Military May Be Turning to Meditation for PTSD
With its emphasis on developing tranquility, meditation may seem an odd fit for the military. But recent studies have shown that mindfulness meditation is extremely effective in lowering symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and increasing focus.
Meditation seems to produce its effects though a variety of mechanisms, according to the researchers. They found that mindfulness increases levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, a hormone that repairs cellular damage caused by stress. It also lowers levels of cortisol and neuropeptide Y, stress-related chemicals that, over time, can damage tissues. PsychCentral
Military and mindfulness meditation in PubMed.
Military and mindfulness meditation in Google Scholar.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Long-lasting anxiolytic effect of psilocybin
Single treatments that have lasting effects: some thoughts on the antidepressant effects of ketamine and botulinum toxin and the anxiolytic effect of psilocybin.
Recent clinical trials suggest that 3 single biological treatments have effects that persist. Based on research showing that the muscles involved in facial expressions can feed back to influence mood, a single trial diminishing glabella frown lines with botulinum toxin demonstrated a significant antidepressant effect for 16 weeks. Based primarily on research with animal models of depression suggesting that glutamate may be involved in depression, the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist ketamine has been tested in several trials. A single dose decreased depression for up to a week. The reported effects of the use of mushrooms containing psilocybin by a number of cultures around the world has stimulated several trials showing beneficial effects of a single dose of psilocybin for over a year in healthy people, and for up to 3 months in patients with anxiety disorders who have advanced cancer. This article discusses these studies, their rationale, their possible mechanisms of action, the future clinical research required to establish these therapies and the basic research required to optimize single treatments that have lasting effects.
Young SN. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2013 Mar;38(2):78-83.
PMID: 23171696
PDF
Cited by (Google Scholar)
Recent clinical trials suggest that 3 single biological treatments have effects that persist. Based on research showing that the muscles involved in facial expressions can feed back to influence mood, a single trial diminishing glabella frown lines with botulinum toxin demonstrated a significant antidepressant effect for 16 weeks. Based primarily on research with animal models of depression suggesting that glutamate may be involved in depression, the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist ketamine has been tested in several trials. A single dose decreased depression for up to a week. The reported effects of the use of mushrooms containing psilocybin by a number of cultures around the world has stimulated several trials showing beneficial effects of a single dose of psilocybin for over a year in healthy people, and for up to 3 months in patients with anxiety disorders who have advanced cancer. This article discusses these studies, their rationale, their possible mechanisms of action, the future clinical research required to establish these therapies and the basic research required to optimize single treatments that have lasting effects.
Young SN. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2013 Mar;38(2):78-83.
PMID: 23171696
Cited by (Google Scholar)
Sunday, January 20, 2013
U.S. Marines take up Mindfulness training
US Marines studying mindfulness-based training
The U.S. Marine Corps, known for turning out some of the military's toughest warriors, is studying how to make its troops even tougher through meditative practices, yoga-type stretching and exercises based on mindfulness.
Facing a record suicide rate and thousands of veterans seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress, the military has been searching for ways to reduce strains on service members burdened with more than a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The U.S. Marine Corps, known for turning out some of the military's toughest warriors, is studying how to make its troops even tougher through meditative practices, yoga-type stretching and exercises based on mindfulness.
Facing a record suicide rate and thousands of veterans seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress, the military has been searching for ways to reduce strains on service members burdened with more than a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Psilocybin use in end of life care: Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Macready N. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2012 Nov 7;104(21):1619-20. Epub 2012 Oct 25. No abstract available. PMID: 23104218
Cited by (Google Scholar)
Cited by (Google Scholar)
Results of this ongoing study at New York University that has involved 12 patients given 0.3mg/kg of psilocybin. Study goal is 32 patients. Patients received 9 months of psychotherapy as well as psilocybin.
· all subjects experienced rapid clinical improvement (Psychiatric)
· there was significant reduction or resolution of death anxiety
· there was a decrease in depression/anxiety in general
· patients became more spiritual/philosophical and more connected with others
· they reported feeling interconnected with other forms of energy and that their consciousness was a part of a larger consciousness
· they felt connected to transcendental forces and a sense of sacredness
Dr. Anthony Bossis stated "Every patient I've worked with says the drug has allowed them to live more fully in the present, to be less concerned with yesterday and tomorrow and whether tomorrow will bring more suffering."
"One patient, now deceased, said he realized that consciousness doesn't end, it doesn't die, it continuous and that his body is one aspect of life, that physical death is part of the life experience, but there is a broader continuum."
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Self-Transcendence
Link to a slideshow that discusses varies aspects of Self-Transcendence. Some of the links are to videos that are related directly or indirectly to Self-Transcendence. Others are links to scientific articles or sections of various texts.
Self-Transcendence
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin
Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin
Katherine A. MacLean, Jeannie-Marie S. Leoutsakos, Matthew W. Johnson, Roland R. Griffiths. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Vol 51 Issue 4. Article first published online: 4 Dec 2012
A large body of historical evidence describes the use of
hallucinogenic compounds, such as psilocybin mushrooms, for religious
purposes. But few scientific studies have attempted to measure or
characterize hallucinogen-occasioned spiritual experiences. The present
study examined the factor structure of the Mystical Experience
Questionnaire (MEQ), a self-report measure that has been used to assess
the effects of hallucinogens in laboratory studies. Participants (N =
1,602) completed the 43-item MEQ in reference to a mystical or profound
experience they had had after ingesting psilocybin. Exploratory factor
analysis of the MEQ retained 30 items and revealed a four-factor
structure covering the dimensions of classic mystical experience: unity,
noetic quality, sacredness (F1); positive mood (F2); transcendence of
time/space (F3); and ineffability (F4). MEQ factor scores showed good
internal reliability and correlated with the Hood Mysticism Scale,
indicating convergent validity. Participants who endorsed having had a
mystical experience on psilocybin, compared to those who did not, had
significantly higher factor scores, indicating construct validity. The
four-factor structure was confirmed in a second sample (N = 440) and
demonstrated superior fit compared to alternative models. The results
provide initial evidence of the validity, reliability, and factor
structure of a 30-item scale for measuring single,
hallucinogen-occasioned mystical experiences, which may be a useful tool
in the scientific study of mysticism.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
From the New York Times: New treatments for PTSD
For Veterans, a Surge of New Treatments for Trauma
You name it, and it’s being used somewhere in the veterans’ health system: The National Intrepid Center in Washington is one of many places using acupuncture to treat stress-related anxiety and sleep disorders; it has been shown to be effective against PTSD. At the New Orleans V.A., the same clinicians who ran Trin’s group also did a small study using yoga. They found vets liked it and attendance was excellent. The yoga reduced the veterans’ hyperarousal and helped them sleep. There is even a group in the Puget Sound V.A. Hospital in Seattle that treats PTSD — including among Navy Seals — using the Buddhist practice of “loving kindness meditation.” (“We had a little bit of debate about changing the name,” said Dr. David Kearney, who led the group. “But we decided to keep it, and it worked out just fine.”) NYT
You name it, and it’s being used somewhere in the veterans’ health system: The National Intrepid Center in Washington is one of many places using acupuncture to treat stress-related anxiety and sleep disorders; it has been shown to be effective against PTSD. At the New Orleans V.A., the same clinicians who ran Trin’s group also did a small study using yoga. They found vets liked it and attendance was excellent. The yoga reduced the veterans’ hyperarousal and helped them sleep. There is even a group in the Puget Sound V.A. Hospital in Seattle that treats PTSD — including among Navy Seals — using the Buddhist practice of “loving kindness meditation.” (“We had a little bit of debate about changing the name,” said Dr. David Kearney, who led the group. “But we decided to keep it, and it worked out just fine.”) NYT
Monday, September 24, 2012
New study shows PTSD symptoms reduced in combat-exposed military via integrative medicine
Healing touch combined with guided imagery (HT+GI) provides significant clinical reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms for combat-exposed active duty military, according to a study released in the September issue of Military Medicine.
The report finds that patients receiving these complementary medicine interventions showed significant improvement in quality of life, as well as reduced depression and cynicism, compared to soldiers receiving treatment as usual alone. Eurekalert!
The report finds that patients receiving these complementary medicine interventions showed significant improvement in quality of life, as well as reduced depression and cynicism, compared to soldiers receiving treatment as usual alone. Eurekalert!
Friday, September 14, 2012
New Article from the Journal of Clinical Psychology
Effects of Participation in a Mindfulness Program for Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study
Forty-seven veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; 37 male, 32 Caucasian) were randomized to treatment as usual (TAU; n = 22), or MBSR plus TAU (n = 25). PTSD, depression, and mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were assessed at baseline, posttreatment, and 4-month follow-up. Standardized effect sizes and the proportion with clinically meaningful changes in outcomes were calculated. Kearney DJ, McDermott K, Malte C, Martinez M, Simpson TL. J Clin Psychol. 2012 Aug 28. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22930491
Cited by (Google Scholar)
Link to related article from 2012 in Journal of Clinical Psychology by Kearney et. al.:
Association of participation in a mindfulness program with measures of PTSD, depression and quality of life in a veteran sample. (PDF)
Kearney DJ, McDermott K, Malte C, Martinez M, Simpson TL.
J Clin Psychol. 2012 Jan;68(1):101-16. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20853. Epub 2011 Nov 28.
PMID: 2212518
Forty-seven veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; 37 male, 32 Caucasian) were randomized to treatment as usual (TAU; n = 22), or MBSR plus TAU (n = 25). PTSD, depression, and mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were assessed at baseline, posttreatment, and 4-month follow-up. Standardized effect sizes and the proportion with clinically meaningful changes in outcomes were calculated. Kearney DJ, McDermott K, Malte C, Martinez M, Simpson TL. J Clin Psychol. 2012 Aug 28. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22930491
Cited by (Google Scholar)
Link to related article from 2012 in Journal of Clinical Psychology by Kearney et. al.:
Association of participation in a mindfulness program with measures of PTSD, depression and quality of life in a veteran sample. (PDF)
Kearney DJ, McDermott K, Malte C, Martinez M, Simpson TL.
J Clin Psychol. 2012 Jan;68(1):101-16. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20853. Epub 2011 Nov 28.
PMID: 2212518
Friday, September 7, 2012
Potential paradigmatic shift within the field of psychiatry
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
New article from Current Biology promoting use of psilocybin for depression
Neuroimaging: a scanner, colourfully.
Two recent studies report changes in human brain responses after exposure to psilocybin, the active ingredient of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Psilocybin increased sensory cortex responses during emotional recollection, but decreased resting-state blood flow in prefrontal cortex, with potential implications for treating depression. Roiser JP, Rees G. Curr Biol. 2012 Apr 10;22(7):R231-3. PMID: 22497939
Cited by (Google Scholar)
And here is a recent article that describes the use of Ayahuasca for depression:
Antidepressant Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca in Patients With Recurrent Depression: A SPECT Study.
Ayahuasca is an Amazonian botanical hallucinogenic brew which contains dimethyltryptamine, a 5-HT2A receptor agonist, and harmine, a monoamine-oxidase A inhibitor. Our group recently reported that ayahuasca administration was associated with fast-acting antidepressive effects in 6 depressive patients. The objective of the present work was to assess the antidepressive potentials of ayahuasca in a bigger sample and to investigate its effects on regional cerebral blood flow. In an open-label trial conducted in an inpatient psychiatric unit, 17 patients with recurrent depression received an oral dose of ayahuasca (2.2 mL/kg) and were evaluated with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the Montgomery-Ã…sberg Depression Rating Scale, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Young Mania Rating Scale, and the Clinician Administered Dissociative States Scale during acute ayahuasca effects and 1, 7, 14, and 21 days after drug intake. Blood perfusion was assessed eight hours after drug administration by means of single photon emission tomography. Ayahuasca administration was associated with increased psychoactivity (Clinician Administered Dissociative States Scale) and significant score decreases in depression-related scales (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Montgomery-Ã…sberg Depression Rating Scale, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale) from 80 minutes to day 21. Increased blood perfusion in the left nucleus accumbens, right insula and left subgenual area, brain regions implicated in the regulation of mood and emotions, were observed after ayahuasca intake. Ayahuasca was well tolerated. Vomiting was the only adverse effect recorded, being reported by 47% of the volunteers. Our results suggest that ayahuasca may have fast-acting and sustained antidepressive properties. These results should be replicated in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
Sanches RF, de Lima Osório F, Dos Santos RG, Macedo LR, Maia-de-Oliveira JP, Wichert-Ana L, de Araujo DB, Riba J, S Crippa JA, Hallak JE.
J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2015 Dec 8. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 26650973
Cited by (Google Scholar)
Two recent studies report changes in human brain responses after exposure to psilocybin, the active ingredient of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Psilocybin increased sensory cortex responses during emotional recollection, but decreased resting-state blood flow in prefrontal cortex, with potential implications for treating depression. Roiser JP, Rees G. Curr Biol. 2012 Apr 10;22(7):R231-3. PMID: 22497939
Cited by (Google Scholar)
And here is a recent article that describes the use of Ayahuasca for depression:
Antidepressant Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca in Patients With Recurrent Depression: A SPECT Study.
Ayahuasca is an Amazonian botanical hallucinogenic brew which contains dimethyltryptamine, a 5-HT2A receptor agonist, and harmine, a monoamine-oxidase A inhibitor. Our group recently reported that ayahuasca administration was associated with fast-acting antidepressive effects in 6 depressive patients. The objective of the present work was to assess the antidepressive potentials of ayahuasca in a bigger sample and to investigate its effects on regional cerebral blood flow. In an open-label trial conducted in an inpatient psychiatric unit, 17 patients with recurrent depression received an oral dose of ayahuasca (2.2 mL/kg) and were evaluated with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the Montgomery-Ã…sberg Depression Rating Scale, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Young Mania Rating Scale, and the Clinician Administered Dissociative States Scale during acute ayahuasca effects and 1, 7, 14, and 21 days after drug intake. Blood perfusion was assessed eight hours after drug administration by means of single photon emission tomography. Ayahuasca administration was associated with increased psychoactivity (Clinician Administered Dissociative States Scale) and significant score decreases in depression-related scales (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Montgomery-Ã…sberg Depression Rating Scale, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale) from 80 minutes to day 21. Increased blood perfusion in the left nucleus accumbens, right insula and left subgenual area, brain regions implicated in the regulation of mood and emotions, were observed after ayahuasca intake. Ayahuasca was well tolerated. Vomiting was the only adverse effect recorded, being reported by 47% of the volunteers. Our results suggest that ayahuasca may have fast-acting and sustained antidepressive properties. These results should be replicated in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
Sanches RF, de Lima Osório F, Dos Santos RG, Macedo LR, Maia-de-Oliveira JP, Wichert-Ana L, de Araujo DB, Riba J, S Crippa JA, Hallak JE.
J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2015 Dec 8. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 26650973
Cited by (Google Scholar)
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
PTSD, Mindfulness and Yoga: Huffington 08/07/2012
Yoga: How We Serve Our Veterans
This is an interview with Felice Brenner, who had been working as a "headhunter" for 20 years to become a full-time yoga instructor. She teaches two classes a week at the Veterans Administration in Boston, Jamaica Plains campus. This year, Felice received the Outstanding Federal Volunteer award from the VA Boston Healthcare System for her service and commitment. Huffington Post
This is an interview with Felice Brenner, who had been working as a "headhunter" for 20 years to become a full-time yoga instructor. She teaches two classes a week at the Veterans Administration in Boston, Jamaica Plains campus. This year, Felice received the Outstanding Federal Volunteer award from the VA Boston Healthcare System for her service and commitment. Huffington Post
Monday, August 6, 2012
New Study on PTSD in the Journal Mindfulness
A Prospective Investigation of Mindfulness Skills and Changes in Emotion Regulation Among Military Veterans in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment
We prospectively investigated associations between mindfulness and changes in the use of expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal occurring during a residential treatment program for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The sample consisted of 50 male veterans who were assessed with the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills at treatment intake, and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and PTSD Checklist—Military Version at treatment intake and discharge. Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that greater nonjudgmental acceptance at intake predicted greater reductions in expressive suppression (p < .05) and less improvement in cognitive reappraisal (p < .05) between treatment intake and discharge. Additionally, greater ability to observe thoughts, emotions, and sensations at intake was associated with less improvement in cognitive reappraisal between treatment intake and discharge (p < .05). Findings remained significant after statistically adjusting for treatment-related changes in PTSD symptoms.
2012, DOI: 10.1007/s12671-012-0131-4
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Lancet: a new editorial on psychedelic research
Shaping the renaissance of psychedelic research
Psychedelic drugs have a rich and vibrant history as clinical aids for psychiatry. For two decades after the discovery of lysergide (LSD) in the 1940s, psychedelics were extensively studied and clinical progress was good. But research collapsed rapidly in 1966 when LSD was made illegal, and there was a subsequent hiatus of psychedelic research. After 40 years, this pause is now coming to an end, with many new studies and a refreshing approach to the research of psychedelic drugs. Lancet. 2012 Jul 21;380(9838):200-1. No abstract available. PMID: 22817963
Psychedelic drugs have a rich and vibrant history as clinical aids for psychiatry. For two decades after the discovery of lysergide (LSD) in the 1940s, psychedelics were extensively studied and clinical progress was good. But research collapsed rapidly in 1966 when LSD was made illegal, and there was a subsequent hiatus of psychedelic research. After 40 years, this pause is now coming to an end, with many new studies and a refreshing approach to the research of psychedelic drugs. Lancet. 2012 Jul 21;380(9838):200-1. No abstract available. PMID: 22817963
Thursday, July 19, 2012
New Institute of Medicine Report Assessing PTSD Treatments at the DoD and the VA
Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Military and Veteran Populations: Initial Assessment (read free online)
As the U.S. reduces its military involvement in the Middle East, the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) anticipate that increasing numbers of returning veterans will need PTSD services. As a result, Congress asked the DoD, in consultation with the VA, to sponsor an IOM study to assess both departments’ PTSD treatment programs and services. This first of two mandated reports examines some of the available programs to prevent, diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate those who have PTSD and encourages further research that can help to improve PTSD care.
(From page 257)
Many CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) approaches are being used by people with PTSD as reported in the popular press, but these approaches are not necessarily being formally studied to assess their efficacy.
As the U.S. reduces its military involvement in the Middle East, the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) anticipate that increasing numbers of returning veterans will need PTSD services. As a result, Congress asked the DoD, in consultation with the VA, to sponsor an IOM study to assess both departments’ PTSD treatment programs and services. This first of two mandated reports examines some of the available programs to prevent, diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate those who have PTSD and encourages further research that can help to improve PTSD care.
(From page 257)
Many CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) approaches are being used by people with PTSD as reported in the popular press, but these approaches are not necessarily being formally studied to assess their efficacy.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Be the witness: a mindfulness technique for tempering anger
'Self-distancing' can help people calm aggressive reactions, study finds
A new study reveals a simple strategy that people can use to minimize how angry and aggressive they get when they are provoked by others. MedicalXpress
A new study reveals a simple strategy that people can use to minimize how angry and aggressive they get when they are provoked by others. MedicalXpress
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Researcher urges British governments to facilitate, not hinder, research with psychedelics.
 |
| Dr. David Nutt |
Scientists should have access to illegal psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin to aid them in brain research, according to the government's former drug adviser Professor David Nutt. He said that research into the deepest mysteries of the brain, including consciousness and mental illness, had been curtailed by the prohibition of the drugs.
"Neuroscience should be trying to understand how the brain works," said Nutt, who is professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London. "Psychedelics change the brain in, perhaps, the most profound way of any drug, at least in terms of understanding consciousness and connectivity. Therefore we should be doing a lot more of this research.
"Regulations, which are arbitrary, actually make it virtually impossible to research these drugs," said Nutt last month. "The effect these laws have had on research is greater than the effects that [George] Bush stopping stem cell research has had, because it's been going on since the 1960s." The Guardian
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Institute of Noetic Sciences interviews Johns Hopkins psilocybin researcher Roland Griffiths
 |
| Roland Griffiths and Cassandra
Vieten Download as mp3 |
Link to audio: "Psilocybin and quantum change in attitude and behavior"
The overall finding that psilocybin can occasion, in most people studied, mystical-type experiences having sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance, indicates that such experiences and the changes they produce are now amenable to rigorous prospective scientific study. Several ongoing studies are discussed, including a study of psilocybin on meditation and spiritual practice in healthy volunteers, a study of psilocybin in psychologically distressed cancer patients, and a study of psilocybin-facilitated treatment of drug cigarette smoking cessation. Noetic.org
Video presentation by Robin Carhart-Harris, lead author of fMRI study of effects of psilocybin on bloodflow in brain.
Lead author of 2012 British Journal of Psychiatry study (
Implications for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study with psilocybin.) discusses his work in video first presented at the Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century, a conference that took place in San Jose, California on April 15-18, 2010.
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