Dr. Herbert Benson: "Relaxation Revolution"
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-08-24/dr-herbert-benson-relaxation-revolution
Decades ago a young Harvard physician observed that the mind could aid in healing. He says now the science exists to back it up. Mind-body medicine pioneer Dr. Herbert Benson.
Guests
Dr. Herbert Benson
director emeritus, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital; associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School.
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
I have often heard seemingly contradictory things about meditation. Dr. Benson and others have spoken eloquently about the relaxation, anxiety-reducing, and health benefits of meditation. However, many of the spiritual traditions also emphasize that regular meditation can be unsettling and can cause repressed traumas and emotions to emerge, which can then be dealt with. In short, that meditation can actually cause anxiety in the short-run, and that therefore having the proper guidance of an experienced teacher is crucial. It would be interesting to hear Dr. Benson talk about this paradox.
I just found out today that I have sjogren's syndrome, ralated to rhematoid arthritis, would meditation help with this. Also have high blood pressure and high stress has been something I haven't handled well over the years. At 50, how effective will learning meditation be?
Does Dr. Benson have any opinion, or additional information on "integrative body-mind training (IBMT)"
(http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201008203)
I have had terrible social anxiety for many years. While relaxation techniques helps, I am looking for some way to break those hard-wired connections that have formed over the many years I have had this problem.
Thank you!
Does repetitive prayer, such as the Hail Mary, work by simply repeating the prayer, or must one have actual faith in the specific prayer for it to be effective and/or beneficial?
I'd like to hear Dr. Benson's opinion about how the mind-body exeperience might influence type 2 diabetes and also fibromyalgia. I have recently been diagnosed at age 59 as pre-diabetic eventhough I am of normal weight, exercise and eat a healthy diet. I have also had pain for 20 years which has been diagnosed as fibromyalgia and now also peripheral neuropathy. The pains began when I was 40 and dealing with aging parents -- a mother with Parkinson's and a father with Alzheimer's. I realize that I tend to tense my body and become intensely focused on fixing everything in response to stess.
My then 17 year-old son sustained a spinal cord injury in an auto accident. We were told he would never walk again. He never believed this and worked hard through seven months of therapy. He now walks with a walker. He is also living with autism.
My then 17 year-old son sustained a spinal cord injury in an auto accident. We were told he would never walk again. He never believed this and worked hard through seven months of therapy. He now walks with a walker. He is also living with autism.
I want to express my gratitude to Dr. Benson for his positive impact on my personal and professional life. His work has also had exceptional results in working with cardiac disease.
I am in my late 50's have lived with reflex sympathatic distrophy pain & very limited use in one arm for 10 years. I now have been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus. I hold both a full time & part time job & have very limited income. I have tried yoga, but could not participate in classes with the use of only one arm. I would love to participate in tai chi, but the cost is out of reach for me. What resourses are available to someone in my position?
While pregnant with my daughter I was told by a friend that labor was not very hard. The pains were a bit stronger that mentrual cramps and not to let anybody else tell me different. I followed her advise and tried to be positive and avoid any negative stories.
Well, it worked. It was very easy, short and with little pain. To the point that my husband and I did not believe I was in labor. We arrived at the hospital at 6:00 and gave birth at 6:29 because I had to wait for the doctor.
Thanks for bringing this material to your show. Dr. Benson is only one of many people who have provided solid scientific evidence of the vital importance of the mind-body connection in treating all manner of medical conditions, including pain. Yet, it seems to me, most presentations in the popular media that discuss scientifically based treatments of these conditions focus only on the use of medications, surgery or other strictly physical interventions. Ours is a society that likes to think of things, even medical matters, in mechanical terms, and this media focus only serves to strengthen that bias. When our cars develop problems, we have a mechanic fix them. When people are sick, many want their physician to do the same thing. People often can become quite upset by the suggestion that mind also contributes to their medical state: "this is real pain, not just something in my head." I have found that, to many, the mind-body interaction seems to be an altogether foreign concept. So, once again, thank-you for bringing it into the public forum.
G.T. Atwood, Ph.D.
Psychologist
Diplomate, American Academy of Pain Management
I look forward with interest to reading Dr. Benson's book. As a cancer survivor, however, and as a health care clinician, I have to say that I've seen far too many people confuse having a 'positive attitude' with browbeating themselves or others going through tough times into maintaining what amounts to an attitude of denial, and to regard the difficult feelings they might have about their difficult experience as 'negative.' Passing judgment on someone in crisis usually only adds to that person's stress level. A person with cancer who doesn't feel frightened, stressed and sorrowful at times may not be acknowledging the reality they need to in order to make the best decisions.
When I went through my own battle with breast cancer (and won, so far!), I was appalled at how many people presumed to tell me how I should feel and act. They were the folks who usually never asked me how I really felt and what they could do to help. Woe to future cancer patients who are now urged to just 'meditate' their disease away. Dr. Benson may not intend for this to be his message, but he needs to be very careful with his semantics. As far as I learned from my science education, it takes generations to materially 'change genes.' And in the world of medicine, as Dr. Benson should know, 'positive' often means bad news when applied to a diagnostic test or image, while 'negative' means one is disease or trauma free.
What helped me the most when I was kicking cancer to the curb were friends who didn't judge, could bear witness and laugh with me at the darkly silly aspects of my experience. A sense of humor is one of the best disease and stress-fighting weapons we can wield. We ought to study that a little more.
rohnman: Like anything else moderation is the key. Overdoing something or exceeding guidelines can result in negative effects. The meditation Benson recommends is 10-20 mins twice a day. Meditation has been practised for centuries. It continues today because it has been beneficial. If it weren't the practise would have died out.
A caller asked about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming) to treat PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), something of which Dr. Benson was not familiar. I respect the relaxation technique Dr. Benson is promoting and the important role it serves in mental and physical health. However for true sufferers of PTSD, EMDR is a "cure". It uses bilateral brain stimulation via site, sound and/or touch techniques to "move" traumatic memories from their "stuck" position in the brain (thus the disorder in PTSD) to the long term memory position in the brain. This frees the patient to retain the learning from the memory without having to relive the emotion. EMDR was approved by the American Psychiatric Association in 2006. Due to the vicissitudes of traumatic emotions, it is very important that you seek a fully certified EMDRIA.org mental health care provider to initiate EMDR treatment. It is unsafe to do it alone, and unethical for a provider not fully certified through EMDRIA.org trainings to offer such treatment.
I was listening to this while working as Dr.Benson was listing all those activities in addition to meditation that could produce the meditative effect. I thought how about knitting? I find it calming. Coincidentally, last night I was looking at Ravelry.com I saw a conversation with knitters and crocheters commenting on the beneficial effect of knit/crochet on blood pressure. So I felt compelled to ask: Has any one done a study on knit or crochet as a meditation equivalent?
Unfortunately did not hear the broadcast, but have long been familiar with Dr. Benson's excellent work.
Hypnotherapy can often be effective for those for whom relaxation is not enough. Those "hard-wired" issues can be dealth with effectively.
Unfortunately, I did not hear the broadcast, but have long been familiar with Dr. Benson's excellent work. Hypnotherapy can often be effective when relaxation and meditation are not enough. This can often help with those "hard-wired" issues.
Yes, Yvette, mediation or other relaxation techniques will absolutely help you. I know this is true. Take good care.
Employing the mind/body connection—in the form of qigong (Chinese internal energy exercises)--helped me immensely in my successful battles with four bouts of supposedly terminal bone lymphoma cancer in the early nineties. I practiced standing post meditation, one of the most powerful forms of qigong--as an adjunct to chemotherapy, which is how it should always be used.
Qigong kept me strong in many ways: it calmed my mind--taking me out of the fight-or-flight syndrome, which pumps adrenal hormones into the system that could interfere with healing. The deep abdominal breathing pumped my lymphatic system—a vital component of the immune system. In addition, qigong energized and strengthened my body at a time when I couldn't do Western exercise such as weight-lifting or jogging--the chemo was too fatiguing. And it empowered my will and reinforced it every day with regular practice. In other words, I contributed to the healing process, instead of just depending solely on the chemo and the doctors. Clear 14 years and still practicing!
I learned qigong from Ramel Rones, disciple of Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming of Boston. It's very important to learn qigong from a highly-qualified teacher who has learned from a bona fide master with a lineage originating to China. Beware--many self-proclaimed "masters" teach untested qigong!
Bob Ellal
Today's A+ program on Drug Overdose inspired me to seek the topic more:
This response is accurate, Aug. 2010. I can not believe Dr. Benson is not aware. Please, Dianne Rehm, please do a show on EMDR IA.org Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. I spent one year, 4 hours a week for over a year with a certified psychotherapist, UM PhD, by the EMDRIA.org an international association. The emotional pain is intense and debilitating.
Susan Kolbe, 8/10, above is correct with her information. Little or nothing is respectfully known or understands this incredible, positive therapy. It Works!
NANA Ed.S Reading; suffered a rape, sexual assault felony, Jan. 2007, caused a PTSD response diagnosed, treated and on medication professionally.
Response to April 21 show on Drug Overdose - the wrong choice for help!