Mind-Body Pioneer

The connection between mind and body is stronger than you think.
By PsychologyToday.com

When I started medical practice as a young cardiologist more than 30 years ago, the term “mind-body medicine” was unknown. In the late 1960s, my work linking stress to physical health flew in the face of existing medical thought. It is, therefore, quite gratifying today to be advancing this now scientifically validated field at a time of unprecedented interest in the unity of mind, body and spirit.

My own work in establishing the mind-body connection started when I noticed that my patients had elevated blood pressure during regular checkups. To test my hypothesis that stress was the cause, I returned to my alma mater, Harvard Medical School, to try to establish a model for stress-induced hypertension. We trained squirrel monkeys to either raise or lower blood pressure using operant conditioning technology. We found that the monkeys that were “rewarded” for higher blood pressure went on to develop hypertension, due to their own behaviors.

While this study was under way, I was approached by young practitioners of transcendental meditation who asked me to monitor their blood pressure. They believed they had lower blood pressures as a result of their meditation practice. This type of study was unheard of, but I did consent, after much deliberation. Robert Keiter Wallace and I measured blood pressure, heart rate, brain waves, metabolism and rate of breathing—both when the subjects sat quietly for 20 minutes and when they meditated for 20 minutes. What we found was astounding.

Through the simple act of changing their thought patterns, the subjects experienced decreases in their metabolism, breathing rate and brain wave frequency. These changes appeared to be the opposite of the commonly known “flight-or-fight” response, and I called it the “relaxation response.”

The relaxation response can be elicited by a number of meditative techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing, repetitive prayer, qi gong, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, jogging—even knitting. There are two basic and necessary steps which I found to be present in practices in almost every culture: the repetition of a sound, word, phrase or prayer; and the passive setting aside of intruding thoughts and returning to the repetition. From the earliest studies to the present, our work shows that by using your mind in a certain way—to elicit the relaxation response—measurable, predictable and reproducible physiological changes occur that can be useful in countering the unhealthy flight-or-fight response.

A healing tool

Over the past 20 years, my colleagues and I have treated many thousands of people for medical problems poorly addressed by the two modes of conventional medical practice: pharmaceuticals and surgery. I view medicine as a three-legged stool, with mind-body medicine, the third leg, essential in holding up medication and surgery, the other two. Since roughly 60% to 90% of doctor visits are for conditions related to stress, it is vital not to neglect a mind-body approach.

The Mind/Body Medical Institute’s (MBMI) clinical programs treat patients with a combination of relaxation response techniques, proper nutrition and exercise and reframing of negative thinking patterns, in conjunction with the beliefs of patients. Clinical studies over the years have shown the effectiveness of interventions on a wide range of medical problems caused or made worse by stress, such as hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, pain, insomnia, allergies, repetitive stress injury and infertility, among many others. Practicing the relaxation response daily can boost the immune system and make one more resistant to the harmful effects of constant stress.

Through the deeply meditative practice of Tum-mo yoga, Tibetan monks are able to dry wet sheets placed on their bodies in near-freezing temperatures by raising their skin temperatures 17 degrees. How the human body can perform this remarkable feat is still unknown, yet it serves as a striking demonstration of the awesome mind-body powers we all possess.