Stress Management Chapter 19 - Meditation and Mindfulness

A shift in one's thought process, typically from left-brain to right-brain thinking, to become more aware and more receptive

As an altered state, one's perception of time is changed or distorted so that a segment of time seems either longer or shorter than it actually is.

Experiences that cannot be expressed verbally; especially common during meditation.

An altered state in which one is fully aware of the present moment with no regard to past or future time periods.

A sense during meditation (an altered state) in which, for example, one's arms and legs seem extremely heavy.

A cross-wiring of one's senses (during an altered state) during which one smells sounds or sees noises.

In the practice of meditation, one's mind opens to become more receptive to ideas that are often censored by the ego during normal consciousness

A sens of becoming one with something bigger than oneself; a mystical experience that occurs in meditation.

capacity for producing a desired result or effect; effectiveness:

of or relating to a nerve or the nervous system.

a specialized, impulse-conducting cell that is the functional unit of the nervous system, consisting of the cell body and its processes, the axon and dendrites.

A name coined to describe how the brain is hardwired to perceive metaphysical or mystical experiences of a divine nature.

a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, response, etc.a very slight difference or variation in color or tone.

harsh discordance of sound; dissonance:a cacophony of hoots, cackles, and wails.a discordant and meaningless mixture of sounds:the cacophony produced by city traffic at midday.Music. frequent use of discords of a harshness and relationship difficult to understand.

An inundation of information and distractions that overwhelm the mind.

A practice of increased concentration that leads to increased awareness; a solitary practice of reflection on internal rather than external stimuli

A form of meditation wherein concentration is focused on one subject (e.g., mantra, tratak) to the exclusion of all other thoughts, to increase self-awareness and promote relaxation.

Typically a one-syllable word(e.g., om, peace, love) or a short phrase that acts like a broom to sweep the mind of nonessential (ego-based) thoughts.

A visual type of mantra, such as a seashell, a colorfully designed mandala, or any object is used by the eyes to focus attention and ignore distracting thoughts.

A form of meditation in which all thoughts are invited into awareness without emotional evaluation, judgment, or analysis.  Zen meditation is an example.

An expression given to any type of meditation(inclusive or exclusive) whereby a person, once clearing the mind of interrupting thoughts and ego chit-chat, begins to expand his or her awareness to the intuition, or the deep-seated wisdom of the collective unconscious, thus giving insight into the person's life.

A form of meditation wherein concentration is focused on one subject(e.g., mantra, tratak) to the exclusion of all other thoughts, to increase self-awareness and promote relaxation.

A circular-shaped object used as a visual mantra for the purpose of clearing the mind of unnecessary (ego-based) thoughts.

An auditory mantra for which a repetitive sound is used to help clear the mind of unnecessary (ego-based) thoughts.

A term given to a physical activity (e.g., walking, swimming) that promotes a cleansing of the mind through repetitive motion.

This meditation is the epitome of exclusive meditation in which all thoughts are eliminated save the mantra itself.

A term coined by Dr. Herbert Benson, who Americanized TM to make it more accessible to the Western world.

A form of meditation where all thoughts are invited into awareness without emotional evaluation, judgment, or analysis.  Zen meditation is an example.

A type of meditation where all senses concentrate on the activity being performed during the present moment, like eating an apple or washing the dishes.

A term derived from inclusive meditation during which the individual observes him or herself meditating, in essence detaching from the ego's desire.

A form of meditation wherein one learns to detach from one's emotional thoughts by becoming the observer of those thoughts.

An unsolvable riddle that aims to shift one's consciousness from analytical thoughts to profound contemplation.