Meditation

Created in India over three thousand years ago, meditation has always existed in both major religions and secular organizations. Over the millennia, meditative techniques have been used in various internal traditions and lineages, such as Buddhism, Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and Taoism (SATYANANDA, 1981). Several types of practices were cultivated among the traditions of the Far East, but meditation was the most valued, receiving special attention. The first known references are found in India in records dating from around 1.500 before the beginning of the Christian Era, written in the so-called Upanishad, special chapters of the Vedas (the most important scripture in Hinduism). There are also records in other countries and systems, such as in early Taoism (MURPHY et al., 1997). In the modern context, from the 1960s onwards, there has been an exponential growth of related studies whose objectives are to observe the effects of meditation on various aspects of health, especially mental health. More recently, the practice based on emotional self-regulation and attention has increasingly attracted researchers and has been used as an effective complementary ally in the treatment of various diseases and, mainly, mental disorders, such as stress, anxiety, depression and panic disorder ( FERREIRA-VORKAPIC; RANGÉ, 2010, p. 211).

Generally speaking, it can be said that meditation refers to an extremely wide variety of practices that have as their central objective the voluntary alteration of mental states and traits. However, the different ways in which this goal can be achieved differ significantly and, therefore, there is no clear definition with full universal acceptance. Meditation has been developed and practiced for a variety of reasons, including the cultivation of well-being and emotional balance, as well as for religious purposes. Among the most common practices are the concentration on breathing, the recitation of a mantra, the visualization of specific images, the cultivation of the state of compassion, among others. From a cognitive perspective, meditation can be conceptualized as a family of complex and emotional regulatory practices that affect mental events through the engagement of a specific set of attention systems.

Although some traditions claim to have no specific purpose or objective, they share common characteristics, such as that each practice represents a technique that needs to be learned and trained. Second, it is assumed that each practice induces a reproducible and distinct state, clearly indicated by certain physical or cognitive characteristics reportable by the practitioner. Third, the evoked state is believed to have a predictable effect on the mind and body so that, when induced repeatedly, it can bring relevant benefits to the practitioner and the reduction of unwanted mental and behavioral traits. However, it is important to remember that meditation differs from common cognitive processes, being more than just concentration, contemplation, posture or relaxation. These are techniques or methods that allow better regulation of emotions and distractions, allowing a deeper perception of ourselves and the world around us (FERREIRA-VORKAPIC; RANGÉ, 2010, p. 211).