On Sanity

The ancient Indian practice of meditation can be dated to approximately 5,000 to 3,500 BCE to a series of wall paintings which show people seated in meditative postures with half-closed eyes(1). It was originally practiced to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life but is more commonly used as a mind-body medicine, to reduce stress and promote deep relaxation - much needed in our crazy, fast-paced modern world(2). It can be defined as a mind and body practice that has a long history of use for increasing calmness and physical relaxation, improving psychological balance/mental stability, mental clarity, coping with illness, and enhancing overall health and well being(3). Studies have proven that meditation can reduce multiple negative dimensions of psychological stress and that positive outcomes include physical well-being, positivity and improved mental health and quality of life.

Numerous forms of meditation have developed as the practice was adapted and changed by different cultures, philosophies and traditions as it spread across the world. The varying types of meditation all have four elements in common: a quiet location with as few distractions as possible; a specific, comfortable posture (sitting, lying down, walking, or in other positions); a focus of attention (a specially chosen word or set of words, an object, or the sensations of the breath); and an open attitude (letting distractions and thoughts come and go naturally without judging them).

“Immaterial experience leaves material, enduring traces behind. In the saying from the work of the psychologist, Donald Hebb: “Neurons that fire together, wire together.” This is a neurologically informed way to appreciate why your experience really matters, and how important it is to have a kind of mental hygiene, to really appreciate what we allow in our minds.” “(If)...your mind is running themes of threat, grievance, and loss...or...running on heartfeltness, generosity, kindness to self and others, awakening. Whichever movie we’re running, those neurons are firing and wiring together. So learning how to use your mind to shape the wiring of your brain is a profound way to support yourself....”(4)

To understand how meditation training and practices can affect the mind, we have to understand one basic fact; the brain - though the most complex object in the known universe(5) - is a muscle, and like all other muscles in the body it can be trained. Neuroplasticity, also known as brain plasticity or neural plasticity, is the ability of the brain to change continuously throughout an individual's life. The brain has the ability to reorganise itself, adapting to new environments and situations and learning new skills by forming new neural pathways(6). In a nutshell; neuroplasticity is the brain's way of “muscle building” and responding to external variables, helping us adapt and survive in an ever changing world.

With training, our neuroplastic minds can be reshaped, harnessed and controlled in a way that can profoundly influence and improve our quality of life. Scientific research has demonstrated that there are a multitude of ways in which meditating restructures or “rewires” our brains and we’ve listed a few below.

The benefits of meditation are vast so we are going to focus only on a few here. It’s important to note that our understanding of the brain is still in its infancy and there is a lack of sufficient research on this topic - apologies for repeating this phrase throughout our site! However, scanning imagery is allowing us to see brain function and activity and the physical impacts of meditation for the first time. We discuss a handful of the techniques that we practice below, which we feel are most relevant to overcoming a chronic illness and which promote mental stability, clarity and strength (self-discipline and willpower). 

• Promotes better management and reduction of stress, fear, anxiety and depression. Meditation induces The Relaxation Response (RR), a state of deep relaxation within the mind and body and the opposite of the “fight or flight response”. Breathing, pulse rate, blood pressure, and metabolism are decreased. Training the body to achieve this state on a daily basis, can lead to enhanced mood, lower blood pressure, improved digestion, and reduction of everyday stress. Regular meditation also allows the body and mind to better cope with stress in part by re-routing default negative (stress and fear-related) neural pathways and by the shrinking of the amygdala - the fear centre of the brain(7).
• Lowers stress hormones epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol, known to cause a diseased state in humans(8). Mindfulness and meditation practices lowers resting cortisol levels in individuals(9).
• Influences gene expression, leading to improved immune health and physical well being. Short and long-term meditation practice affects gene expression associated with energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, insulin secretion and telomere maintenance, and reduced expression of genes linked to inflammatory response and stress-related pathways. In this study, it was found that meditating (even just once) could dampen the genes involved in the inflammatory response, and promote those genes associated with DNA stability(10). 
• Shown to increase the volume of grey matter and the right hippocampus, benefiting higher-order cognitive functions and emotion response and regulation. Hippocampal regions have been implicated in emotional regulation and response control. Thus, larger volumes in these regions might account for meditators' abilities to cultivate positive emotions, retain emotional stability, and engage in mindful behavior(11).
• Creates a healthier, better balanced “super human” brain. By constructing a "hyper-connected," ultra-efficient bridge between the two halves of our brain, meditation stops one half of the brain becoming over strengthened and the other being neglected. Harmonising both brain hemispheres opens the door to a plethora of benefits, including improved focus, super creativity, improved mental health, enhanced memory, and clearer and deeper thinking(12).
• Shifts your mind out of the default mode network (DMN). There exists two states within the mind which can be compared to a light switch - the DMN and the talk positive network (TPN). The DMN is labelled as “default” because it represents the mind in a neutral state without a mental or physical focal point. In this state your mind wanders, daydreams, imagines and recalls memories. The TPN is activated when engaged fully in a mental or physical task. The mind cannot exist in both states simultaneously, just as a light switch can only be either on or off. The brain evolved to balance the DMN and TPN and we only have the mental power to run a single network at a time. In modern cerebral humans overactivity in the DMN is associated with depression and anxiety. Meditation and mindfulness involves learning how to restore this natural balance, training your mind to be in the TPN for longer stretches, in a world that favours the DMN(13). 
• Promotes deep sleep and improved immunity. During sub-REM deep sleep and specifically during the Delta wave state, the majority of the body’s healing occurs. Without deep sleep our immune function is compromised. Numerous scans show that meditators have dominant Delta brain waves while in-session and while asleep. Meditation’s re-balancing brainwave activity not only deepens the sleep state, but also adds an additional round of restorative and rejuvenative “recharge” while in a meditation session. Meditation also boosts the main night-time chemical melatonin, typically released at sunset (when not interrupted by artificial blue/white-light) and which prepares the body for sleep(14).
• Boosts psychosocial well being which has been linked increased immunologic functioning. The association between psychosocial factors and immunologic functioning has been well established. Corresponding changes in markers of immune activity among mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) participants have now been shown to consistently enhance the psychosocial well-being of those individuals(15).
• Improves quality of life. Scientific and anecdotal evidence sing the praises of the multitude of positive, life-changing benefits of meditation(16), (17), (18). We can personally testify to this as it helped us gain control of our emotions, become more mentally and emotionally balanced, less reactionary and anxious, more reflective, and self-aware. We also gained a more well informed, balanced perspective of life which doesn’t sound like much, but changing something as simple as your attitude can make all the difference - changing your mind can change your life! Our neural pathways have been reconditioned from their DNM to become more positive and these, among many other benefits, have vastly improved our quality of life and helped us to become better, nicer human beings. 

For further reading on meditation, scientific research and more proven benefits, check out the Meditation: In Depth page on the National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health site.  

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can change the quality of their lives by changing the attitudes of their minds.” – William James(22)

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) differs from other talking therapies as its highly practical, and similar to MBSR, mindfulness and meditation training, it focussing on the ‘here and now’ and your current problems and difficulties. It's designed to help you change the way you think ‘cognitive’ and change negative and destructive ‘behaviours’. CBT recognises that our thoughts determine our lives and one of its main goals is to challenge and change negative thought patterns and replace them with healthier thinking styles. 

Negative Thinking

‘Negative thinking is learned thinking. You weren’t born thinking this way. You probably learned it by watching the people around you. Negative thinking is thinking that leads to negative consequences. Its based on false beliefs or on a few selective facts, and it ignores important facts that would lead to better consequences. Negative thinking is usually rigid, absolute, and not supported by most of the facts.

When your thinking is rigid and absolute, you tend to take an all-or-nothing approach and you are resistant to change.’(23) 

Studies have shown that negative cognitive styles and thoughts are associated with increased stress reactivity, low mood and accelerated cellular aging. In other words, there is a fundamental link between our thoughts and the stress levels we experience(24), (25). This Health article discuss in more depth how negative thinking can cause physical pain and diseased states in the body. As Western societies favour the negative, obsessive thoughts of the Default Mode Network and we are conditioned into negative thought patterns from a young age, the below listed styles will be very familiar to you(13).

Negative Thinking Patterns

• All-or-Nothing Thinking: “I have to do things perfectly, and anything less is a failure.”
• Focusing on the Negatives: “Nothing goes my way. It feels like one disappointment after another.”
• Negative Self-Labeling: “I’m a failure. If people knew the real me, they wouldn’t like me. I am flawed.”
• Catastrophising: “If something is going to happen, it’ll probably be the worst-case scenario.”
• Excessive Need for Approval: “I can only be happy if people like me. If someone is upset, it’s probably my fault.”
• Mind Reading: “I can tell people don’t like me because of the way they behave.”
• Should Statements: “People should be fair, and when they are not fair they should be punished.”
• Disqualifying the Present: “I’ll relax later. But first I have to rush to finish this.”
• Dwelling on the Past: "If I dwell on why I'm unhappy and what went wrong, maybe I’ll feel better."
• Pessimism: "Life is a struggle. I don't think we are meant to be happy. I don't trust people who are happy. If something good happens in my life, I usually have to pay for it with something bad."

Once you can recognise and label your thought patterns, overcoming them and breaking negative thought cycles becomes much easier.

Positive psychology or “the science of happiness” has caused a seismic shift in clinical psychiatry, psychology and the mental health world, changing research and opening up a new way of approaching psychological illness. “It recognizes happiness and well-being as an ‘essential human skill’”(26). Positive psychology is increasingly being combined with traditional mental health counselling and this combined approach is highly successful for many, helping with ‘real recovery’ rather than ‘medical masking’ or symptomatic treatment which is rife within the mainstream medical establishment. The most significant contribution of positive psychology in mental health counseling and therapy is the introduction of happiness as a treatment goal(26). The referenced article describes in detail the 4 interventions employed in conjunction with Mental Health counseling which is similar to CTB treatments.

Neurolinguistic Programming

Typically included as part of CBT, affirmations are positive statements that can help an individual overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts. When repeated often, we begin to believe the statements, our attitudes shift and we begin to see positive outcomes as a result(27).

Remember that the brain is a muscle, which like any other, can be trained. Many of us do repetitive exercises to improve our physical health and fitness and affirmations can be seen as exercises for our minds which can change our attitudes. These positive mental repetitions can reprogram our thinking patterns so that, over time, we begin to think – and act – differently.

‘For affirmations to be effective, it is said that they need to be present tense, positive, personal and specific. Affirmations are also referred to in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Neuro Associative Conditioning "NAC" as popularized by hypnosis(28).

Sophie’s NLP + CBT Reconditioning Experience

I am forever grateful for seeing a CBT/mental health specialist. Although the talking therapy wasn’t helpful, I learned about negative thought patterns and how they influence our behaviours and attitudes, and that meditation and positive affirmations positively change our minds. I remember thinking that this is implausible at the time - how can thoughts can change the way we think and act? Without knowing it, ironically, I was displaying the ‘Pessimism’ thought pattern typical of a person with chronic anxiety!

I wrote and combined my own positive affirmations into my mindfulness and meditation practices (which I began shortly before the CBT) to wean and reprogramme my neural pathways away from negative thought patterns which had caused years of chronic anxiety and a low quality of life, forming instead more positive and constructive thought patterns. Change takes time and rewiring the brain via meditation, NLP and CBT can take time. However, I did start to see benefits quickly - the anxiety lifted from time to time, for the first time in years!  so I had some breaks between anxiety bouts where I felt calm and breathing was easier and subconscious again. Before this, the chronic anxiety had been constant and I had been constantly worn down and exhausted as a result.

I still use these powerful affirmations occasionally while meditating as they allow me to enter into a deep meditative state rapidly, focussing my mind intensely.

• I am calm + happy
• I have no doubts, no fear + no regrets
• I am free

Between each phrase, I pause, allowing my mind to focus on each in turn. Feel free to use the affirmations above as a starting point. Don’t rush, take your time and you will notice your mind meditating on and absorbing the words and their meanings with each repetition.

Similar to positive reprogramming mentioned above, mindfulness training aims also to recognise the nature of our thoughts and thought patterns, and thus allows us to become aware of our addictive negative thinking. It also aims to bring awareness and focus on the present moment - this is powerful in and of itself as a lot of negative thoughts occur when we reflect on the past or dwell on the future. Indeed, upon starting meditation or mindfulness practices it is common to find that you spend the vast majority of your time thinking about the past and future and not actually being in the present!

“Psychoanalysts are fond of pointing out that the past is alive in the present. But the future is alive in the present too. The future is not some place we’re going to, but an idea in our mind now. It is something we’re creating, that in turn, creates us. The future is a fantasy that shapes our present.” - Stephen Grosz, The Life Examined

Whatever you wish to call it - Sati, in the ancient language of Buddhist texts, Zen Meditation, Mindfulness or the secular clinically-based methods of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) - this form of mind training requires no special circumstance or effort to begin practicing. It aims ultimately for insight (vipassana) through observation of one’s own mental processes and altered states of consciousness. Studies such as this, show that this simple, natural and effortless way of settling the mind into a deeply calm and wise state of “restful alertness,'' can be used as an alternative to antidepressant medication. 

‘Clinical trials have since shown that MBCT is as effective as antidepressants, and in patients with multiple episodes of depression can reduce the recurrence rate by 40-50% compared with usual care. Nice, the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, approved MBCT for the management of depression in 2004, meaning the therapy is available on the NHS.’(29)

Guided meditations combine multiple medically-proven deep relaxation practices (some mentioned above), into a single session. The Headspace app is a well known and popular tool and many people use this as an introduction to meditation. However, we began meditating before the app was created and we used guided meditations on YouTube. We still return to our favourite videos from time to time as it’s really enjoyable and so, so relaxing. Listening to them regularly will also give you the mind-blowing meditation benefits we list above.

Here are some of our favourite guided meditations, most are by The Honest Guys. 

• Banishing Depression Meditation
• Forest Birdsong Meditation
• Blissful Deep Relaxation Meditation
• Guided Sleep Meditation - The Song of the River

Soundtracks/ambient background sounds to meditate to or for playing in the background to create a relaxing atmosphere :) - 

• Rainy Mood
• Birdsong
• Bamboo Wind Chimes

“You think you can cross over to the mainland and run away from it? You’re going to be sorry if you don’t change your way of thinking before you leave this place.” “...we carry too many scars from the past. Our past owns us. We wear our scars like armour for protection. Thick, hard ugly scars that no one can pass through to ever hurt us again. Let’s live our lives without living in the fold of old wounds.” Eula, ‘Daughters of the Dust’

Sophie - “I undertook Hypnotherapy with a Hypnotherapist friend and this, together with the CBT in the form of positive affirmation repetitions and daily concentration meditation, put an end to my chronic anxiety. Before this, I had been meditating daily for 1 hour for 1 year but the hypnosis and self-hypnosis allowed me to relax more deeply than I imagined was possible, without being asleep. I now typically meditate for around 1.5 -2 hours daily, broken in 30 minute intervals throughout the day. It’s a huge part of my life and something I enjoy so much, I can’t imagine life without it. I experience anxiety from time to time, probably at a level equal to or less than most people. I don’t experience anxiety as I did before. But what I didn’t expect was how much meditation has also changed me as a person - I am far more balanced and rational, far less reactionary and more deeply compassionate and self-aware. Helpfully, I can enter a deep state of relaxation very quickly almost anywhere - even standing up on the train! It’s a really useful, life-changing, self-development tool that I use every day and I can’t imagine life without it.”