Improve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms with Loving Kindness Meditation

Improve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms with Loving Kindness Meditation   By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.   “You probably know that symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often include anxiety, unwanted memories, anger and avoidance. But did you know that meditation may be able to help? Meditative practices have been linked to decreases in […]

Increase Relaxation with Focused Meditation while Increasing Activation with Open Monitoring Meditation

Increase Relaxation with Focused Meditation while Increasing Activation with Open Monitoring Meditation   By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.   “Mindfulness meditation consists of focused attention meditation (FAM) and open monitoring meditation (OMM), both of which reduce activation of the default mode network (DMN) and mind-wandering.” – Masahiro Fujino   Meditation training has been shown […]

Improve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms In Veterans With Body Scan or Breath Following Meditation.

Improve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms In Veterans With Body Scan or Breath Following Meditation.   By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.   “Practicing mindfulness can help you to be more focused and aware of the present moment while also being more willing to experience the difficult emotions that sometimes come up after trauma.” – […]

Improve Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with Compassion Meditation

Improve Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with Compassion Meditation   By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.   “self-compassion provides a promising vision for trauma treatment . . . Self-compassion is strongly linked to emotional well-being, is an important mechanism of change in psychotherapy, and touches the core of trauma related symptomatology.” – Christopher Germer   Experiencing […]

Meditation Reduces the Brain’s Empathetic Response

Meditation Reduces the Brain’s Empathetic Response   By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.   “mindfulness’s most profound benefit may not be the one that’s most often touted—adapting to a stressful, competitive, even unkind 24/7 world. Instead, meditation might fundamentally alter how we treat those around us.” – David Destino   Humans are social animals. This […]

Improve Emotion Processing by the Brain with Meditation

Improve Emotion Processing by the Brain with Meditation   By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.   “Alterations in key brain circuits associated with emotion regulation can be produced by mindfulness meditation.” – Richard Davidson   There has accumulated a large amount of research demonstrating that meditation practice has significant benefits for psychological, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. It […]