Meditation, well-being and cognition in heartfulness meditators – A pilot study

Sylapan, Bhuvnesh Sankar; Nair, A. K.; Jayanna, Krishnamurthy; Mallipeddi, Saketh; Sathyanarayana, Sunil; Kutty, Bindu M.

doi:10.1016/j.concog.2020.103032

Cited by 18 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…On the other hand, Transmission offers a direct link to the Source from the very first meditation sessions of a beginner, and both Gamma and Delta brainwaves have been measured in first-time meditators with Transmission, so another hypothesis would be that evolved states of consciousness will be accessible even for a beginner. This was indeed found by the pilot study on Heartfulness practitioners using EEG, where similar brain activity, including changes in Delta waves, were reported in both experienced and novice meditators while meditating with Transmission ( Sankar Sylapan et al, 2020 ). Moreover, recent studies on Heartfulness have found a rebalancing of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), even in novice practitioners.…”

Section: The Neuroscientific Perspective: a Brief Overview Of Meditat...supporting

confidence: 63%

“…Most recently, virtual Heartfulness Meditation sessions with a trainer were shown to be associated with a reduction in loneliness and improvement in sleep in healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic ( Thimmapuram et al, 2021 ). Further, in a pilot study, greater well-being was found in advanced Heartfulness practitioners compared to novice practitioners ( Sankar Sylapan et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: The Neuroscientific Perspective: a Brief Overview Of Meditat...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the importance of the last point at the back of the head, we may expect more posterior brain activity as a result of and/or during Heartfulness Meditation. Interestingly, one of the first studies on brain function in Heartfulness identified stronger Gamma oscillations specifically in the occipital lobe ( Sankar Sylapan et al, 2020 ). However, naturally, this may also be caused by practitioners focusing on “the light in the heart.” Moreover, an obvious challenge to studying such correlates is that there is no way to scientifically measure “where” a person is situated with respect to the chakras, and it may also fluctuate from time to time, although the current spiritual Guide of Heartfulness and other experienced trainers are able to “read” this.…”

Section: Future Research On Heartfulnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To advance our scientific understanding of these spiritual practices, there is a need to integrate the descriptions of the philosophy, the experiences lived by actual practitioners through a phenomenological approach, and the mental constructs, mental states, and physiological correlates currently addressed by science. A start has been made in a recent pilot study with EEG in Heartfulness ( Sankar Sylapan et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Heartfulness Meditation: A Yogic and Neuroscientific Perspective

Westeinde

Patel²

2022

Front. Psychol.

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Today, as research into the contemplative sciences is being widely referenced, the research community would benefit from an understanding of the Heartfulness method of meditation. Heartfulness offers an in-depth experiential practice focused on the evolution of human consciousness using the ancient technique of Pranahuti (yogic Transmission) during Meditation, in combination with the more active mental practice of “Cleaning.” Both are enabled by initiation into the Heartfulness practices. These unique features distinguish Heartfulness from other paths that have been described in the scientific literature thus far. In this introductory paper, we present the Heartfulness practices, the philosophy upon which the practices are based, and we reflect on the putative mechanisms through which Heartfulness could exert its effects on the human body and mind in the light of scientific research that has been done in other meditation systems. We conclude with suggestions for future research on the Heartfulness way of meditation.

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Section: The Neuroscientific Perspective: a Brief Overview Of Meditat...supporting

confidence: 63%

Section: The Neuroscientific Perspective: a Brief Overview Of Meditat...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Future Research On Heartfulnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Heartfulness Meditation: A Yogic and Neuroscientific Perspective

Westeinde

Patel²

2022

Front. Psychol.

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“…It has been shown to improve various parts of executive function (Tang et al, 2015;Luu and Hall, 2017). A study conducted by Sankar et al (2020) found that cognitive abilities were enhanced in people who practiced meditation. Meditation is considered to be a feasible, acceptable, and cost-effective intervention for the benefit of cognitive and psychological symptoms in breast cancer survivors (Henneghan et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Yoga Meditation Practice on Young Adults’ Inhibitory Control: An fNIRS Study

Jiang

Liu

Sun

2021

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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Objectives: The present study aimed to test the effect of yoga meditation (YoMed) practice on inhibitory control of young adults.Methods: A total of 50 participants (23 male, 21–28 years old) from a university in Jinan, Shandong Province were enrolled in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to a YoMed group or a Control group. Participants’ basic information, physical activity, and inhibitory control were measured. A multi-channel continuous-wave near-infrared spectrometer was used to monitor the brain’s hemodynamic responses.Results: After the intervention, we found significant differences in Flanker tasks between the YoMed group and Control group. The accuracy in the YoMed group was higher than those in the Control group (p < 0.05). Analysis of fNIRS data showed that oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) increased in the YoMed group during the Flanker tasks after the YoMed intervention.Conclusion: YoMed has a temporarily promoting effect on the brain activation of young adults. It is an effective and appropriate exercise to improve the inhibitory control of young adults.

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A commentary on cancer prevention and control in India: Priorities for realizing SDGs

Ramani

Jayanna

Naik

2023

Health Science Reports

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In India, cancers along with cardiovascular diseases contribute to significant mortality and morbidity. With less than 10 years remaining towards achieving Sustainable development Goals (SDGs), public health systems in India need to be critically assessed and strengthened, for addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in general and cancers in particular. Our Commentary address the public health response to cancer prevention and control, with specific pointers based on emerging evidence. The relevant issues are stratified as: emphasis on the critical appraisal of national programs, strengthening primary health care (PHC) systems, enhancing focus on client and community centricity, exploring integrative approaches to cancer management and stepping up implementation and multidisciplinary research. Ongoing surveillance is essential to assess the current and future trends of cancer as well as the outcomes of prevention and treatment measures. For revitalizing comprehensive PHC, much depends on our epidemiological capacity and surveillance systems which impart information for local planning. It is imperative to address the cultural barriers and societal norms, which limit the acceptability and participation in screening programs. SDG 3 has ushered the wellbeing agenda at an opportune time. There is a compelling need to conduct research on an integrated approach (ayurveda complimenting allopathic medication) for the treatment of cancer. The unique challenges posed by the rise in NCD morbidity in LMIC, requires horizontal integration of the health systems with new services focused on cancer control.

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Meditation, well-being and cognition in heartfulness meditators – A pilot study

Cited by 18 publications

References 25 publications

Heartfulness Meditation: A Yogic and Neuroscientific Perspective

Heartfulness Meditation: A Yogic and Neuroscientific Perspective

The Effect of Yoga Meditation Practice on Young Adults’ Inhibitory Control: An fNIRS Study

A commentary on cancer prevention and control in India: Priorities for realizing SDGs

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