EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MEDITATION AS A THERAPEUTIC TOOL IN PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

Meditation practices of Buddhism, specifically, Samatha (calmness) and Vipassana (insight), are becoming popular in the field of mental health and psychotherapy. These archaic procedures are being brought into the present modes of therapeutic intervention such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based stress-reduction (MBSR) and even psychodynamic therapy. The given literature review focuses on the connection between Buddhist meditation and psychological recovery and mental health. It ponders on how such meditation practices can be in harmony with key goals in therapy including reduction of stress, emotional balance and self awareness. The study will rely upon the ancient Buddhist doctrine on the topic and the contemporary scientific researches on the subject of psychology to achieve a better understanding of the working of meditation on the mental and emotional plane. In this paper, the literature review methodology is implemented to analyze literature that speaks about the investigation of effect that meditation can bring to such disorders as anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. It also focuses on application of mindfulness based practices in modern day therapy. These findings demonstrate that mindfulness and insight meditation are applicable in improving the mental health by improving the concentration level, emotional stability as well as the coping styles of an individual who may harbor negative thoughts or feelings. Most psychotherapy approaches have a lot in common with Buddhist meditation approaches, especially when it comes to establishment of awareness and acceptance. In conclusion, this review has demonstrated that meditation can become a helpful complement of traditional psychotherapy. The integration of the antiquity and modernity will allow therapists and clients to work more holistically to enable them to enjoy mental health.