroebel, 1982).
Unfortunately, there are few studies that compare the effective of mindfulness meditation to other sitting mental techniques such as Autogenic Training, Transcendental Meditation or similar meditative practices that are used therapeutically. When the few randomized control studies of MBSR versus autogenic training (AT) was done, no conclusions could be drawn as to the superior stress reduction technique among German medical students (Kuhlmann et al., 2016).
Interestingly, Tanner, et al (2009) in a waitlist study of students in Washington, D.C. area universities practicing TM used the concept of mindfulness, as measured by the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIM) (Baer et al, 2004) as a dependent variable, where TM practice resulted in greater degrees of ‘mindfulness.’ More direct comparisons of MM with body-focused techniques, such as progressive relaxation, or Autogenic training mindfulness-based approaches, have not found superior benefit. For example, Agee et al (2009) compared the stress management effects of a five-week Mindfulness Meditation (MM) to a five-week Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) course and found no meaningful reports of superiority of one over the other program; both MM and PMR were effective in reducing symptoms of stress.
In a persuasive meta-analysis comparing MBSR with other similar stress management techniques used among military service members, Crawford, et al (2013) described various multimodal programs for addressing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other military or combat-related stress reactions. Of note, Crawford, et al (2013) suggest that all of the multi-modal approaches that include Autogenic Training, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, movement practices including Yoga and Tai Chi, as well as Mindfulness Meditation, and various types of imagery, visualization and prayer-based contemplative practices ALL provide some benefit to service members experiencing PTSD.
An important observation by Crawford et al (2013) pointed out that when military service members had more physical symptoms of stress, the meditative techniques appeared to work best, and when the chief complaints were about cognitive ruminations, the body techniques such as Yoga or Tai Chi worked best to reduce symptoms. Whereas it may not be possible to say that mindfulness meditation practices are clearly superior to other mind-body techniques, it may be possible to raise questions about mechanisms that unite the mind-body approaches used in therapeutic settings.
Could there be negative side effects?
Another point to consider is the limited discussion of the possible absence of benefit or even harms that may be associated with mind-body therapies. For example, for some people, meditation does not promote prosocial behavior (Kreplin et al, 2018). For other people, meditation can evoke negative physical and/or psychological outcomes (Lindahl et al, 2017; Britton et al., 2021). There are other struggles with mind-body techniques when people only find benefit in the presence of a skilled clinician, practitioner, or guru, suggesting a type of psychological dependency or transference, rather than the ability to generalize the benefits outside of a set of conditions (e.g. four to eight weeks of one to four hour trainings) or a particular setting (e.g. in a natural and/or quiet space).
Whereas the detailed instructions for many mindfulness meditation trainings, along with many other types of mind-body practices (e.g. Transcendental Meditation, Autogenic Training, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Yoga, Tai Chi…) create conditions that are laudable because they are standardized, a question is raised as to ‘critical ingredients’, using the metaphor of baking. The difference between a chocolate and a vanilla cake is not ingredients such as flour, or sugar, etc., which are common to all cakes, but rather the essential or critical ingredient of the chocolate or vanilla flavoring. So what are the essential or critical ingredients in mind-body techniques? Extending the metaphor, Crawford, et al (2013, p. 20) might say the critical ingredient common to the mind-body techniques they studied was that people “can change the way their body and mind react to stress by changing their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors…” with techniques that, relatively speaking, “involve minimal cost and training time.”
The skeptical view suggested here is that MM techniques share similar strategies with other mind-body approaches that encouraging learners to ‘pay attention and shift intention.’ This strategy is part of the instructions when learning Progressive Relaxation, Autogenic Training, Transcendental Meditation, movement meditation of Yoga and Tai Chi and, with instrumented self-regulation techniques such as bio/neurofeedback. In this sense, MM training repackages techniques that have been available for millennia and thus becomes ‘old wine sold in new bottles.’
We wonder if a control group for compassionate mindfulness training would report more benefits if they were asked not only to meditate on compassionate acts, but actually performed compassionate tasks such as taking care of person in pain, helping a homeless person, or actually writing and delivering a letter of gratitude to a person who has helped them in the past? The suggestion is to titrate the effects of MM techniques, moving from a more basic level of benefit to a more fully actualized level of benefit, generalizing their skill beyond a training setting, as measured by the Baer et al (2004) Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills.
Each generation of clinicians and educators rediscover principles without always recognizing that the similar principles were part of the previous clinical interventions. The analogies and language has changed; however, the underlying concepts may be the same. Mindfulness interventions are now the new, current and popular approach. Some of the underlying ‘mindfulness’ concepts that are shared in common with successfully other mind-body and self-regulation approaches include:
The practitioner must be self-experienced in mindfulness practice. This means that the practitioners do not merely believe the practice is effective; they know it is effective from self-experience. Inner confidence conveyed to clients and patients enhances the healing/placebo effect. It is similar to having sympathy or empathy for clients and patients that occurs from have similar life experiences, such as when a clinician speaks to a patient. For example, a male physician speaking to a female patient who has had a mastectomy may be compassionate; however, empathy occurs more easily when another mastectomy patient (who may also be a physician) shares how she struggled overcame her doubts and can still be loved by her partner.
There may also be a continuum of strengthening beliefs about the benefits of mindfulness techniques that leads to increase benefits for the approach. Knowing there are some kinds of benefits from initiating a practice of mindfulness increases empathy/compassion for others as they learn. Proving that mindfulness techniques are causing benefits after systematically comparing their effectiveness with other approaches strengthens the belief in the mindfulness approaches. Note that a similar process of strengthening one’s belief in an approach occurs gradually, over time as clients and patients progress through beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of mind-body practices.
Observing thoughts without being captured. Being a witness to the thoughts, emotions, and external events results in a type of covert global desensitization and skill mastery of NOT being captured by those thoughts and emotions. This same process of non-attachment and being a witness is one of the underpinnings of techniques that tacitly and sometime covertly support learning ways of controlling attention, such as with Autogenic Training; namely how to passively attend to a specific body part without judgment and, report on the subjective experience without comparison or judgment.
Ongoing daily practice. Participants take an active role in their own healing process as they learn to control and focus their attention. Participants are often asked to practice up to one hour a day and apply the practices during the day as mini-practices or awareness cues to interrupt the dysfunctional behavior. For example in Autogenic training, trainees are taught to practice partial formula (such my “neck and shoulders are heavy”) during the day to bring the body/mind back to balance. While with Progressive Relaxation, the trainee learns to identify when they tighten inappropriate muscles (dysponesis) and then inhibit this observed tension.
Peer support by being in a group. Peer support is a major factor for success as people can share their challenges and successes. Peer support tends to promote acceptance of self-and others and provides role modeling how to cope with stressors. It is possible that some peer support groups may counter the benefits of a mind-body technique, especially when the peers do not provide support or may in fact impede progress when they complain of the obstacles or difficulties in their process.
These concepts are not unique to Mindfulness Meditation (MM) training. Similar instructions have been part of the successful/educational intervention of Progressive Relaxation, Autogenic Training, Yogic practices, and Transcendental Meditation. These approaches have been most successful when the originators, and their initial students, taught their new and evolving techniques to clients and patients; however, they became less successful as later followers and practitioners used these approaches without learning an in-depth skill mastery. For example, Progressive relaxation as taught by Edmund Jacobson consisted of advanced skill mastery by developing subtle awareness of different muscle tension that was taught over 100 sessions (Mackereth & Tomlinson, 2010). It was not simply listening once to a 20-minute audio recording about tightening and relaxing muscles. Similarly, Autogenic training is very specific and teaches passive attention over a three to six-month time-period while the participant practices multiple times daily. Stating the obvious, learning Autogenic Training, Mindfulness, Progressive Relaxation, Bio/Neurofeedback or any other mind-body technique is much more than listening to a 20-minute audio recording.
The same instructions are also part of many movement practices. For many participants focusing on the movement automatically evoked a shift in attention. Their attention is with the task and they are instructed to be present in the movement.
Areas to explore.
Although Mindfulness training with clients and patients has resulted in remarkable beneficial outcomes for the participants, it is not clear whether mindfulness training is better than well taught PR, AT, TM or other mind/body or body/mind approaches. There are also numerous question to explore such as: 1) Who drops out, 2) Is physical exercise to counter sitting disease and complete the alarm reaction more beneficial, and 3) Strategies to cope with wandering attention.
- Who drops out?
We wonder if mindfulness is appropriate for all participants as sometimes participants drop out or experience negative abreactions. It not clear who those participants are. Interestingly, hints for whom the techniques may be challenging can be found in the observations of Autogenic Training that lists specific guidelines for contra-, relative- and non-indications (Luthe, 1970).
- Physical movement to counter sitting disease and complete the alarm reaction.
Although many mindfulness meditation practices may include yoga practices, most participants practice it in a sitting position. It may be possible that for some people somatic movement practices such as a slow Zen walk may quiet the inner dialogue more quickly. In our experience, when participants are upset and highly stressed, it is much easier to let go of agitation by first completing the triggered fight/flight response with vigorous physical activity such as rapidly walking up and downs stairs while focusing on the burning sensations of the thigh muscles. Once the physical stress reaction has been completed and the person feels physically calmer then the mind is quieter. Then have the person begin their meditative practice.
- Strategies to cope with wandering attention.
Some participants have difficulty staying on task, become sleepy, worry, and/or are preoccupied. We observed that first beginning with physical movement practices or Progressive Relaxation appears to be a helpful strategy to reduce wandering thoughts. If one has many active thoughts, progressive relaxation continuously pulls your attention to your body as you are directed to tighten and let go of muscle groups. Being guided supports developing the passive focus of attention to bring awareness back to the task at hand. Once internally quieter, it is easier hold their attention while doing Autogenic Training, breathing or Mindfullness Meditation.
By integrating somatic components with the mindfulness such as done in Progressive Relaxation or yoga practices facilitates the person staying present. Similarly, when teaching slower breathing, if a person has a weight on their abdomen while practicing breathing, it is easier to keep attending to the task: allow the weight to upward when inhaling and feeling the exhalation flowing out through the arms and legs.
Therapeutic and education strategies that implicitly incorporate mindfulness
Progressive relaxation
In the United States during the 1920 progressive relaxation (PR) was developed and taught by Edmund Jacobson (1938). This approach was clinically very successful for numerous illnesses ranging from hypertension, back pain, gastrointestinal discomfort, and anxiety; it included 50 year follow-ups. Patients were active participants and practiced the skills at home and at work and interrupt their dysfunctional patterns during the day such as becoming aware of unnecessary muscle tension (dyponetic activity) and then release the unnecessary muscle tension (Whatmore & Kohli, 1968). This structured approach is totally different than providing an audio recording that guides clients and patients through a series of tightening and relaxing of their muscles. The clinical outcome of PR when taught using the original specific procedures described by Jacobson (1938) was remarkable. The incorporation of Progressive Relaxation as the homework practice was an important cofactor in the successful outcome in the treatment of muscle tension headache using electromyography (EMG) biofeedback by Budzynski, Stoyva and Adler (1970).
Autogenic Training
In 1932 Johannes Schultz in Germany published a book about Autogenic Training describing the basic training procedure. The basic autogenic procedure, the standard exercises, were taught over a minimum period of three month in which the person practiced daily. In this practice they directed theri passive attention to the following cascading sequence: heaviness of their arms, warmth of their arms, heart beat calm and regular, breathing calm and regular or it breathes me, solar plexus is warm, forehead is cool, and I am at peace (Luthe, 1979). Three main principles of autonomic training mentioned by Luthe (1979) are: (1) mental repetition of topographically oriented verbal formulae for brief periods; (2) passive concentration; and (3) reduction of exteroceptive and proprioceptive afferent stimulation. The underlying concepts of Autogenic Therapy include as described by Peper and Williams (1980):
The body has an innate capacity for self-healing and it is this capacity that is allowed to become operative in the autogenic state. Neither the trainer nor trainee has the wisdom necessary to direct the course of the self-balancing process; hence, the capacity is allowed to occur and not be directed.
- Homeostatic self-regulation is encouraged.
- Much of the learning is done by the trainee at home; hence, the responsibility for the training lies primarily with the trainee.
- The trainer/teacher must be self-experience in the practice.
- The attitude necessary for successful practice is one of passive attention; active striving and concern with results impedes the learning process. An attitude of acceptance is cultivated, letting be whatever comes up. This quality of attention is known as “mindfulness’ in meditative traditions.
The clinical outcome for autogenic therapy is very promising. The detailed guided self-awareness training and uncontrolled studies showed benefits across a wide variety of psychosomatic illness such as asthma, cancer, hypertension, anxiety, pain irritable bowel disease, depression (Luthe & Schultz, 1970a; Luthe & Schultz, 1970b). Autogenic training components have also been integrated in biofeedback training. Elmer and Alice Green included the incorporation of autogenic training phrases with temperature biofeedback for the very successful treatment of migraines (Green & Green, 1989). Autonomic training combine with biofeedback in clinical practices produced better results than control group for headache population (Luthe, 1979). Empirical research found that autonomic training was applied efficiently in emotional and behavioral problems, and physical disorder (Klott, 2013), such as skin disorder (Klein & Peper, 2013), insomnia (Bowden et al., 2012), Meniere’s disease (Goto, Nakai, & Ogawa, 2011) and the multitude of stress related symptoms (Wilson et al., 2023).
Bio/neurofeedback training
Starting in the late 1960s, biofeedback procedures have been developed as a successful treatment approach for numerous illnesses ranging from headaches, hypertension, to ADHD (Peper et al., 1979; Peper & Shaffer, 2010; Khazan, 2013). In most cases, the similar instructions that are part of mindfulness meditation are also embedded in the bio/neurofeedback instructions. The participants are instructed to learn control over some physiological parameter and then practice the same skill during daily life. This means that during the learning process, the person learn passive attention and is not be captured by marauding thoughts and feeling. and during the day develop awareness Whenever they become aware of dysfunctional patterns, thoughts, emotions, they initiated their newly learned skill. The ongoing biological feedback signals continuously reminds them to focus.
Transcendental meditation
The next fad to hit the American shore was Transcendental Meditation (TM)– a meditation practice from the ancient Vedic tradition in India. The participant were given a mantra that they mentally repeated and if their attention wanders, they go back to repeating the mantra internally. The first study that captured the media’s attention was by Wallace (1970) published in the Journal Science which reported that “During meditation, oxygen consumption and heart rate decreased, skin resistance increased, and the electroencephalogram showed specific changes in certain frequencies. These results seem to distinguish the state produced by Transcendental Meditation from commonly encountered states of consciousness and suggest that it may have practical applications.” (Wallace, 1970).
The participants were to practice the mantra meditation twice a day for about 20 minutes. Meta-analysis studies have reported that those who practiced TM as compared to the control group experienced significant improved of numerous disorders such as CVD risk factors, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, drug abuse and hypertension (Paul-Labrador et al, 2006; Rainforth et al., 2007; Hawkins, 2003).
To make it more acceptable for the western audience, Herbert Benson, MD, adapted and simplified techniques from TM training and then labelled a core element, the ‘relaxation response’ (Benson et al., 1974) Instead of giving people a secret mantra and part of a spiritual tradition, he recommend using the word “one” as the mantra. Numerous studies have demonstrated that when patients practice the relaxation response, many clinical symptoms were reduced. The empirical research found that practiced transcendental meditation caused increasing prefrontal low alpha power (8-10Hz) and theta power of EEG; as well as higher prefrontal alpha coherence than other locations at both hemispheres. Moreover, some individuals also showed lower sympathetic activation and higher parasympathetic activation, increased respiratory sinus arrhythmic and frontal blood flow, and decreased breathing rate (Travis, 2001, 2014). Although TM and Benson’s relaxation response continues to be practiced, mindfulness has taking it place.
Conclusion
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) are very beneficial and yet may be considered ‘old wine in new bottles’ where the metaphor refers to millennia old meditation techniques as ‘old wine’ and the acronyms such as MBSR or MBCT as ‘new bottles’. Like many other ‘new’ therapeutic approaches or for that matter, many other ‘new’ medications, use it now before it becomes stale and loses part of its placebo power. As long as the application of a new technique is taught with the intensity and dedication of the promotors of the approach, and as long as the participants are required to practice while receiving support, the outcomes will be very beneficial, and most likely similar in effect to other mind-body approaches.
The challenge facing mindfulness practices just as those from Autogenic Training, Progressive Relaxation and Transcendental Meditation, is that familiarity breeds contempt and that clients and therapists are continuously looking for a new technique that promises better outcome. Thus as Mindfulness training is taught to more and more people, it may become less promising. In addition, as mindfulness training is taught in less time, (e.g. fewer minutes and/or fewer sessions), and with less well-trained instructors, who may offer less support and supervision for people experiencing possible negative effects, the overall benefits may decrease. Thus, mindfulness practice, Autogenic training, progressive relaxation, Transcendental Meditation, movement practices, meditation, breathing practices as well as the many spiritual practices all appear to share common fate of fading over time. Whereas the core principles of mind-body techniques are ageless, the execution is not always assured.
References
Agee, J. D., Danoff-Burg, S., & Grant, C. A. (2009). Comparing brief stress management courses in a community sample: Mindfulness skills and progressive muscle relaxation. Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing, 5(2), 104-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2008.12.004
Andersen, S. R., Würtzen, H., Steding-Jessen, M., Christensen, J., Andersen, K. K., Flyger, H., … & Dalton, S. O. (2013). Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on sleep quality: Results of a randomized trial among Danish breast cancer patients. Acta Oncologica, 52(2), 336-344. https://doi.org/10.3109/0284186X.2012.745948
Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Gleeson, J. F., Bendall, S., Penn, D. L., Yung, A. R., Ryan, R. M., … Nelson, B. (2018). Enhancing social functioning in young people at Ultra High Risk (UHR) for psychosis: A pilot study of a novel strengths and mindfulness-based online social therapy. Schizophrenia Research, 202, 369-377 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2018.07.022
Baer, R. A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 125–143. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bpg015
Baer, R. A.. (2015). Mindfulness-based treatment approaches: Clinician’s guide to evidence base and applications. New York: Elsevier. https://www.elsevier.com/books/mindfulness-based-treatment-approaches/baer/978-0-12-416031-6
Baer, R., Smith, G., & Allen, K. (2004). Assessment of mindfulness by self-report: The Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills. Assessment, 11, 191–206. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191104268029
Benson, H., Beary, J. F., & Carol, M. P. (1974).The Relaxation Response. Psychiatry, 37(1), 37-46. https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/upsy20
Bowden, A., Lorenc, A., & Robinson, N. (2012). Autogenic Training as a behavioural approach to insomnia: A prospective cohort study. Primary Health Care Research & Development, 13, 175-185. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1463423611000181
Britton, W.B., Lindahl, J.R., Coope, D.J., Canby, N.K., & Palitsky, R. (2021). Defining and Measuring Meditation-Related Adverse Effects in Mindfulness-Based Programs. Clinical Psychological Science, 9(6), 1185-1204. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702621996340
Budzynski, T., Stoyva, J., & Adler, C. (1970). Feedback-induced muscle relaxation: Application to tension headache. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 1(3), 205-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916(70)90004-2
Carlson, L. E., Speca, M., Patel, K. D., & Goodey, E. (2003). Mindfulness‐based stress reduction in relation to quality of life, mood, symptoms of stress, and immune parameters in breast and prostate cancer outpatients. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65(4), 571-581. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000074003.35911.41
Chapin, H. L., Darnall, B. D., Seppala, E. M., Doty, J. R., Hah, J. M., & Mackey, S. C. (2014). Pilot study of a compassion meditation intervention in chronic pain. J Compassionate Health Care, 1(4), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40639-014-0004-x
Cherkin, D. C., Sherman, K. J., Balderson, B. H., Cook, A. J., Anderson, M. L., Hawkes, R. J., … & Turner, J. A. (2016). Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction vs cognitive behavioral therapy or usual care on back pain and functional limitations in adults with chronic low back pain: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 315(12), 1240-1249. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.2323
Crawford, C., Wallerstedt, D. B., Khorsan, R., Clausen, S. S., Jonas, W. B., & Walter, J. A. (2013). A systematic review of biopsychosocial training programs for the self-management of emotional stress: Potential applications for the military. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 747694: 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/747694
Davis, M., Eshelman, E.R., & McKay, M. (2019). The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. https://www.amazon.com/Relaxation-Reduction-Workbook-Harbinger-Self-Help/dp/1684033349
Demarzo, M. M., Montero-Marin, J., Cuijpers, P., Zabaleta-del-Olmo, E., Mahtani, K. R., Vellinga, A., Vincens, C., Lopez del Hoyo, Y., & García-Campayo, J. (2015). The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in primary care: A meta-analytic review. The Annals of Family Medicine, 13(6), 573-582. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1863
Fjorback, L. O., Arendt, M., Ørnbøl, E., Fink, P., & Walach, H. (2011). Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy–A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 124(2), 102-119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2011.01704.x
Goto, F., Nakai, K., & Ogawa, K. (2011). Application of autogenic training in patients with Meniere disease. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 268(10), 1431-1435. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-011-1530-1
Greeson, J., & Eisenlohr-Moul, T. (2014). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for chronic pain. In R. A. Baer (Ed.), Mindfulness-Based Treatment Approaches: Clinician’s Guide to Evidence Base and Applications, 269-292. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-40932-000
Green, E. and Green, A. (1989). Beyond Biofeedback. New York: Knoll. https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Biofeedback-Elmer-Green/dp/0940267144
Hawkins, M. A. (2003). Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in criminal rehabilitation and substance abuse recovery. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 36(1-4), 47- 65. https://doi.org/10.1300/J076v36n01_03
Hilton, L., Hempel, S., Ewing, B. A., Apaydin, E., Xenakis, L., Newberry, S., …Maglione, M. A. (2016). Mindfulness meditation for chronic pain: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 51(2), 199-213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9844-2
Hoffman, C. J., Ersser, S. J., Hopkinson, J. B., Nicholls, P. G., Harrington, J. E., & Thomas, P. W. (2012). Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in mood, breast-and endocrine-related quality of life, and well-being in stage 0 to III breast cancer: A randomized, controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 30(12), 1335-1342. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2010.34.0331
Jacobson, E. (1938). Progressive relaxation. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. https://www.amazon.com/Progressive-Relaxation-Physiological-Investigation-Significance/dp/0226390594
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. New York: Hyperion. https://www.amazon.com/Wherever-You-There-Are-Mindfulness/dp/0306832011
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Constructivism in the Human Sciences, 8, 73–107. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-19791-008
Khazan, I. Z. (2013). The clinical handbook of biofeedback: A step-by-step guide for training and practice with mindfulness. New York: John Wiley & Sons. https://www.amazon.com/Clinical-Handbook-Biofeedback-Step-Step/dp/1119993717
Klein, A., & Peper, E. (2013). There Is hope: Autogenic biofeedback training for the treatment of psoriasis. Biofeedback, 41 (4), 194-201. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-41.4.01
Khoury, B., Lecomte, T., Fortin, G., Masse, M., Therien, P., Bouchard, V., Chapleau, M., Paquin, K., & Hofmann, S. G. (2013). Mindfulness-based therapy: A comprehensive meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(6), 763-771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.05.005
Khoury, B., Sharma, M., Rush, S. E., & Fournier, C. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 78(6), 519-528.
Klott, O. (2013). Autogenic Training–a self-help technique for children with emotional and behavioural problems. Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, 34(4), 152-158. https://doi.org/10.1108/TC-09-2013-0027
Kreplin, U., Farias, M., & Brazil, I. A. (2018). The limited prosocial effects of meditation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep, 8, 2403. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-20299-z
Kuhlmann, S. M., Huss, M., Bürger, A., & Hammerle, F. (2016). Coping with stress in medical students: results of a randomized controlled trial using a mindfulness-based stress prevention training (MediMind) in Germany. BMC Medical Education, 16(1), 316. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-016-0833-8
Lindahl, J. R., Fisher, N. E., Cooper, D. J., Rosen, R. K, & Britton, W. B. (2017). The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists. PLoSONE, 12(5): e0176239. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176239
Luthe, W. (1970). Autogenic therapy: Research and theory. New York: Grune and Stratton. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/abs/autogenic-therapy-edited-by-wolfgang-luthe-volume-4-research-and-theory-by-wolfgang-luthe-grune-and-stratton-new-york-1970-pp-276-price-1475/6C8521C36C37254A08AAD1F2FE08211C
Luthe, W. (1979). About the Methods of Autogenic Therapy. In: Peper, E., Ancoli, S., Quinn, M. (eds). Mind/Body Integration. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2898-8_12
Luthe, W. & Schultz, J. H. (1970a). Autogenic therapy: Medical applications. New York: Grune and Stratton. https://www.amazon.com/Autogenic-Therapy-II-Medical-Applications/dp/B001J9W7L6
Luthe, W. & Schultz, J. H. (1970b). Autogenic therapy: Applications in psychotherapy. New York: Grune and Stratton. https://www.amazon.com/Autogenic-Therapy-Applications-Psychotherapy-v/dp/0808902725
Mackereth, P.A. & Tomlinson, L. (2010). Progressive muscle relaxation. In Cawthorn, A. & Mackereth, P.A. eds. Integrative Hypnotherapy. London: Churchill Livingstone. https://www.amazon.com/Integrative-Hypnotherapy-Complementary-approaches-clinical/dp/0702030821
Marchand, W. R. (2012). Mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and Zen meditation for depression, anxiety, pain, and psychological distress. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 18(4), 233-252. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.pra.0000416014.53215.86
NCCIH (2024). Meditation and Mindfulness: What You Need To Know. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-what-you-need-to-know?
Paul-Labrador, M., Polk, D., Dwyer, J.H. et al. (2006). Effects of a randomized controlled trial of Transcendental Meditation on components of the metabolic syndrome in subjects with coronary heart disease. Archive of Internal Medicine, 166(11), 1218-1224. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.11.1218
Peper, E., Ancoli, S. & Quinn, M. (Eds). (1979). Mind/Body Integration: Essential Readings in Biofeedback. New York: Plenum. https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Body-Integration-Essential-Biofeedback/dp/0306401029
Peper, E. & Shaffer, F. (2010). Biofeedback History: An Alternative View. Biofeedback, 38 (4): 142–147. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-38.4.03
Peper, E., & Williams, E.A. (1980). Autogenic therapy. In A. C. Hastings, J. Fadiman, & J. S. Gordon (Eds.), Health for the whole person (pp137-141).. Boulder: Westview Press. https://biofeedbackhealth.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/autogenic-therapy-peper-and-williams.pdf
Rainforth, M.V., Schneider, R.H., Nidich, S.I., Gaylord-King, C., Salerno, J.W., & Anderson, J.W. (2007). Stress reduction programs in patients with elevated blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Current Hypertension Reports, 9(6), 520–528. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-007-0094-3
Stroebel, C. (1982). QR: The Quieting Reflex. New York: Putnam Pub Group. https://www.amazon.com/Qr-Quieting-Charles-M-D-Stroebel/dp/0399126570
Tanner, M. A., Travis, F., Gaylord‐King, C., Haaga, D. A. F., Grosswald, S., & Schneider, R. H. (2009). The effects of the transcendental meditation program on mindfulness. Journal of Clinical Psychology 65(6), 574-589. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20544
Teasdale, J. D., Segal, Z., & Williams, J. M. (1995). How does cognitive therapy prevent depressive relapse and why should attentional control (mindfulness) training help? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 25–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(94)e0011-7
Travis, F. (2001). Autonomic and EEG patterns distinguish transcending from other experiences during transcendental meditation practice. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 42, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0167-8760(01)00143-x
Travis, F. (2014). Transcendental experiences during meditation practice. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1307, 1–8. https://doi.og10.1111/nyas.12316
Wallace, K.W. (1970). Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation. Science, 167 (3926), 1751-1754. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.167.3926.1751
Whatmore, G. B., & Kohli, D. R. (1968). Dysponesis: A neurophysiologic factor in functional disorders. Behavioral Science, 13(2), 102–124. https://doi.org/10.1002/bs.3830130203
Wilson, V., Somers, K. & Peper, E. (2023). Differentiating Successful from Less Successful Males and Females in a Group Relaxation/Biofeedback Stress Management Program. Biofeedback, 51(3), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.5298/608570
Witek Janusek, L., Tel,l D., & Mathews, H.L. (2019). Mindfulness based stress reduction provides psychological benefit and restores immune function of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer: A randomized trial with active control. Brain Behav Immun, 80:358-373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2019.04.012
Thoughts Have the Power to Create or Eliminate Body Tension
Posted: January 31, 2023 Filed under: Breathing/respiration, CBT, cognitive behavior therapy, computer, emotions, ergonomics, healing, health, Neck and shoulder discomfort, Pain/discomfort, posture, stress management, Uncategorized | Tags: Alexander Technique, mind-body connection 3 CommentsBy Tami Bulmash republished from: Medium-Body Wisdom
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
The mind and body have long been regarded and treated as separate entities, yet this distinction does little to promote holistic health. Understanding the direct relationship between thoughts and body tension can illustrate how the mind and body either work dysfunctionally through separation, or optimally as a unit.
Mental and physical aren’t separate entities
Stress and pain existed long before the coronavirus, though it was highlighted during this isolating era. In the height of the pandemic nearly eight in 10 American adults cited COVID-19 as a significant stressor. Though it may no longer be front page news, the aftermath of COVID still lingers. Its toll on mental health continues to impact children and adults alike. The shift to remote work was appealing at first, but later created a more pervasive sedentary lifestyle. Now the concern has shifted to an emerging pandemic of back pain.
Yet, there is nothing novel about body tension brought forth by stressful thinking. In 2014, the American Institute of Stress reported 77 percent of people regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress. Moreover, the findings of a 2018 Gallup poll suggest 55 percent of Americans report feeling stressed for a large part of their day. This is compounded by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons finding one in two Americans have a musculoskeletal condition. Discerning between mental and physical stress is becoming increasingly obscure.
While the mind and body have long been regarded and treated as separate entities, this distinction does little to promote holistic health. Understanding the direct relationship between thoughts and tension can illustrate how the mind and body either work dysfunctionally through separation, or optimally as a unit. What’s more, viewing the body as a whole being — in thought and activity — can promote better habits which eliminate tension.
The link between stress and pain
Dividing the self into parts is common practice in the Western world. Expressions such as “I’m mentally exhausted” vs. “I’m physically exhausted” provoke differing self-reflections. However, the psycho-physical relationship is evident in the tension stimulated by either thought. For example, sitting in front of a computer necessitates both thought and action. Viewing content on a screen lends itself to a reaction from behind the screen. This response can be minimal and inconsequential, or it can be subtle, yet critical.
Repeatedly engaging in certain thinking habits like, “I have to get this done and fast” are often reflected in forms of body tension such as stiff fingers at the keyboard, a clenched jaw after a meeting, or tense neck at the end of the day. These unconscious responses are common and have a pervasive effect.
The prevalence of technology has led to a plethora of occupational ailments, now referred to as technology diseases. These include carpal tunnel syndrome, mouse shoulder, and cervical pain syndrome and occur because of excessive work at the computer — especially keyboard and mouse usage. According to the book, TechStress-How Technology is Hijacking our Lives, Strategies for Coping and Pragmatic Ergonomics, by Drs. Erik Peper, Richard Harvey and Nancy Faass, 45 million people suffer from tension headaches, carpal tunnel, and back injuries linked to computer use and more than 30 percent of North Americans who work at a computer develop a muscle strain injury every year.
Pushing through mental tasks is reflected in the physical
Dr. Peper, a biofeedback expert and Professor of Holistic Health at San Francisco State University, gives an illustration of the mind-body connection in relation to pain. His example requires the use of a computer mouse while trying to complete difficult mental tasks. He asks me to hold the mouse in my dominant hand and draw with it the last letter of an address. Then continue to go backward with each letter of the street name, making sure the letter height is only one-half of an inch. He tells me to perform the task as quickly as possible. As I’m drawing the address backwards trying to recall the letters and their order, Dr. Peper commands, “Do it quicker, quicker, quicker! Don’t make a mistake! Quicker, quicker, quicker!”
These commands reflect the endless to-do lists that pile up throughout the day and the stress associated with their efficacy and timely completion. While enacting this task, Dr. Peper asks me, “Are you tightening your shoulders? Are you tightening your trunk? Are you raising your shoulders possibly holding all this tension? If you are like most people who do this task, you did all of that and you were totally unaware. We are usually really unaware of our body posture.”
I have spent the past 20 years practicing the Alexander Technique, a method used to improve postural health. At its core the technique is about observation and utilizing psycho-physical awareness to stop repeating harmful habits. Dr. Peper’s words resonate because becoming aware of unconscious responses isn’t easy. Most people are completely unaware of the relationship between mind-body habits and how they contribute to stress-related pain.
Posture affects mood and energy levels
Posture is often thought of as a pose — most notably being associated with “sitting up straight”. Yet the health implications of good posture extend far beyond any held position. The agility and movement which are evident in good posture exemplify the mind-body connection.
It is well-known that feeling depressed has been linked to having less subjective energy. The American Psychiatric Association listed a variety of symptoms connected to depression including feeling sad or having a depressed mood, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, and loss of energy or increased fatigue. While the treatment of depression hasn’t traditionally considered the role of posture in informing mood, researchers have started exploring this relationship.
A study by Dr. Peper and Dr. I-Mei Lin examined the subjective energy levels of university students and their corresponding expression of depression. Participants who walked in a slouched position reported lower energy levels and higher self-rated depression scores. In contrast, when those participants walked in a pattern of opposite arm and leg skipping, they experienced an increase in energy, allowing a positive mindset to ensue.
As mentioned in the study, the mind-body relationship is a two-way street: mind to body and body to mind. If thoughts are manifested in the way one holds their body, the inverse would also be true. Namely, changing the way one carries their body would also influence their thinking and subsequent mood. If stopping certain habits — such as walking in a slumped posture — could have a positive impact on mood and well-being, perhaps it’s worth exploring the mind-body relationship even further.
Supporting the mind-body connection
One of the best ways to improve the mind-body connection is through awareness. The more present you are in your activities, the more unified the relation becomes. Give yourself a couple of minutes to connect your thoughts with what you are doing at the moment.
Begin With Grounding
If you are sitting down, imagine coloring in the space of your whole body with an imaginary marker. Begin with your feet planted on the floor. Start to outline the footprints of your feet and then color in the bottom and top of each foot. Take your time. Fill in all the space. See if you discover new parts of your feet — like the spaces between your toes. Continue up through your ankles and toward your calves. Pay attention to the entire limb (front and back). Work your way upward through the knee and then the upper leg. See if you can find your sit bones along the way to the torso. Explore new joints — such as the hip joint.
Lengthen Your Body Through Thought
Continue up while circling the front and back of the torso. Extend the awareness of your thoughts through your shoulders. Allow for an exploration of the arms — noting the joints such as the elbows, wrists and fingers. Pay attention to their length and mobility. Come back up through the arms. Extend up through the shoulders again, this time noting the passage through the chest and neck. Observe the length and space within your entire being. Journey up to the head and travel around its circumference. Imagine filling your head space with air. Picture the wholeness of your head from top to bottom and side to side.
This two-minute mind-body meditation allows you to feel the full extent of the space your body takes up. It is a way to awaken the senses and include them in conscious thinking. This helps generate awareness in how to engage the mind-body relationship optimally. The next time you try it, use a visual aid like an anatomy diagram of the whole body. This can also introduce new parts and spaces of the body you may not have thought of before. However, don’t rely on the diagram each time, as it can pull away your attention from the mind-body meditation. Instead, use it as a reference or guide every once in a while.
Learn from other cultures
In Western cultures, it is common practice to divvy up musculoskeletal ailments into an array of categories such as tension headaches, tension neck syndrome, or mechanical back syndrome. For instance, in countries like the U.S., it is normal to seek a specialist for each area of concern — like a neurologist for a migraine, an orthopedist for neck strain, or chiropractors for back pain. In contrast, Eastern lifestyles have historically taken a more holistic approach to treating (and healing) their patients.
An article by Dr. Cecilia Chan, Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong, explains how the Eastern philosophies of Buddhism, Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine adopt a holistic approach to the healing of an individual. Rather than diagnose and treat with medication, Chan and her colleagues explore health through the harmony and balance of the body-mind-spirit as a whole.
Because basic biology clearly delineates how the human head is attached to the body, it seems fitting that the entire being be regarded as a unit. By recognizing the relationship between thought stressors and their manifestation in the physical body, awareness is elevated. This, in turn, can prevent mindlessly engaging in harmful patterns that lead to stress and pain. Combating tension is possible through the realization of how thoughts — whether they are emotional or task oriented — directly impact the body as a whole.
This excerpt from Taro Gold’s book, Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Book of Eastern Wisdom, cites Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quote which beautifully elucidates the mind-body connection:
Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive, because your words become your behavior.
Keep your behavior positive, because your behavior becomes your habits.
Keep your habits positive, because your habits become your values.
Keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny.
Referring to the mind and body as separate entities perpetuates a disconnect in the being as a whole. This is why distinguishing the mental from the physical further exacerbates the notion that the two don’t work together as an indivisible unit. Understanding the relationship between stress and tension begins through the awareness of habits.
There are recurrent thinking habits like “I’ve got to get this done now” and their unconscious counterparts that become visible through posture. The unknown habits are the ones which accrue over time and often appear seemingly out of nowhere — in the form of tension or pain. Modern culture is quick to treat symptoms, such as those related to excessive technology use. However, a holistic approach to addressing the underlying issue would examine how stress and pain work hand in hand. Once the thoughts change, so will the tension.
Biofeedback, posture and breath: Tools for health
Posted: December 1, 2022 Filed under: ADHD, behavior, biofeedback, Breathing/respiration, CBT, cognitive behavior therapy, computer, digital devices, education, emotions, ergonomics, Evolutionary perspective, Exercise/movement, healing, health, laptops, mindfulness, Neck and shoulder discomfort, Pain/discomfort, posture, relaxation, screen fatigue, self-healing, stress management, Uncategorized, vision, zoom fatigue 3 CommentsTwo recent presentations that that provide concepts and pragmatic skills to improve health and well being.
How changing your breathing and posture can change your life.
In-depth podcast in which Dr. Abby Metcalf, producer of Relationships made easy, interviews Dr. Erik Peper. He discusses how changing your posture and how you breathe may result in major improvement with issues such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, chronic pain, and even insomnia! In the presentation he explain how this works and shares practical tools to make the changes you want in your life.
How to cope with TechStress
A wide ranging discussing between Dr. Russel Jaffe and Dr Erik that explores the power of biofeedback, self-healing strategies and how to cope with tech-stress.
These concepts are also explored in the book, TechStress-How Technology is Hijacking our Lives, Strategies for Coping and Pragmatic Ergonomics. You may find this book useful as we spend so much time working online. The book describes the impacts personal technology on our physical and emotional well-being. More importantly, “Tech Stress” provides all of the basic tools to be able not only to survive in this new world but also thrive in it.
Additiona resources:
Gonzalez, D. (2022). Ways to improve your posture at home.
Healing chronic back pain
Posted: July 31, 2022 Filed under: behavior, Breathing/respiration, CBT, cognitive behavior therapy, education, healing, health, meditation, relaxation, self-healing, stress management, surgery | Tags: back pain, Imagery, self-care, visualization 4 CommentsErik Peper, PhD, BCB, Jillian Cosby, and Monica Almendras
Adapted from Peper, E. Cosby, J. & Amendras, M. (2022).Healing chronic back pain. NeuroRegulation, 9(3), 165-172. https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.9.3.164
In at the beginning of 2021, I broke my L3 vertebra during a motor cycle accident and underwent two surgeries in which surgeons replaced my shattered L3 with a metal “cage” (looks like a spring) and fused this cage to the L4 and L2 vertebrae with bars. I also broke both sides of my jaw and fractured my left shoulder. I felt so overwhelmed and totally discouraged by the ongoing pain. A year later, after doing the self-healing project as part of the university class assignment, I feel so much better all the time, stopped taking all prescription pain medications and eliminated the sharp pains in my back. This project has taught me that I have the skill set needed to be whole and healthy. –J.C., 28-year-old college student
Chronic pain is defined as a pain that persist or recurs for more than 3 months (Treede et al., 2019). It is exhausting and often associated with reduced quality of life and increased medical costs (Yong, Mullins, & Bhattacharyya, 2022). Pain and depression co-exacerbate physical and psychological symptoms and can lead to hopelessness (IsHak, 2018; Von Korff & Simon, 1996). To go to bed with pain and anticipate that pain is waiting for you as you wake up is often debilitating. One in five American adults experience chronic pain most frequently in back, hip, knee or foot (Yong, Mullins, & Bhattacharyya, 2022). Patients are often prescribed analgesic medications (“pain killers”) to reduce pain. Although, the analgesic medications can be effective in the short term to reduce pain, the efficacy is marginal for relieving chronic pain (Eriksen et al., 2006; Tan, & Jensen, 2007). Recent research by Parisien and colleagues (2022) reported that anti-inflammatory drugs were associated with increased risk of persistent pain. This suggest that anti-inflammatory treatments might have negative effects on pain duration. In addition, the long-term medication use is a major contributor to opioid epidemic and increased pain sensitivity (NIH– NIDA, 2022; Higgins, Smith, & Matthews, 2019; Koop, 2020). Pain can often be successfully treated with a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates non-pharmacologic approaches. These include exercise, acceptance and commitment therapy, as well as hypnosis (Warraich, 2022). This paper reports how self-healing strategies as taught as part of an undergraduate university class can be an effective approach to reduce the experience of chronic pain and improve health.
Each semester, about 100 to 150 junior and senior college students at San Francisco State University enroll in a holistic health class that focused on ‘whole-person’ Holistic Health curriculum. The class includes an assessment of complementary medicine and holistic health. It is based upon the premise that mind/emotions affect body and body affect mind/emotions that Green, Green & Walters (1970) called the psychophysiological principle.
“Every change in the physiological state is accompanied by an appropriate change in the mental emotional state, conscious or unconscious, and conversely, every change in the mental emotional state, conscious or unconscious, is accompanied by an appropriate change in the physiological state.”
The didactic components of the class includes the psychobiology of stress, the role of posture, psychophysiology of respiration, lifestyle and other health factors, reframing internal language, guided and self-healing imagery. Students in the class are assigned self-healing projects using techniques that focus on awareness of stress, dynamic regeneration, stress reduction imagery for healing, and other behavioral change techniques adapted from the book, Make Health Happen (Peper, Gibney, & Holt, 2002).
The self-practices during the last six weeks of the class focus on identifying, developing and implementing a self-healing project to optimize their personal health. The self-healing project can range from simple life style changes to reducing chronic pain. Each student identifies their project such as increasing physical activity, eating a healthy diet and reducing sugar and junk food, stopping vaping/smoking, reducing anxiety or depression, stopping hair pulling, reducing headaches, decreasing ezema, or back pain, etc. At the end of the semester, 80% or more of the students report significant reduction in symptoms (Peper, Sato-Perry, & Gibney, 2003; Peper, Lin, Harvey, Gilbert, Gubbala, Ratkovich, & Fletcher, 2014; Peper, Miceli, & Harvey, 2016; Peper, Harvey, Cuellar, & Membrila, 2022). During the last five semesters, 13 percent of the students focused reducing pain (e.g., migraines, neck and shoulder pain, upper or lower back pain, knee pain, wrist pain, and abdominal pain). The students successfully improved their symptoms an average of 8.8 on a scale from 0 (No benefit) to 10 (total benefit/improvement). The success for improving their symptoms correlates 0.63 with their commitment and persistence to the project (Peper, Amendras, Heinz, & Harvey, in prep).
The purposes of this paper is to describe a case example how a student with severe back pain reduced her symptoms and eliminated medication by implementing an integrated self-healing process as part of a class assignment and offer recommendations how this could be useful for others.
Participant: A 28-year-old female student (J.C.) who on January 28, 2021 broke her L3 vertebra in a motor cycle accident. She underwent two surgeries in which surgeons replaced her shattered L3 with a metal “cage” (which she describes as looking like a spring) and fused this cage to the L2 and L4 vertebrae with bars. She also broke both sides of her jaw and fractured her left shoulder. More than a year later, at the beginning of the self-healing project, she continue to take 5-10 mgs of Baclofen and 300 mgs of Gabapentin three times a day to reduce pain.
Goal of the self-healing project: To decrease the sharp pain/discomfort in her lower back that resulted from the motor cycle accident and, although not explicitly listed, to decrease the pain medications.
Self-healing process
During the last six weeks of the 2022 Spring semester, the student implemented her self-healing practices for her personal project which consisted of the following steps.
1. Create a self-healing plan that included exploring the advantage and disadvantage of her illness.
2. Develop a step-by-step plan with specific goals to relief her tension and pain in her lower back. This practice allowed her to quantify her problem and the solutions. Like so many people with chronic pain, she focused on the problem and feelings (physical and emotional) associated with the pain. As a result, she often feel hopeless and worried that it would not change.
3. Observe and evaluate when pain sensations changed. She recognized that she automatically anticipated and focused on the pain and anxiety whenever she needed to bend down into a squat. She realized that she had been anticipating pain even before she began to squat. This showed that she needed to focus on healing the movement of this area of her body.
Through her detailed observations, she realized that her previous general rating of back pain could be separated into muscle tightness/stiffness and pain. With this realization, she changed the way she was recording her pain level. She changed it from “pain level” into into two categories: tightness and sharp pains.
4. Ask questions of her unconscious through a guided practice of accessing an inner guide through imagery (For detailed instructions, see Peper, Gibney, & Holt, 2002, pages 197-206). In this self-guided imagery the person relaxes and imagines being in a special healing place where you felt calm, safe and secure. Then as you relaxed, you become aware of another being (wise one or guide) approaching you (the being can be a person, animal, light, spirit, etc.). The being is wise and knows you well. In your mind, you ask this being or guide questions such as, “What do I need to do to assist in my own healing?” Then you wait and listen for an answer. The answer may take many forms such as in words, a pictures, a sense of knowing, or it may come later in dreams or in other forms. When students are assigned this practice for a week, almost all report experiencing some form of guide and many find the answers meaningful for their self-healing project.
Through this imagery of the inner guide script, she connected with her higher self and the wise one told her to “Wait.” This connecting with the wise one was key in accepting that the project was not as daunting as she initially thought. She realized that pain was not going to be forever in her future. She also interpreted that as reminder to have patience with herself. Change takes practice, time and practice such as she previously experienced while correcting her posture to manage her emotions and edit her negative thoughts into positive ones (Peper, Harvey, Cuellar, & Membrila, 2022). Whenever she would have pain or feel discouraged because of external circumstances, she would remind herself of three things:
A. I need to have patience with myself.
B. I have all the healing tools inside me and I am learning to use them.
C. If I do not make time for my wellness, I’ll be forced to make time for my illness.
5. Practice self-healing imagery as described by Peper, Gibney, & Holt (2002) and adapted from the work by Dr. Martin Rossman (Rossman, 2000). Imagery can be the communication channel between the conscious/voluntary and the unconscious/autonomic/involuntary nervous system (Bressler, 2005; Hadjibalassi et al, 2018; Rossman, 2019). It appears to act as the template and post-hypnotic suggestion to implement behavior change and may offer insight and ways to mobilize the self-healing potential (Battino, 2020). Imagery is dynamic and changeable.
The process of self-healing imagery consists of three parts.
- Inspection the problem and drawing a graphic illustration of the problem as it is experienced at that moment of time.
- Drawing of how that area/problem would look when being completely well/whole or disappeared.
- Creation of a self-healing process by which the problem would become transformed into health (Peper, Gibney & Holt, 2002, pp. 217-236). The process focused on what the person could do for themselves; namely, each time they became aware of, anticipated, or felt the problem, they would focus on the self-healing process. It provideshope; since, the person now focuses on the healing of the problem and becoming well.
The drawings of inspection of the pain and problem she experienced at that moment of time are shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Illustration of the problem of the pain. Thorns dug deep, muscles tight, and frozen vertebrates grinding.
The resolution of the problem and being well/whole are illustrated in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Resolution of the problem in which her muscles are warm, full of blood, free of thorns, relaxed and flexible and being whole happy and healthy in which her spine is warm, her muscles are warm, her back is flexible and full of movement.
Although she utilized the first image of the muscles warm, full of blood, free of thorns and the muscles relaxed and flexible, her second image of her fully being healed was inspired through a religious statue of Yemaya that she had in her room (Yemaya is a major water spirit from the Yoruba religion Santeria and Orisha of the seas and protector of women). Each time she saw the statue, she thought of the image of herself fully healed and embodying the spirit Orisha. Therefore, this image remained important to her all the time.
Her healing imagery process by which she transforms the image of inspecting of the problem to being totally well are illustrated in Figure 3.
Figure 3. The healing process: The sun’s warm fingers thaw my muscles, lubricate my vertebra, thorns fall out, and blood returns.
For five weeks as she implemented her self-healing project by creating a self-healing plan, asking questions of her unconscious, drawing her self-healing imagery. She also incorporated previously learned skills from the first part of the semester such diaphragmatic breathing, hand warming, shifting slouching to upright posture, and changing language. Initially she paired hand warming with the self-healing imagery and she could feel an increase in body warmth each time she practiced the imagery. She practiced the self-healing imagery as an in-depth daily practice and throughout the day when she became aware of her back as described in one of her log entries.
I repeated the same steps as the day prior today. I did my practice in the early morning but focused on the details of the slowed down movements of the sun’s hands. I saw them as they stretched out to my back, passed through my skin, wrapped around my muscles, and began to warm them. I focused on this image and tried to see, in realistic detail, my muscles with a little ice still on them, feeling hard through and through, the sun’s glowing yellow-orange fingers wrapped around my muscles. I imaged the thorns still in my muscles, though far fewer than when I started, and then I imaged the yellow-orange glow start to seep out from the sun’s palms and fingers and spread over my muscles. I imaged the tendons developing as the muscle tissue thawed and relaxed, the red of the muscle brightened, the ice on and within my muscles started to melt, and the condensation formed as it ran down into collected droplets at the bottom of my muscles. I imaged the thorns lose their grip and fall out, one at a time, in tandem with the droplets falling. I continued this process and imaged my muscles expanding with warmth and relaxation as they stayed engulfed in the warmth of the sun.
At the end of my practice, I did a small stretch session. I felt extremely refreshed and ready for yet another extremely busy day between internship, graduation, and school. I would say I felt warm and relaxed all the way into the afternoon, about 6 hours after my practice. This was by far the most detailed and impactful imagery practice I have had.
The self-healing imagery practice provided me with the ability to conceptualize more than my problem as it showed me the tools to (and the importance of) conceptualizing my solution, both the tool and end result.
Results
Pain and tightness decreased and she stopped her medication by the third week as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4. Self-rating of sharp pains and tightness during the self-healing project.
At the 14-week follow-up, she has continued to improve, experiences minimal discomfort, and no longer takes medication. As she stated, I was so incredibly shocked how early on [in the project] I was able to stop taking pain medications that I had already taken every day for over a year.
Discussion
This individual case example provides hope that health can be improved when shifting the focus from pain and discomfort to focusing on actively participating in the self-healing process. As she wrote, The lesson was self- empowerment in regard to my health. I brought comfort to my back. There is metal in my back for the rest of my life and this is something I have accepted. I used to look at that as a horrible thing to have to handle forever. I now look at it as a beautiful contraption that has allowed me to walk across a graduation stage despite having literally shattered a vertebra. I am reintegrating these traumatized parts of my body back into a whole health state of mind and body. Doctors did not do this, surgeries did not, PT didn’t and neither did pain medications. MY body and MY mind did it. I did this.
Besides the self-healing imagery and acting upon the information she received from the asking questions from the unconscious there were many other factors contributed to her healing. These included the semester long self-practices and mastery of different stress management techniques, learning how stress impacts health and what can the person can do to self-regulate, as well as being introduced to the many case examples and research studies that suggested healing could be possible even in cases where it seemed impossible.
The other foundational components that was part of the class teachings included attending the weekly classes session and completing the assign homework practices. These covered discussion about placebo/nocebo, possibilities and examples of self-healing with visualization, the role of nutrition, psychophysiology of stress and factors are associated with healthy aging across cultures. The asynchronous assignments investigated factors that promoted or inhibited health and the role of hope. The discussions pointed out that not everyone may return to health; however, they can always be whole. For example, if a person loses a limb, the limb will not regrow. The healing process includes acceptance and creating new goals to achieve and live a meaningful life.
The possibility that students could benefit by implementing the different skills and concepts taught in the class were illustrated by sharing previous students’ successes in reversing disorders such as hair pulling, anxiety, psoriasis, and pain. In addition, students were assigned to watch and comment on videos of people who had overcome serious illness. These included Janine Shepherd’s 2012 TED talk, A broken body isn’t a broken person, and Dr. Terry Wahl’s 2011 TEDxIowaCity talk, Minding your mitochondria. Janine Shepard shared how she recovered from a very serious accident in which she became paralyzed to becoming an aecrobatic pilot instructor while Dr. Terry Wahl shares how she he used diet to cure her MS and get out of her wheelchair (Shepherd, 2012; Wahl, 2011). Other assignments included watching Madhu Anziani’s presentation, Healing from paralysis-Music (toning) to activate health, in which he discussed his recovery from being a quadriplegic to becoming an inspirational musician (Anziani, & Peper, 2021). The students as read and commented on student case examples of reversing acid reflux, irritable bowel and chronic headaches (Peper, Mason, & Huey, 2017a; Peper, Mason, & Huey, 2017b; Peper, 2018; Peper et al., 2020; Peper, Covell, & Matzembacker, 2021; Peper, 2022).
Although self-healing imagery appears to be the major component that facilitated the healing, it cannot be separated from the many other concepts and practices that may have contributed. For example, the previous practices of learning slow diaphragmatic breathing and hand warming may have allowed the imagery to become a real kinesthetic experience. In addition, by seeing how other students overcame chronic disorders, the class provided a framework to mobilize one’s health.
Lessons extracted from this case example that others may be able use to mobilize health.
- Take action to shifts from being hopeless and powerless to becoming empowered and active agent in the healing process.
- Change personal beliefs through experiential practices and storytelling that provides a framework that healing and improvement are possible.
- Teach the person self-regulation skills such as slower breathing, muscle relaxation, cognitive internal language changes, hand warming by which the person experiences changes.
- Provide believable role models who shared their struggle in overcoming traumatic injury, watch inspirational talks, and share previous clients or students’ self-reports who had previously improved.
- Transform the problem from global description into behavioral specific parts. For example, being depressed is a global statement and too big to work on. Breaking the global concept into specific behaviors such as, my energy is too low to do exercise or I have negative thoughts, would provide specific interventions to work on such as, increasing exercise or changing thoughts. In JC’s case, she changed the general rating of pain into ratings of muscle tightness and sharp pains. This provided the bases for strategies to relax and warm her muscles.
- Focus on what you can do at that moment versus focusing on the past, what happened, who caused it, or blaming yourself and others. Explore and ask what you now can do now to support your healing process and reframe the problem as a new opportunity for growth and development.
- Practice, practice, and practice with a childlike exploratory attitude. Focus on the small positive benefits that occur as a result of the practices. It is not mindless practice; it is practice while being present and being gentle with yourself. Do not discard very small changes. The benefits accrue as you practice more and more, just many people have experienced when learning to play a musical instrument or mastering a sport. Even though many participants think that practicing 15 minutes a day is enough, it usually takes much more time. Reflect on how a baby learns to walk or climb. The toddler practices day-long and takes naps to regenerate and grow. When the toddler is not yet successful in walking or climbing, it does not give up or interpret it as failure or blaming himself that he cannot do it, it just means more practice.
- Have external reminders to evoke the self-healing practices. In JC’s case, the small statue of Yemaya in her room was the reminder. It reminded her to thinks of the image of herself fully healed each time she saw it.
- Guide yourself through the wise one imagery, ask yourself a question and listen and act on the intuitional answers.
- Develop a self-healing imagery process that transforms the dysfunction to health or wholeness. Often the person only perceives the limitations and focusses on describing the problem. Instead, acknowledge, accept what was and is, and focus on developing a process to promote healing. What many people do not realize that if they think/imagine how their injury/illness was caused, it may reactivate and recreate the initial trauma. This can be illustrated through imagery. When we think or imagine something, it changes our physiology. For example, when one imagines eating a lemon, many people will salivate. The image affects physiology. Thus, focus on processes that support healing.
- While practicing the imagery, experience it as if it is real and feel it happening inside yourself. Many people initially find this challenging as they see it outside themselves. One way to increase the “felt sense” is to incorporate more body involvement such as acting out the imagery with hand and body movements.
- When having a relapse, remind yourself to keep going. Every morning is the beginning of a new day, do each practices anew. In addition, reflect of something that was challenging in the past but that you successfully overcame. Focus on that success. As JC wrote, I was also successful in that I gave myself slack and reminded myself that relapses will happen and what matters more is the steps I take to move forward.
- Make your healing a priority that means doing it often during the day. Allow the self-healing imagery and process to run in the back of the head all the time just as a worry can be present in the background. So often people practice for a few minutes (which is great and better than not practicing at all); however, at other times during the day they are captured by their worry, negative thoughts or focus on the limitations of the disorder. When a person focuses on the limitations, it may interrupt the self-healing process. The analogy we often use is that the healing process is similar to healing from a small cut in the skin. Initially a scab forms and eventually the scab falls off and the skin is healed. On the other hand, if you keep moving the skin or pick on the scab, healing is much slower. By focusing on the limitations and past visualization of the injury, self-healing is reduced. This is similar to removing the scab before the skin has healed. As JC stated, “If you don’t make time for your wellness, you’ll be forced to make time for your illness” was 100% a motivating factor in my success.
- Explore resources for providers and people living with pain. See Dr. Rachel Zoffness website which provides a trove of high quality articles, books, videos, apps, and podcasts. https://www.zoffness.com/resources
In summary, we do not know the limits of self-healing; however, this case example illustrates that by implementing self-healing strategies health and recovery occurred. As JC wrote:
To have broken a vertebra in my back and experience all the injuries that came with the accident when I already did not have the strongest mind-body connection was incredibly intense and really heartbreaking and discouraging in my life. And, that made things difficult because I was not able to 100% focus on my healing because I felt so overwhelmed by the feeling of discouragement that I felt. Experiencing this self-healing project, seeing the imagery that helped me not just feel so much better all the time but be able to stop taking all prescription pain medications and eliminate the sharp pains in my back has taught me that I have the skill set needed to be whole and healthy.
Watch the interview will Jillian Cosby inwhich she describes her self-healing process.
References
Anziani, M. & Peper, E. (2021). Healing from paralysis-Music (toning) to activate health. The peperperspective. https://peperperspective.com/2021/11/22/healing-from-paralysis-music-toning-to-activate-health/
Battino, R. (2020). Using Guided Imagery and Hypnosis in Brief Therapy and Palliative Care. New York: Routledge.
Bresler, D. (2005).Physiological Consequences of Guided Imagery. Pract Pain Manag, 5(6). https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/treatments/complementary/biobehavioral/physiological-consequences-guided-imagery
Eriksen, J., Sjøgren, P., Bruera, E., et al. (2006). Critical issues on opioids in chronic non-cancer pain: An epidemiologic study. Pain, 125,172–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2006.06.009
Green, E. E., Green, A. M., & Walters, E. D. (1970). Voluntary control of internal states: Psychological and physiological. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 2(1), 1. https://atpweb.org/jtparchive/trps-02-70-01-001.pdf
Hadjibalassi, M., Lambrinou, E.., Papastavrou,E., & Papathanassoglou, E. (2018). The effect of guided imagery on physiological and psychological outcomes of adult ICU patients: A systematic literature review and methodological implications, Australian Critical Care, 31(2), 73-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aucc.2017.03.001
Higgins, C, Smith, B.H., & Matthews, K. (2019). Evidence of opioid-induced hyperalgesia in clinical populations after chronic opioid exposure: a systematic review and meta-analysis, British Journal of Anaesthesia, 122(6), e114-e126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2018.09.019
IsHak, W.W., Wen, R.Y., Naghdechi, L., Vanle, B., Dang, J., Knosp, M., Dascal, J., Lobsang, Gohar, Y.,; Eskander, L., Yadegar, J., Hanna, S., Sadek, A., Aguilar-Hernandez, L., Danovitch, I., Louy, C. (2018). Pain and Depression: A Systematic Review, Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 11/12, 26(6), 352-363. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000198
Koob, G.F. (2020). Neurobiology of Opioid Addiction: Opponent Process, Hyperkatifeia, and Negative Reinforcement, Biological Psychiatry, 87(1), 44-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.05.023
Mullins, P.M., & Bhattacharyya, N. (2022). Prevalence of chronic pain among adults in the United States, Pain, 163(2), e328-e332. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002291NIH–
NIDA (2022). Opioid Overdose Crisis. Downloaded June 30, 2022. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis
Parisien, M., Lima, L.V., Dagostino, C., El-Hachem, N., Drury, G.L., Grant, A.V., Huising, J., Verma, V…. .(2022). Acute inflammatory response via neutrophil activation protects against the development of chronic pain. Science Translational Medicine, 14(644). https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abj99
Peper, E. (2018). Breathing reduces acid reflux and dysmenorrhea discomfort. the peperperspective. https://peperperspective.com/2018/10/04/breathing-reduces-acid-reflux-and-dysmenorrhea-discomfort/
Peper, E. (2022). Resolving a chronic headache with posture feedback and breathing. the peperperspective. https://peperperspective.com/2022/01/04/resolving-a-chronic-headache-with-posture-feedback-and-breathing/
Peper, E., Almedras, M., Heinz, N. & Harvey, R. (in prep). How attending a Holistic Health class reduced symptoms.
Peper, E. Cosby, J. & Amendras, M. Healing chronic back pain. NeuroRegulation, 9I(3), 165-172. https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.9.3.164
Peper, E., Covell, A., & Matzembacker, N. (2021). How a chronic headache condition became resolved with one session of breathing and posture coaching. NeuroRegulation, 8(4), 194–197. https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.8.4.194
Peper, E., Gibney, K.H. & Holt. C. (2002). Make Health Happen: Training Yourself to Create Wellness. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt.ISBN: 978-0787293314 https://he.kendallhunt.com/make-health-happen
Peper, E., Harvey, R., Cuellar, Y., & Membrila, C. (2022). Reduce anxiety. NeuroRegulation, 9(2), 91–97. https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.9.2.91 https://www.neuroregulation.org/article/view/22815/14575
Peper, E., Lin, I-M., Harvey, r., Gilbert, M. Gubbala, P, Ratkovich, A., & Fletcher, L. (2014). Transforming Chained Behaviors: Case Studies of Overcoming Smoking, Eczema, and Hair Pulling (Trichotillomania), Biofeedback, 42 (4), 154–160. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-42.4.06
Peper, E., Mason, L, & Huey, C. (2017a). Healing irritable bowel syndrome with diaphragmatic breathing. the peperperspective. https://peperperspective.com/2017/06/23/healing-irritable-bowel-syndrome-with-diaphragmatic-breathing/
Peper, E., Mason, L., Huey, C. (2017b). Healing irritable bowel syndrome with diaphragmatic breathing. Biofeedback. (45-4). https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-45.4.04
Peper, E., Mason, L., Harvey, R., Wolski, L, & Torres, J. (2020). Can acid reflux be reduced by breathing? Townsend Letters-The Examiner of Alternative Medicine, 445/446, 44-47. https://www.townsendletter.com/article/445-6-acid-reflux-reduced-by-breathing/
Peper, E., Miceli, B., & Harvey, R. (2016). Educational Model for Self-healing: Eliminating a Chronic Migraine with Electromyography, Autogenic Training, Posture, and Mindfulness. Biofeedback, 44(3), 130–137. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-44.3.03
Peper, E., Sato-Perry, K & Gibney, K. H. (2003). Achieving Health: A 14-Session Structured Stress Management Program—Eczema as a Case Illustration. 34rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback. Abstract in: Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 28(4), 308. https://biofeedbackhealth.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/2003-aapb-poster-peper-keiko-long1.pdf
Peper, E., Lin, I-M, Harvey, R., Gilbert, M., Gubbala, P., Ratkovich, A., & Fletcher, F. (2014). Transforming chained behaviors: Case studies of overcoming smoking, eczema and hair pulling (trichotillomania). Biofeedback, 42(4), 154-160. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-42.4.06
Rossman, M. L.(2000). Guided imagery for self-healing. New York: New World Library. https://www.amazon.com/Guided-Imagery-Self-Healing-Martin-Rossman/dp/091581188X/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3M8I1Y1NV3A5N&keywords=martin+rossman&qid=1657649675&s=books&sprefix=rossman%2C+M%2Cstripbooks%2C131&sr=1-3
Rossman, M. L. (2019). Imagine health! Imagery in medical self-care. InSheikh, A.A. (ed). Imagination and healing (pp. 231-258). Routledge. https://www.amazon.com/Imagination-Healing-Imagery-Human-Development-ebook/dp/B07QB4RGSW/ref=sr_1_9?crid=3C7V3E5ZN92R&keywords=Imagination+and+healing&qid=1657818303&s=books&sprefix=imagination+and+healing+%2Cstripbooks%2C105&sr=1-9
Sheng, J., Liu, S., Wang, Y., Cui, R., & Zhang, X. (2017). The link between depression and chronic pain: Neural mechanisms in the brain. Neural Plasticity, 2017, Article 9724371. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/9724371
Shepherd, Janine. (2012). A broken body isn’t a broken person. TEDxKC. https://www.ted.com/talks/janine_shepherd_a_broken_body_isn_t_a_broken_person
Tan, G., & Jensen, M. P. (2007). Integrating complementary and alternative medicine into multidisciplinary chronic pain treatment. In Chronic Pain Management (pp. 75-99). CRC Press. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.3109/9781420045130-6/integrating-complementary-alternative-medicine-multidisciplinary-chronic-pain-treatment-gabriel-tan-mark-jensen
Treede, R-D., Rief, W., Barke, A., Aziz, Q., Bennett, M.I., Benoliel, R., Cohen, M., Evers, S., Finnerup, N.B., First, M.B., Giamberardino, M.A., Kaasa, S., Korwisi, B., Kosek, E., Lavand’homme, P., ; Nicholas, M., Perrot, S., Scholz, J., Schug, S., Smith, B.H., ; Svensson, P., Vlaeyen, J.S., & Wang, S-J. (2019). Chronic pain as a symptom or a disease: the IASP Classification of Chronic Pain for the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), Pain, 160(1), 19-27. https://do.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001384
Von Korff, M. & Simon, G. (1996). The relationship between pain and depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 168(S30), 101-108. https://doi.org/10.1192/S0007125000298474
Wahl, T. (2011). Minding your mitochondria. TEDzIowaCity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc
Warraich, H. (2022). Medicine has failed chronic pain patients. Here’s what they need. Pscyhe, Aeon, https://psyche.co/ideas/medicine-has-failed-chronic-pain-patients-heres-what-they-need
Yong, R. J., Mullins, P. M., & Bhattacharyya, N. (2022). Prevalence of chronic pain among adults in the United States. Pain, 163(2), e328-e332. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002291
A breath of fresh air: Breathing and posture to optimize health
Posted: April 3, 2022 Filed under: behavior, Breathing/respiration, CBT, cognitive behavior therapy, emotions, ergonomics, Exercise/movement, health, mindfulness, Neck and shoulder discomfort, Pain/discomfort, posture, self-healing, stress management, Uncategorized | Tags: respiration 2 CommentsMost people breathe 22,000 breaths per day. We tend to breathe more rapidly when stressed, anxious or in pain. While a slower diaphragmatic breathing supports recovery and regeneration. We usually become aware of our dysfunctional breathing when there are problems such as nasal congestion, allergies, asthma, emphysema, or breathlessness during exertion. Optimal breathing is much more than the absence of symptoms and is influenced by posture. Dysfunctional posture and breathing are cofactors in illness. We often do not realize that posture and breathing affect our thoughts and emotions and that our thoughts and emotions affect our posture and breathing. Watch the video, A breath of fresh air: Breathing and posture to optimize health, that was recorded for the 2022 Virtual Ergonomics Summit.
Reduce anxiety
Posted: March 23, 2022 Filed under: behavior, Breathing/respiration, CBT, cognitive behavior therapy, digital devices, education, emotions, health, mindfulness, posture, relaxation, self-healing, stress management | Tags: anxiety, concentration, insomnia, menstrual cramps, pain 3 Comments
The purpose of this blog is to describe how a university class that incorporated structured self-experience practices reduced self-reported anxiety symptoms (Peper, Harvey, Cuellar, & Membrila, 2022). This approach is different from a clinical treatment approach as it focused on empowerment and mastery learning (Peper, Miceli, & Harvey, 2016).
As a result of my practice, I felt my anxiety and my menstrual cramps decrease. — College senior
When I changed back to slower diaphragmatic breathin, I was more aware of my negative emotions and I was able to reduce the stress and anxiety I was feeling with the deep diaphragmatic breathing.– College junior
Background
More than half of college students now report anxiety (Coakley et al., 2021). In our recent survey during the first day of the spring semester class, 59% of the students reported feeling tired, dreading their day, being distracted, lacking mental clarity and had difficulty concentrating.
Before the COVID pandemic nearly one-third of students had or developed moderate or severe anxiety or depression while being at college (Adams et al., 2021. The pandemic accelerated a trend of increasing anxiety that was already occurring. “The prevalence of major depressive disorder among graduate and professional students is two times higher in 2020 compared to 2019 and the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder is 1.5 times higher than in 2019” As reported by Chirikov et al (2020) from the UC Berkeley SERU Consortium Reports.
This increase in anxiety has both short and long term performance and health consequences. Severe anxiety reduces cognitive functioning and is a risk factor for early dementia (Bierman et al., 2005; Richmond-Rakerd et al, 2022). It also increases the risk for asthma, arthritis, back/neck problems, chronic headache, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, pain, obesity and ulcer (Bhattacharya et al., 2014; Kang et al, 2017).
The most commonly used treatment for anxiety are pharmaceutical and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) (Kaczkurkin & Foa, 2015). The anti-anxiety drugs are usually benzodiazepines (e.g., alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam (Ativan). Although these drugs they may reduce anxiety, they have numerous side effects such as drowsiness, irritability, dizziness, memory and attention problems, and physical dependence (Shri, 2012; Crane, 2013).
Cognitive behavior therapy techniques based upon the assumption that anxiety is primarily a disorder in thinking which then causes the symptoms and behaviors associated with anxiety. Thus, the primary treatment intervention focuses on changing thoughts.
Given the significant increase in anxiety and the potential long term negative health risks, there is need to provide educational strategies to empower students to prevent and reduce their anxiety. A holistic approach is one that assumes that body and mind are one and that soma/body, emotions and thoughts interchangeably affect the development of anxiety. Initially in our research, Peper, Lin, Harvey & Perez (2017) reported that it was easier to access hopeless, helpless, powerless and defeated memories in a slouched position than an upright position and it was easier to access empowering positive memories in an upright position than a slouched position. Our research on transforming hopeless, helpless, depressive thought to empowering thoughts, Peper, Harvey & Hamiel (2019) found that it was much more effective if the person first shifts to an upright posture, then begins slow diaphragmatic breathing and finally reframes their negative to empowering/positive thoughts. Participants were able to reframe stressful memories much more easily when in an upright posture compared to a slouched posture and reported a significant reduction in negative thoughts, anxiety (they also reported a significant decrease in negative thoughts, anxiety and tension as compared to those attempting to just change their thoughts).
The strategies to reduce anxiety focus on breathing and posture change. At the same time there are many other factors that may contribute the onset or maintenance of anxiety such as social isolation, economic insecurity, etc. In addition, low glucose levels can increase irritability and may lower the threshold of experiencing anxiety or impulsive behavior (Barr, Peper, & Swatzyna, 2019; Brad et al, 2014). This is often labeled as being “hangry” (MacCormack & Lindquist, 2019). Thus, by changing a high glycemic diet to a low glycemic diet may reduce the somatic discomfort (which can be interpreted as anxiety) triggered by low glucose levels. In addition, people are also sitting more and more in front of screens. In this position, they tend to breathe quicker and more shallowly in their chest.
Shallow rapid breathing tends to reduce pCO2 and contributes to subclinical hyperventilation which could be experienced as anxiety (Lum, 1981; Wilhelm et al., 2001; Du Pasquier et al, 2020). Experimentally, the feeling of anxiety can rapidly be evoked by instructing a person to sequentially exhale about 70 % of the inhaled air continuously for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, most participants reported a significant increase in anxiety (Peper & MacHose, 1993). Thus, the combination of sitting, shallow breathing and increased stress from the pandemic are all cofactors that may contribute to the self-reported increase in anxiety.
To reduce anxiety and discomfort, McGrady and Moss (2013) suggested that self-regulation and stress management approaches be offered as the initial treatment/teaching strategy in health care instead of medication. One of the useful approaches to reduce sympathetic arousal and optimize health is breathing awareness and retraining (Gilbert, 2003).
Stress management as part of a university holistic health class
Every semester since 1976, up to 180 undergraduates have enrolled in a three-unit Holistic Health class on stress management and self-healing (Klein & Peper, 2013). Students in the class are assigned self-healing projects using techniques that focus on awareness of stress, dynamic regeneration, stress reduction imagery for healing, and other behavioral change techniques adapted from the book, Make Health Happen (Peper, Gibney & Holt, 2002).
82% of students self-reported that they were ‘mostly successful’ in achieving their self-healing goals. Students have consistently reported achieving positive benefits such as increasing physical fitness, changing diets, reducing depression, anxiety, and pain, eliminating eczema, and even reducing substance abuse (Peper et al., 2003; Bier et al., 2005; Peper et al., 2014).
This assessment reports how students’ anxiety decreased after five weeks of daily practice. The students filled out an anonymous survey in which they rated the change in their discomfort after practicing effortless diaphragmatic breathing. More than 70% of the students reported a decrease in anxiety. In addition, they reported decreases in symptoms of stress, neck and shoulder pain as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Self-report of decrease in symptoms after practice diaphragmatic breathing for a week.
In comparing the self-reported responses of the students in the holistic health class to those of the control group (N=12), the students in the holistic health class reported a significant decrease in symptoms since the beginning of the semester as compared to the control group as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Change in self-reported symptoms after 6 weeks of practice the integrated holistic health skills as compared to the control group who did not practice these skills.
Changes in symptoms Most students also reported an increase in mental clarity and concentration that improved their study habits. As one student noted: Now that I breathe properly, I have less mental fog and feel less overwhelmed and more relaxed. My shoulders don’t feel tense, and my muscles are not as achy at the end of the day.
The teaching components for the first five weeks included a focus on the psychobiology of stress, the role of posture, and psychophysiology of respiration. The class included didactic presentations and daily self-practice
Lecture content
- Diadactic presentation on the physiology of stress and how posture impacts health.
- Self-observation of stress reactions; energy drain/energy gain and learning dynamic relaxation.
- Short experiential practices so that the student can experience how slouched posture allows easier access to helpless, hopeless, powerless and defeated memories.
- Short experiential breathing practices to show how breathing holding occurs and how 70% exhalation within 30 seconds increases anxiety.
- Didactic presentation on the physiology of breathing and how a constricted waist tends to have the person breathe high in their chest (the cause of neurasthemia) and how the fight/flight response triggers chest breathing, breath holding and/or shallow breathing.
- Explanation and practice of diaphragmatic breathing.
Daily self-practice
Students were assigned weekly daily self-practices which included both skill mastery by practicing for 20 minutes as well and implementing the skill during their daily life. They then recorded their experiences after the practice. At the end of the week, they reviewed their own log of week and summarized their observations (benefits, difficulties) and then met in small groups to discuss their experiences and extract common themes. These daily practices consisted of:
- Awareness of stress. Monitoring how they reacted to daily stressor
- Practicing dynamic relaxation. Students practiced for 20 minutes a modified progressive relaxation exercise and observed and inhibit bracing pattern
- Changing energy drain and energy gains. Students observed what events reduced or increased their subjective energy and implemented changes in their behavior to decrease events that reduced their energy and increased behaviors that increase their enery
- Creating a memory of wholeness practice
- Practicing effortless breathing. Students practiced slowly diaphragmatic abdominal breathing for 20 minutes per day and each time they become aware of dysfunctional breathing (breath holding, shallow chest breathing, gasping) during the day, they would shift to slower diaphragmatic breathing.
Discussion
Almost all students were surprised how beneficial these practices were to reduce their anxiety and symptoms. Generally, the more the students would interrupt their personal stress responses during the day by shifting to diaphragmatic breathing the more did they experience success. We hypothesize that some of the following factors contributed to the students’ improvement.
- Learning through self-mastery as an education approach versus clinical treatment.
- Generalizing the skills into daily life and activities. Practicing the skills during the day in which the cue of a stress reaction triggered the person to breathe slowly. The breathing would reduce the sympathetic activation.
- Interrupting escalating sympathetic arousal. Responding with an intervention reduced the sense of being overwhelmed and unable to cope by the participant by taking charge and performing an active task.
- Redirecting attention and thoughts away from the anxiety triggers to a positive task.
- Increasing heart rate variability. Through slow breathing heart rate variability increased which enhanced sympathetic parasympathetic balance.
- Reducing subclinical hyperventilation by breathing slower and thereby increasing pC02.
- Increasing social support by meeting in small groups. The class discussion group normalized the anxiety experiences.
- Providing hope. The class lectures, assigned readings and videos provide hope; since, it included reports how other students had reversed their chronic disorders such as irritable bowel disease, acid reflux, psoriasis with behavioral interventions.
Although the study lacked a control group and is only based upon self-report, it offers an economical non-pharmaceutical approach to reduce anxiety. These stress management strategies may not resolve anxiety for everyone. Nevertheless, we recommend that schools implement this approach as the first education intervention to improve health in which students are taught about stress management, learn and practice relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing and then practice these skills during the day whenever they experience stress or dysfunctional breathing.
I noticed that breathing helped tremendously with my anxiety. I was able to feel okay without having that dreadful feeling stay in my chest and I felt it escape in my exhales. I also felt that I was able to breathe deeper and relax better altogether. It was therapeutic, I felt more present, aware, and energized.
See the following blogs for detailed breathing instructions
References
Adams. K.L., Saunders KE, Keown-Stoneman CDG, et al. (2021). Mental health trajectories in undergraduate students over the first year of university: a longitudinal cohort study. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e047393. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047393
Barr, E. A., Peper, E. & Swatzyna, R.J. (2019). Slouched Posture, Sleep Deprivation, and Mood Disorders: Interconnection and Modulation by Theta Brain Waves. Neuroregulation, 6(4), 181–189 https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.6.41.181
Bhattacharya, R., Shen, C. & Sambamoorthi, U. (2014). Excess risk of chronic physical conditions associated with depression and anxiety. BMC Psychiatry 14, 10 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-14-10
Bier, M., Peper, E., & Burke, A. (2005). Integrated stress management with ‘Make Health Happen: Measuring the impact through a 5-month follow-up. Poster presentation at the 36th Annual Meeting of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback. Abstract published in: Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 30(4), 400. https://biofeedbackhealth.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/2005-aapb-make-health-happen-bier-peper-burke-gibney3-12-05-rev.pdf
Bierman, E.J.M., Comijs, H.C. , Jonker, C. & Beekman, A.T.F. (2005). Effects of Anxiety Versus Depression on Cognition in Later Life. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry,13(8), 686-693, https://doi.org/10.1097/00019442-200508000-00007.
Brad, J., Bushman, C., DeWall, N., Pond, R.S., &. Hanus, M.D. (2014).. Low glucose relates to greater aggression in married couples. PNAS, April 14, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1400619111
Chirikov, I., Soria, K. M, Horgos, B., & Jones-White, D. (2020). Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic. UC Berkeley: Center for Studies in Higher Education. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/80k5d5hw
Coakley, K.E., Le, H., Silva, S.R. et al. Anxiety is associated with appetitive traits in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nutr J 20, 45 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-021-00701-9
Crane,E.H. (2013).Highlights of the 2011 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Findings on Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits. 2013 Feb 22. In: The CBHSQ Report. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2013-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK384680/
Du Pasquier, D., Fellrath, J.M., & Sauty, A. (2020). Hyperventilation syndrome and dysfunctional breathing: update. Revue Medicale Suisse, 16(698), 1243-1249. https://europepmc.org/article/med/32558453
Gilbert C. Clinical Applications of Breathing Regulation: Beyond Anxiety Management. Behavior Modification. 2003;27(5):692-709. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445503256322
Kaczkurkin, A.N. & Foa, E.B. (2015). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 17(3):337-46. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkin
Kang, H. J., Bae, K. Y., Kim, S. W., Shin, H. Y., Shin, I. S., Yoon, J. S., & Kim, J. M. (2017). Impact of Anxiety and Depression on Physical Health Condition and Disability in an Elderly Korean Population. Psychiatry investigation, 14(3), 240–248. https://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2017.14.3.240
Klein, A. & Peper, W. (2013). There is Hope: Autogenic Biofeedback Training for the Treatment of Psoriasis. Biofeedback, 41(4), 194–201. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-41.4.01
Lum, L. C. (1981). Hyperventilation and anxiety state. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 74(1), 1-4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/014107688107400101
MacCormack, J. K., & Lindquist, K. A. (2019). Feeling hangry? When hunger is conceptualized as emotion. Emotion, 19(2), 301–319. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000422
McGrady, A. & Moss, D. (2013). Pathways to illness, pathways to health. New York: Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4419-1379-1
Peper, E., Gibney, K.H., & Holt, C.F. (2002). Make health happen: Training yourself to create wellness. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. https://he.kendallhunt.com/make-health-happen
Peper, E., Harvey, R., Cuellar, Y., & Membrila, C. (2022). Reduce anxiety. NeuroRegulation, 9(2), 91–97. https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.9.2.91 https://www.neuroregulation.org/article/view/22815/14575
Peper, E., Harvey, R., & Hamiel, D. (2019). Transforming thoughts with postural awareness to increase therapeutic and teaching efficacy. NeuroRegulation, 6(3),153-169. doi:10.15540/nr.6.3.1533-1 https://www.neuroregulation.org/article/view/19455/13261
Peper, E., Lin, I-M., Harvey, R., & Perez, J. (2017). How posture affects memory recall and mood. Biofeedback.45 (2), 36-41. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-45.2.01
Peper, E., Lin, I-M, Harvey, R., Gilbert, M., Gubbala, P., Ratkovich, A., & Fletcher, F. (2014). Transforming chained behaviors: Case studies of overcoming smoking, eczema and hair pulling (trichotillomania). Biofeedback, 42(4), 154-160. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-42.4.06
Peper, E., MacHose, M. (1993). Symptom prescription: Inducing anxiety by 70% exhalation. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation 18, 133–139). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00999790
Peper, E., Miceli, B., & Harvey, R. (2016). Educational Model for Self-healing: Eliminating a Chronic Migraine with Electromyography, Autogenic Training, Posture, and Mindfulness. Biofeedback, 44(3), 130–137. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-44.3.03
Peper, E., Sato-Perry, K & Gibney, K. H. (2003). Achieving Health: A 14-Session Structured Stress Management Program—Eczema as a Case Illustration. 34rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback. Abstract in: Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 28(4), 308. Proceeding in: http://www.aapb.org/membersonly/articles/P39peper.pdf
Richmond-Rakerd, L.S., D’Souza, S, Milne, B.J, Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T.E. (2022). Longitudinal Associations of Mental Disorders with Dementia: 30-Year Analysis of 1.7 Million New Zealand Citizens. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online February 16, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.4377
Shri, R. (2012). Anxiety: Causes and Management. The Journal of Behavioral Science, 5(1), 100–118. Retrieved from https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/IJBS/article/view/2205
Wilhelm, F.H., Gevirtz, R., & Roth, W.T. (2001). Respiratory dysregulation in anxiety, functional cardiac, and pain disorders. Assessment, phenomenology, and treatment. Behav Modif, 25(4), 513-45. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445501254003
When you have pain-Listen to this first!
Posted: February 20, 2022 Filed under: behavior, CBT, cognitive behavior therapy, emotions, healing, health, Pain/discomfort, self-healing 2 Comments
Pain is so different for each person. It can range from mildly distracting to totally debilitating. It can be the result from a medical procedure (post- surgical pain), a traumatic injury, disease, trauma or unknown causes. It is challenging to know what to do to reduce suffering and improve health and functioning. Should I take narcotics, have surgery, see a pain psychologist, have acupuncture, receive physical therapy, use biofeedback, change my diet, or get a massage? Should I exercise or rest? Should I follow my doctor’s recommendations?
Before you do anything, first listen to this podcast by pain psychologist, Rachel Zoffness, PhD. In this podcast she will explain what pain is; how it works; and how thoughts, emotions, and sensations are always interconnected. You will also learn the fundamentals of treating chronic pain and helping patients living with it. As one of my close friends stated, “I only wished I could have listened to this before, it would have saved years of suffering.” The podcast is Ologies with Alie Ward and the episode is Dolorology. The link for the episode is:
https://www.alieward.com/ologies/dolorology
Rachel Zoffness, PhD, a pain psychologist, Visiting Professor at Stanford, and Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCSF School of Medicine. She serves on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Association for the Study of Pain, and the Society of Pediatric Pain Medicine. She is the author of The Pain Management Workbook and The Chronic Pain and Illness Workbook for Teens. She is a 2021 Mayday Fellow and consults on the development of integrative pain programs around the world.
Are you sure what you saw happened?
Posted: April 4, 2015 Filed under: attention, behavior, CBT, cognitive behavior therapy, mindfulness, Uncategorized, vision | Tags: awareness, selective attention, situational awareness 1 CommentWe are often 100 percent sure that what we saw or heard really happened even though another person has a different opinion. The more we are captured or focused on a task the more we may miss what has occurred. Selective attention is the basis of magic tricks by which attention is misdirected so that you do not see what is occurring. This process may affect our daily perceptions and judgements.
Be open to the possibility that your conclusions may be based upon incomplete information or selective attention. For example, when a person has had a car crash and experiences back and neck pain, he is 100 per cent sure that the pain was caused by the car accident. A more healing attitude is to assume that there could be other factors involved. Possibly, the person had a fight with their partner and was still angry and thinking about it when he was hit. The accident anchored the anger and healing may need to include letting go of the anger. Thus, whenever you are 100 per cent sure of your point of view, be open to other possibilities. Observe the power of selective attention in the following video clips.
the peper perspective 