Mindfulness An Alternative Perspective for the Management of Anxiety Symptoms [Team-IRA]

The concept of transcendental (trance) states, also known as altered states of consciousness, has existed since ancient cultures with religious rites, ceremonies, prayers, meditation, yoga, etc. Because of the mysterious nature of consciousness, for a long time, altered states of consciousness have been characterized by opposing scientific stances and theoretical explanations. Only in the last decades, neuroscientific studies have determined that altered states of consciousness (such as rituals, hypnosis, breathwork, meditation, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, and the lucid dreaming state) share common neurocognitive characteristics such as lower perceptual boundaries, lack of reflective awareness, detachment from reality, feelings of relaxation and passivity. This book provides a comprehensive examination of the literature on altered states of consciousness, following with a detailed analysis of hypnosis, near-death experiences, and meditation, their scientific status as trance states, and their empirically supported benefits in treating anxiety disorders and enhancing well-being. The aim of this research work is thus to determine whether meditation and relaxation techniques can significantly improve stress and anxiety symptoms among young adults. For this purpose, a randomized experimental design was implemented to test the efficacy of guided meditation and deep breathing as mindfulness techniques in comparison to music relaxation (control condition) on anxiety levels (i.e., cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and self-esteem) among thirty-three university students in Albania. The intervention was carried out over four days, and the results showed that all groups (experimental and control) showed improved symptoms of anxiety, with guided meditation and deep breathing improving the majority of anxiety symptoms (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and cognitive anxiety). Despite some limitations, these findings provide important theoretical implications for the mindfulness and meditation literature, as well as practical implications for the use of mindfulness techniques as effective treatments for stress and anxiety management and well-being enhancement. Contents 9 Preface 11 Acknowledgements 13 Acronyms 15 Chapter 1 17 Introduction 17 Chapter 2 21 Consciousness and Its Altered States 21 Hypnotic Trance 25 Hypnotherapy: A General Overview 27 Cognitive Hypnotherapy 32 Mindful Hypnotherapy 33 Meditation 35 Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) 40 Chapter 3 45 A General Overview of Anxiety Disorders 45 Theories of Anxiety 47 Epidemiology 50 Classification 51 Panic Disorder 52 Specific Phobia 54 Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) 55 Generalized Anxiety Disorder 57 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 59 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 61 Psychological and Pharmacological Treatments 64 Hypnosis and the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders 66 Cognitive Hypnotherapy 66 Mindful Hypnotherapy 72 Meditation and the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders 74 The Impact of Near-Death Experiences on Life Aspects 82 Chapter 4 85 Empirical Study 85 Methodology 86 Participants 86 Materials/Measures 87 Research Design 88 Procedures 89 Data Analysis 90 Chapter 5 91 Results 91 Independent Samples T-Tests 91 Paired-Samples T-Tests 92 Guided Meditation and Deep Breathing Group 93 Music Relaxation (Control Group) 93 ANOVAs 95 Chapter 6 97 A New Paradigm on Beneficial Effects of Mindfulness Intervention on the Anxiety 97 Chapter 7 107 Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research 107 Chapter 8 111 Implications 111 Chapter 9 113 Conclusion 113 Disclosure Statement 115 Compliance with Ethical Standards, Informed Consent and Study Data 117 References 119 Index 143 Author’s Contact Information 151 Blank Page 2