Meditation reduces the emotional impact of pain

An article from Physorg.com talks about a study that says that meditation reduces the emotional impact of pain. I didn't find this article fully clear, as while it talks about the emotional reaction to pain, there are parts where they seem to be talking more about the physical sensation of pain.

While the article mentions that meditation brings about a "present-focused" brain, how much of this dealing with pain better might be coming about from not resisting and not judging it?

The Body-Mind Connection

I usually hear talk of a mind-body connection, where stress, negative emotions, etc. affect the health of the body. A recent experience, however, makes me think the reverse can be true as well.

My emotional and energetic state was low since late March. I had some apathy, sadness, and a general lack of enthusiasm. I felt like I had reached a dead end. While there may have been things to look forward to in life, they did not excite me.

For a while, maybe since sometime in April, I had some earwax buildup that was not coming out, no matter how I treated it. This was in my left ear - I never really noticed any problem in my right ear. This week my ear started to ache. It went away after I had taken some aspirin to get rid of a headache, but now the earwax buildup was so bad that my hearing was greatly reduced. I tried a few more applications of earwax removal liquid you can purchase at the store, but it made no difference. So I made an appointment with the doctor.

Thankfully, they were able to remove the earwax without much difficulty. My right ear also had a bad buildup, though nowhere as bad as the left ear. It was amazing how much better my hearing was after that.

Not too long after my ears had been cleared out, I could feel an increase in my energy and mood. It's been a couple of days since then and I am still feeling good. Maybe it was just the removal of the earwax. Maybe it was getting more sound into the ear. Either way, it looks like a healing of my body also healed my mind.

The ABCs of Letting Go of Attachment

This evening I had a moment that passed by so quickly that I cannot remember all of the details of it. My mind interpreted an emotion as something negative and unwanted. But a moment of awareness bubbled up and I reminded myself: "It is okay to feel this way. Experience it. It will pass." It was only a small step and I realize that I have further to go, but it was very encouraging.

Zen Habits posted an article entitled Letting Go of Attachment, from A to Zen, bring short tips from A to Z on experiencing without attachment, letting go of attachment to people, letting go of attachment to the past, letting go of attachment to outcomes, and letting go of attachment to feelings. I've printed it out so that I might remember to read it when I am forgetting to let go.

The Secret to Making Life Decisions With Too Many Options

A nice article from Zen Habits looks at the downfalls of relying solely on left-brained thinking for making life decisions.

Brain has ability to adapt and change through life

A small, nice article on plasticity.

The Frontal Lobe and Delusions of Grandeur

According to the University of Texas at Austin, the less you use the frontal lobe portion of the brain, the more you see yourself through rose-colored glasses. And those that use it more often have a more realistic view of themselves. So what is happening if you have a low view of yourself that is not realistic?

Tips for Remembering Dreams

There are a few tips that I have found useful in remembering my dreams and thought I would share them here.

• Keep a journal near your bed - this is a suggestion I've seen numerous times and it is helpful, as many times you will start to forget the dream once you wake up. If not a paper journal, having a computer, laptop, or netbook close can work as well, but if you have to wait for it to boot up, you could lose the dream.


• Meditate - I have found that meditating tends to give me more vivid dreams, which makes them easier to remember. The results of meditation can also help you on focusing on remembering a dream and not get distracted by the mind's random chatter. I've also noticed, since meditating, that I can forget that I had a dream, and then suddenly remember it hours later out of nowhere.


• Go over the dream before waking up - This one is a bit tricky and takes some practice. I have found this particularly helpful when I come out of the dream state and into consciousness in the middle of the night or before I am ready to get up, but want to remember the dream. Keeping my eyes closed, I go over as much of the dream as possible, generally in chronological order, to try to help cement the dream in my mind, so that I can recall it later when I've woken up and write it out in a journal.

I hope these tips help you remember your own dreams.