Use of dynamic meditation method in the treatment of neurotic and psychosomatic disorders

Use of dynamic meditation method in the treatment of neurotic and psychosomatic disorders

Viacheslav Chukhrov, psychotherapist

Russian Federation, Chelyabinsk

As we know there are hundreds and even thousands of scientific articles concerning the theme of neurotic disorders. It is impossible to say that psychiatric community did not develop ways of neurosis treatment. Indeed, many of neurotic disorders are successfully curable by the usage of psychopharmacotherapy and psychotherapeutic methods such as gestalt therapy, classical psychoanalysis and others.

The present article is referred to the usage of dynamic meditation method in the treatment of neurotic and psychosomatic disorders.

Initially the dynamic meditation was created by our contemporary who lived in the 20^th century in India – Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho). This method was developed not for treatment of neurotic disorders but for realization of farther going purposes – reaching by the individual, practicing this method, of the special psycho-physical state – enlightenment. The enlightenment is described as a state of total presence and awareness at the present moment that is followed by the state of goodness and possibility to forecast events of future. Of course, not all from those who practice dynamic meditation manage to reach this state. It is possible only to those few who eagerly and persistently use this method everyday for many years.

The dynamic meditation is being practiced from 80-90 years of last century and of course not all practicing people reach the state of enlightenment. However, health professionals from different countries noticed that the side effect of regular use of the present method was improvement of psycho-physical state of individuals.

So what is the influence of dynamic meditation on conscience, personality and ideation of human based on? Let's try to understand.

Dynamic meditation of the enlightened master Osho consists of 5 stages and lasts for 60 minutes.

On the first stage the person needs to breathe fast, deep and chaotically (i.e. changing rhythm all the time), exaggerating exhale from nose. By the means of this 10 minute breathing a wakening of all emotions suppressed in the past (offenses, anger, irritation, tears and etc.) happens.

Now let's get back to neuroses for a minute. Neurasthenia, hysteria and obsessive-compulsive neurosis are related to neuroses. All these disorders does not appear in one day. They appear on the “prepared ground” which may be upbringing peculiarities (hypo- and hyperprotection, upbringing by domineering mother or domineering father, upbringing in single-parent family and (or) dysfunctional family where one of or both parents are alcohol addicted persons or display antisocial behavior).

Gradually because of upbringing peculiarities a child accumulates the whole range of negative emotions, very often without any possibility of expressing them (“don't cry, don't run, don't shout” and etc.). And this ability to suppress and not recognize appearing feelings and emotions transfers into the habit and with accumulation of such psychoemotional tension from time to time under stressful conditions or in ordinary state these suppressed emotions make their presence felt in the form of neurotic symptoms such as insomnia or sleep that does not bring the rest, groundless tearfulness, apprehension, lack of self-confidence, different phobias that tend to transfer into so popular today panic attacks, depressions (low mood, slow mental and physical activity). So what happens during active exhalation through nose on the first stage of dynamic meditation? All these suppressed emotions start to revive, increase and eager to go out through their expression.

The second stage of dynamic meditation is called catharsis or expression. On this stage it is recommended to let yourself to express all suppressed emotions through the shout, tears, active movement imitating fight or chaos. Active body movement is welcomed. The person can stamp one's feet, beat with fists in the air. But it is forbidden to hurt one's body. Usually at the beginning of this practice the release of emotions subjectively may look like acting, pretending and theater play but with more and more deep movement of the person taking part in meditation into his own past feelings the real and natural emotional expressions of anger, offense begin to appear in the form of shout and tears. The catharsis release comes. This stage is also 10 minutes.

The third stage – jumps in fast pace with hands up with sound “Hu!”. This is an energizing stage.

Forth stage – watching oneself and space in silence.

Fifth stage – dance.

What happens with the patients with neurotic disorders during dynamic meditation? Let's try to describe. First of all, it is important to say that neurotic disorders are common among 100% of population of the world to this or that extent. All depends on the events that happen around. Let's provide an example. Each person one way or another in his life faces with situations of loss (death of closed one). It is natural for this person to feel sadness, low mood and all the triad of depression. Is such reaction normal? In this situation – completely normal. Is sadness a neurotic symptom? Yes, it is. What is the right way for human body to respond to it? By the reaction of physical body – by tears. Do we react this way? As usual no. Because social attitude and rules of decorum do not allow us it. During the first stage of dynamic meditation the arterial oxygen percent saturation happens, metabolic processes speed-up, so opportunities for emotional reactions reinforcement are created. On the second stage (catharsis) the previously suppressed emotions releasing and subjectively emotional state relief happens.

Such states are usually reached by using holotropic breathwork. However, the value of dynamic meditation is in the fact that after emotional releasing after which person often feels chilliness, exhaustion, it has stage of jumps with sound “Hu!” that gives the effect of warming and energizing.

During the last 16 years within the scope of our research 325 patients with neurotic symptoms have gone through the therapy by dynamic meditation in the format of individual sessions and more than 450 patients suffering from neurotic disorders to this or that extent – in the format of group therapy.

In case of everyday use of dynamic meditation such symptoms as weakness, apathy, emotional lability were reversed within first 14 days of therapy. In further 14 days the tested persons mentioned improvement of appetite, normalization of sleep, such affective disorders as anxiety, fears, dysphorias reversed, positive attitude to the future life appeared.

More than 50% of tested persons even in case of not regular use of dynamic meditation during 1 year (once a month) had fully reversed neurotic symptoms and presentation of psychosomatic disorders, improved quality of their life (fond highly paid jobs, started own businesses, raised socialization, widened their contacts with people around).

Conclusions:

use of dynamic meditation method for persons with neurotic disorders during first month of therapy reverses the base symptoms of neurosis and in case of supporting therapy once a month leads to the forming of steady tendency to recovery and exclusion of development of repetitive neurotic disorders and also helps to socialization.

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