EFT and Meditation Center
Effect of Decreased Tension
Tension, can be described in a physiological and pathological sense as; “The condition of any part of the body, of being stretched or strained; a sensation indicating or suggesting this; a feeling of tightness” (The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1980:2262-2263). Tension can also be related to “mental and emotional strain” (The New Oxford Dictionary of English, 1999:1911).
Tension seems to be a common potential effect of the experience of high levels of stress. Tension can also function as a significant source of further stress. Members of the experimental group in this study who practiced CSM, however, reported effects that signified the experience of less or decreased tension as a consequence of the practice of CSM.
Improved management of physical effects of stress
Effects in the Biological Context
The category ‘Effect of decreased tension’ and its subcategories are formulated from the following direct verbatim quotations:
Participants reported that they experienced that they could manage the physical effects of stress better.
NOTE: (The comments by Afrikaans regarding their meditation experience have been translated freely into English and are expressed in terms of a symbol assigned in accordance to the speakers’ name/surname (for example T, TS, B et cetera.)
R: “So I feel really physically – that I can handle the situation (last week of school term) better.”
AS: “If I get still and say my mantra, but I focus upon that aching spot in my body (tension headaches and abdomen pains), then I start to relax and the pain disappears.”
J: “I have gone well through the surgery (by using CSM).”
T: “I’ve experienced calmness in body and mind – (since practicing CSM). The fatigue that I normally had before I started (CSM) is not there.”
A: “Because my brain can focus and relax, my body is in a better state. I had less need of back and shoulder massages.”
Participants reported that their quality of sleep improved due to more restful and deep sleep as well as the alleviation of sleep problems and less need of sleep.
T: “I am not so stressed….so that is due to the restful sleep I get.”
J: “I’ve got insomnia – when I go to sleep at night I practice it (CSM) sometimes (to help me fall asleep).”
AS: “I have often used medication to sleep and apart from the fact that my circumstances have changed a lot (due to husband leaving home and wanting a divorce) I don’t use medication any more and my quality of sleep is much better.”
TC: “I had a huge problem with sleep. It has improved a lot – good and better sleep. I (previously) took hours to fall asleep.”
A: I have slept much better – I am totally rested the next day.”
TS: I felt …. I needed less sleep.”
Participants reported that they had experienced more energy and felt less fatigued and were able to do more.
TS: “I found out that I … felt more energetic.”
RC: “I was at one stage passive and now I have lots more energy. My work and everything that I do, I tackle with more energy, and it’s nice.”
B: “You’ve got ‘go’ to go on – for sure.”
T: “That mental strength, the absence of fatigue enabled me to work through four, quite thick, books. It exceeded my expectations.”
R: “You feel always that that last week (last week of school term) is a week too long. Now it feels as if I could have kept on going for another three weeks. This is the first end of term in years where I don’t feel ‘depleted’.
Participants reported that they experienced that they could manage pain better and consequently experienced less pain.
B: “If I have pain, I concentrate on the pain during meditation, then I experience that the pain goes away. It really works.”
AS: “Then I have done it (if headaches begin; meditate and focus on pain) and it really helps. It is as if it just goes away. It is as if one ‘thinks’ the pain ‘out’.
T: It happened really heavy, so twice a week I would know that I’ve got a headache, but since I’ve started to meditate, I… only twice I like had a slight headache, but I was able to stay the whole day without tablets.”
J: “After I came out (of the hospital – post operative) I didn’t use one pain tablet.”
Participants reported that they experienced that they needed less or no medication for depression, tension and pain.
AS: I think a lot of people in my circumstances (pending divorce) will go to the doctor (and would want to) go on Prozac. I took 2 Zolox (tablets) per day (for depression). At a stage I decided from now on I am going to use it once a day and I haven’t felt any side-effects. I will now go to the doctor and tell him… I have now decreased (my dosage) so much, if he thinks I can put myself on it only every second day.”
L: I stopped using the medication (for depression) to focus on my meditation.”
TC: And even the medication (after a time of great stress)…. wasn’t so needed.”
J: After I came out (of the hospital—post operative) I didn’t use one pain tablet.
Participants reported that they have either stopped fidgeting or are fidgeting less.
TC: I (could) never ever sit still, not with my legs or my hands or anything else (motor tic). It irritated my husband and children very much. Now I can sit still—relaxed. It is quite a difference.”
D: “I don’t fidget as much as I need to any more.”
Participants reported that they experienced that they had an increased ability to manage their weight by losing weight. Both these persons were, to some extent, obese
E: “I am more minded to look after my body and I have already lost 16 kilo’s – it is the easiest that I have ever done in my life.”
RC: “I have also lost weight.”
Participants reported that they experienced that they started to be more active by starting to exercise or exercising more.
AS: “After a short while (of practicing CSM) I have started again to exercise in a gym.”
TS: “I have found that I…exercise more than usual…”
CSM had certain notable effects in the biological context of the experimental group. The most notable were the effects of decreased tension which were related to decreases in physical symptoms and in symptoms of somatisation-distress arising from perceptions of bodily dysfunctions, physical symptoms and tension-anxiety. Also notable were the effects related to increases in the improved management of the physical effects of stress as reflected above.
It therefore seems as if CSM had certain real and tangible effects as far as the promotion of biological, and more specific physical well-being is concerned.
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