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“Meditation benefits empathy and affective bonds”
Psychology
Miguel Bellosta Batalla, doctor in clinical and health psychology, reveals that the benefits of meditation practice go beyond stress management and increased well-being, as they improve the way we relate to others
La meditation improves attention and concentration capacity, mitigates the negative effects of stress, improves memory and other cognitive functions, increases pain tolerance and even supports the immune system … It could be said that when it comes to talking about the benefits of this practice We have played “almost all the clubs” in ABC Bienestar thanks to the help of different experts and specialized psychologists, but after learning about the latest research in which the doctor in Clinical and Health Psychology Miguel Bellosta Batalla has participated, it seems clear that we had left in the inkwell one of the benefits of meditation enriching in a context as difficult as the one we have had to live in: the ability to improve empathy and affective ties.
Together with other researchers from the University of Valencia (M. Carmen Blanco Gandía, Marta Rodríguez Arias, Luis Moya Albiol, Ausiàs Cebolla and Josefa Pérez Blasco), Bellosta has revealed that meditation causes an increase in salivary oxytocin, a hormone related to affective bonds and the establishment of empathy. Thus, the results of this work, published in the scientific journals “Stress & Health” and “Mindfulness”, support at a biological level the benefits of “mindfulness” and compassion on social relationships.
One of the objectives of the study is to advocate for the inclusion of these interventions in the teaching curriculum of clinical and health psychology studies and to demonstrate that this type of mental training is effective and can have benefits for society. We discover the bases on which this practice is based by the hand of Miguel Bellosta Batalla.
What are the false myths that still persist around meditation? What do you think they are due to?
In some settings, meditation is still seen as a kind of aspirin, a way to relax and isolate ourselves from suffering, and in which one hopes to feel good immediately. We have become accustomed to living looking for easy solutions and / or avoiding what makes us suffer, and yet this strategy is not usually sustainable in any of the senses. Meditation supposes a sincere listening to our situation and of the emotions that we experience, opening ourselves to them and learning to integrate them as an essential element of our experiences, and this is not always something pleasant.
Can anyone meditate? Why do some people say they “get on my nerves” when they try?
Yes absolutely. Meditation is a fairly simple practice, since it basically consists of listening silently – and with a healthy attitude – to what is happening within us. In it we sometimes experience a feeling of serenityAlthough if we are stressed or if we find ourselves living a difficult situation, it is normal for feelings of that style to appear. It is important to understand that these emotions are still there even if we try to avoid them, and that meditation simply helps us to be aware of their appearance and to take responsibility for them, thus helping us so that they do not enlarge and end up expressing themselves in the form of symptoms.
What are the conclusions of your latest studies on the benefits of meditation?
In our latest studies, we have seen a beneficial influence of “mindfulness” and compassion on the biological system of oxytocin. These results help us better understand the effects of meditation on empathy and in the establishment of affective ties, when approaching their research including the biological aspect. In addition, they indicate that the benefits of meditation are not limited only to the healthy management of the Stress and increased well-being, but extend to the way we interact with the people around us.
Once we start meditating, when do the first benefits start to show?
The benefits of meditation are very varied, and its appearance is not always adjusted to a specific time. However, studies indicate that mindfulness and compassion groups (whose duration is about 2 months) generate a series of benefits in health and physical and psychological well-being. Regardless of the above, being aware of our experience, and learning to approach it in a healthy way, is already a benefit in itself, by opening ourselves to our experiences and acting with greater freedom in the situations we face.
In the current context of uncertainty, how would you advise the uninitiated to approach the knowledge of meditation?
Mindfulness and compassion audios are a good initial approach to finding out what exactly that meditation is all about. However, it is essential to accompany them with a guide that helps us understand the meaning of the practice, increasing its benefits and safety. The initiation groups to mindfulness and compassion are an ideal alternative for this, since they address the basics about meditation, and they represent a safe space in which to develop learning and overcome obstacles and difficulties that appear.
The boom that meditation is experiencing in recent years has meant that there is currently a high supply, so it is important to make sure that the group is taught by a professional in this field.