80 Questions
What is the key factor that distinguished female breast cancer survivors who thrived from those who died?
Their view that their lives had been altered for the better
What did the breast cancer survivors, who reported 'benefits' from their experience, realize about life?
What was truly important in life and reordering priorities
What is the reappraisal strategy about?
Perceiving failure as feedback for learning and developing clarity about what you want
What do negative emotions tell you, according to the text?
What you really want
What was a common benefit reported by breast cancer survivors?
Realizing what was truly important in life and reordering priorities
What did the female breast cancer survivors develop a greater appreciation of?
The preciousness of life
What did the reappraisal strategy allow individuals to do in the context of failure?
Learn what they need to learn to succeed
What did the classic study find about breast cancer survivors' view of their lives after the disease?
Two-thirds reported that their lives had been altered for the better
What did the survivors of various illnesses, including HIV, AIDS, and heart disease, have in common?
They were coping effectively with their illnesses
What did the female breast cancer survivors see challenges as, according to the text?
Stepping stones to success
What is the primary focus of Behavioral Activation for depression?
Establishing and maintaining regular routines with high-scoring activities
What is the emphasis of Behavioral Activation on the relationship between actions and emotions?
Actions being seen as the cause of emotions
What did a fMRI study reveal about the effect of Behavioral Activation Therapy for Depression (BATD) on unique reward structures?
Functional changes in structures mediating responses to rewards
What did students engaged in behavioral change projects report as the most effective way to motivate themselves to study harder?
Limiting specific time-killing activities like Facebook, texting, and internet surfing
What was the result of the study involving bank managers watching different stress-related videos?
Participants who watched the video portraying stress as enhancing experienced a significant drop in stress levels and health problems
What effect did Emotional Intelligence (EI) have on the subjective and objective stress levels of medical students performing a surgical task?
Medical students with higher EI experienced greater levels of subjective and objective stress, but showed better after-task recovery
What did the study involving medical students performing a novel surgical task reveal about the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and stress?
Medical students with higher EI experienced greater levels of subjective and objective stress, but showed better after-task recovery
What did the study on Harvard MBA grads 15 years after graduation find about those who failed to get their desired jobs?
They learned from setbacks and ended up with financially and emotionally rewarding careers
What did the study on preschoolers' stress hormone levels reveal?
Outgoing and socially competent preschoolers showed high stress hormone levels on the first day of school, which declined over time
What did the study on hospital cleaners' perception of work reveal?
Those who viewed their work as meaningful were happier than those who saw it as just a job
What did the recent neuroimaging studies focus on for the treatment response and recurrence of depression?
Biomarkers using various methods including Volumetric MRI and fMRI
What did the review article hypothesize as a reason for the inconsistent results in neuroimaging studies on depression?
Small sample size and different study designs
What did the researchers use to reactivate neurons associated with positive memories in male mice?
Optogenetics
What did the researchers find to be a probable circuit supporting improvement in depression symptoms in mice?
Glutamatergic activity in the hippocampus-amygdala-nucleus accumbens pathway
What is a challenge associated with using optogenetics in humans?
Highly invasive procedure for microinjection of viruses into the human brain
What is required for implantation of a light fibre with an adaptor to interface with a laser in optogenetics?
Genetic engineering of cells to produce opsins
What did the researchers find about the effect of natural positive experiences in improving depression symptoms in mice?
It did not improve symptoms as much as reactivating an old memory
What is a potential alternative to implantation of a light fibre for optogenetics in humans?
Light stimulation via the aural canal
What did the researchers identify as a challenge in the use of optogenetics in humans?
Lack of non-invasive delivery methods for opsins
What did the researchers find about the use of optogenetics in humans at present?
No real breakthroughs yet in use of optogenetics in humans
What is a potential advantage of meditating with eyes closed?
Easier to tune out distractions and stay focused
What is traditionally brought to mind at the beginning of each formal sitting session?
The three jewels
What type of breathing is marked by expansion of the abdomen rather than the chest?
Diaphragmatic breathing
What does the measure called phase-locking reflect during a selective attention task?
The degree to which brain waves become entrained or synchronized to external stimuli
What was the effect on the variability in meditation practitioners’ response time after a 3-month mindfulness retreat?
Decreased by 20%
What was a notable finding regarding brain activity in meditation practitioners during a selective attention task?
Enhanced activity in the anterior insula
What is the brain signature associated with high gamma-wave activity during meditation?
Entrainment and neural synchrony
What is a key aspect of attention that screening out distractions provides the building blocks for?
Happiness
What is the importance of being able to selectively attend according to the text?
Sustaining positive emotions
What did the study on meditation practitioners completing a 3-month mindfulness retreat reveal about their response time variability?
Decreased by 20%
What did the follow-up study using sound stimuli reveal about distraction response in advanced meditators?
They did not show increased activity in distraction-related regions
What is the proposed explanation for the difference in brain activation between expert and novice meditators?
Analogy of amateur and professional cyclists
What is the primary focus of mindfulness practice according to the text?
Calm-abiding practice and mindfulness
What did the study find regarding the average American adult's attention span?
47% of waking life not paying attention to what they're doing
What caution does the text provide about mindfulness exercise?
Requires great concentration and should only be done for short periods of time
What was the result of the MRI study on long-term meditators and controls during calm-abiding meditation practice?
Increased alpha waves in the part of the somatosensory cortex devoted to feeling the sense of touch on the skin of the hand
What did mindfulness meditation training minimize according to the text?
Activation in regions not relevant to the object of attention
What did the control group show during the selective attention task using magnetoencephalography (MEG)?
No increase in alpha waves reflecting cortical idling
What was the object of concentration used in the MRI study on long-term meditators and controls?
Dot on ceiling of MRI tube
What did the participants undergo an 8-week training in?
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Where do thoughts arise?
Both inside and outside the body
What is the recommended approach for working with a variety of thoughts?
Looking directly at the essence of each thought
What is emphasized when looking at the nature of mind?
The interconnectedness of the observer and the observed
How are thoughts said to abide?
In the mind
What is the recommended approach for recognizing a thought?
Looking directly at the thought's essence
What is different about recognizing a thought compared to following it?
Recognizing involves allowing the thought to produce a further thought
Where does the text suggest thoughts arise from?
Unknown origin
What is the recommended approach for thoughts that arise?
Looking directly at the nature of the thoughts
What is the nature of thoughts, according to the text?
Both physical and mental
How does the text suggest one should work with a series of thoughts?
By looking at the nature of each thought in sequence
What is the primary focus of lovingkindness practice according to the text?
Wishing well for others and diminishing their suffering
How can one feel compassion and do lovingkindness practice for mass murderers according to the text?
Wishing that their suffering and unawareness be diminished
What does well-wishing for a terrorist, for instance, mean according to the text?
Wishing that their suffering and unawareness be diminished
What is the recommended approach for feeling compassion and doing lovingkindness practice for mass murderers according to the text?
Wishing that their suffering and unawareness be diminished
What does well-wishing generally mean according to the text?
Wishing them to be lucky and successful in their endeavors
What does well-wishing for a mass murderer specifically involve according to the text?
Wishing that their suffering and unawareness be diminished
What is the primary focus of imagining oneself duplicating in countless forms according to the text?
Transforming oneself into clothing, food, or shelter for those in need
What is the key aspect of well-wishing according to the text?
Wishing well for others and diminishing their suffering
What is the emphasis of well-wishing for others according to the text?
Wishing well for others and diminishing their suffering
What is the primary focus of feeling great happiness without attachment or clinging according to the text?
Wishing well for others and diminishing their suffering
What type of brain wave activity was found to be increased in long-term Tibetan meditation practitioners during compassion meditation?
Gamma waves
What did the MIT neuroscientists find when exposing mice to strobe lights and clicking sounds at frequencies that stimulate gamma waves?
Reduced levels of beta-amyloid associated with Alzheimer’s
What did the long-term meditation practitioners experience during their state of meditation?
A change in the quality of moment-to-moment awareness
What is one of the main problems with meditation research?
Lack of appropriate controls
What type of brain activity has been reported in long-term meditators?
High-frequency gamma waves
What is a potential challenge in understanding the effects of meditation practices?
Unclear contribution of specific meditation practices to observed effects
What is another factor complicating the study of long-term meditators?
Extensive preliminary training within meditation traditions
What is the association between compassion practice in meditation and heart rate according to the text?
Compassion practice in meditation is associated with heart rate elevation and neuro-cardiac coupling, with expert meditators showing more pronounced effects than novices.
What did EEG studies by Richard Davidson reveal about meditation practice?
Meditation practice is associated with increased left prefrontal activity, which is linked to positive outlook and feelings of happiness and well-being.
What is the effect of meditation practice on the ability to identify microexpressions and control startle responses?
Meditation practice is associated with an enhanced ability to identify microexpressions and control startle responses, with long-term practitioners showing remarkable control over startle responses, particularly in facial muscles.
Study Notes
The Power of Stress in Personal Growth
- A Gallup World Poll found that those who were stressed but not depressed reported feeling energized and satisfied with their lives, in contrast to the lethargy reported by those who were depressed but not stressed.
- Championship athletes, successful entertainers, motivated students, great teachers, and leaders thrive and excel when challenged.
- Highly successful businesspeople listed experiences involving great stress as the most influential in shaping who they are today.
- A study on Harvard MBA grads 15 years after graduation found that those who failed to get their desired jobs learned from setbacks and ended up with financially and emotionally rewarding careers.
- Preschoolers who were outgoing and socially competent showed high stress hormone levels on the first day of school, which declined over time, while unhappy and isolated preschoolers showed the opposite pattern.
- Csikszentmihalyi found that people have more peak experiences at work but prefer leisure time, suggesting a distorted perception of effort and pleasure.
- Reframing work and education as a privilege rather than a duty is crucial for happiness and fulfillment.
- Hospital cleaners who viewed their work as meaningful were happier than those who saw it as just a job, showing that perception of work matters more than the work itself.
- Defensive pessimism can motivate in the short run, but in the long run, it can lead to burnout, low self-esteem, and unhappiness.
- Reappraisal effectiveness increases with age, as shown in fMRI studies on individuals aged 10-22, with increased prefrontal activity during reappraisal.
- A more recent study with participants aged 10.5-23 found that older individuals showed greater decreases in negative affect and amygdala response after reappraisal, mediated by activity in the rostrolateral PFC.
- Age and reappraisal studies indicate that older individuals have greater success in decreasing negative affect and amygdala response after reappraisal.
Meditation and Mindfulness: Effects on Attention and Happiness
- Study comparing brain activation in expert and novice meditators
- Expert meditators showed more activation in attention regions than novices overall
- Meditators with 37,000+ hours of experience had less activation than novices
- Proposed explanation using analogy of amateur and professional cyclists
- Follow-up study using sound stimuli to test distraction response in meditators
- Novice meditators showed increased activity in distraction-related regions
- Advanced meditators did not show such increase in distraction-related regions
- Meditation training can enhance the prefrontal cortex's ability to boost signals it wants to attend to and attenuate signals it wants to ignore
- Study finding that the average American adult spends 47% of waking life not paying attention to what they're doing
- Mindfulness practice involves two parts: calm-abiding practice (focused awareness) and mindfulness (awareness of the present moment with acceptance)
- Detailed steps and components of mindfulness meditation
- Caution that mindfulness exercise requires great concentration and should only be done for short periods of time
Meditation and Neurological Effects
- Mice engineered to exhibit Alzheimer's-like qualities showed induced synchronized gamma-wave oscillations in the brain when exposed to clicking sounds at 40 Hz for an hour a day for a week.
- This stimulation resulted in reduced levels of amyloid-beta and tau-proteins in the auditory cortex and nearby hippocampus, increased activation of microglia, and improved memory performance in the mice.
- A study exposing mice to a combination of light and sound stimulation expanded the effects to the prefrontal cortex, reducing amyloid pathology, but the effects were short-lived.
- Longer-term follow-up studies on mice with advanced Alzheimer's disease showed that gamma entrainment using strobe lights increased gamma brain waves, reduced neuronal and synaptic loss, inflammation, and improved memory performance.
- Clinical trials using human participants are underway to explore the potential benefits of these findings.
- Compassion practice in meditation is associated with heart rate elevation and neuro-cardiac coupling, with expert meditators showing more pronounced effects than novices.
- Western neuroscientists observed that compassion practice in meditation is associated with the insula's activity and heart rate.
- EEG studies by Richard Davidson found that meditation practice is associated with increased left prefrontal activity, which is linked to positive outlook and feelings of happiness and well-being.
- Less extensive meditation practice was found to be associated with a significant shift in hemispheric dominance and correlated with enhancement in the immune system.
- Meditation practice is associated with an enhanced ability to identify microexpressions and control startle responses, with long-term practitioners showing remarkable control over startle responses, particularly in facial muscles.
- The ability to recognize fleeting facial expressions has been linked to empathy, insight, openness to new experiences, intellectual curiosity, reliability, and efficiency.
- Meditation practice has been shown to have cognitive and affective benefits, including enhanced control over startle responses and the ability to identify microexpressions.
Test your knowledge of mindfulness therapies and their focus on emotions, the physical body, and thoughts. Explore the relationship between thoughts and emotions in newer variants of CBT, and learn about using emotions to guide thoughts.
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