小結

這裡研究的眾多冥想形式中，沒有一種冥想的初衷是治療任何疾病。然而，當今的科研論文中都充斥著一些評定這些古老練習法是否對治療疾病有所幫助的研究。正念減壓療法和類似的方法都能減輕患者的主觀感受，但不能治癒疾病。正念訓練（即使只有短短三天時間）依然能夠在短時間內減少炎症分子——促炎性細胞因子。練習越多，促炎性細胞因子水平就越低。這似乎成為一種具有廣泛實踐的人格效應，成像研究發現，隨著大腦自身系統中的自我調節迴路和各部分的聯繫增強，冥想者體內促炎性細胞因子的水平也較低。

經驗豐富的冥想者進行了一天的正念強化訓練，結果他們的炎症相關基因降低了。經過三個月的正念和慈愛冥想強化訓練後，減緩細胞衰老的端粒酶有所增加。最後，對於產生如此效果是因為進行了像正念減壓療法這樣的短期練習還是只有在長期練習下效果才明顯，當前我們仍缺乏證據，但長期冥想可能有助於大腦結構的變化。令人驚訝的是，經驗豐富的冥想者大腦某些區域的體積有所縮小，這些區域和慾望、依戀有關。總之，從科學角度來說，暗示支持重塑人格的神經迴路改造似乎是可行的，儘管具體細節還有待我們進一步研究。

[1] Natalie A. Morone et al., “A Mind-Body Program for Older Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Trial,” JAMA Internal Medicine 176:3(2016): 329-37.

[2] M. M. Veehof, “Acceptance- and Mindfulness-Based Interventions for the Treatment of Chronic Pain: A Meta-Analytic Review, 2016,” Cognitive Behaviour Therapy 45:1 (2016): 5-31.

[3] Paul Grossman et al., “Mindfulness-Based Intervention Does Not Influence Cardiac Autonomic Control or Pattern of Physical Activity in Fibromyalgia in Daily Life: An Ambulatory, Multi-Measure Randomized Controlled Trial,”Clinical Journal of Pain (2017); doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000420.

[4] Elizabeth Cash et al., “Mindfulness Meditation Alleviates Fibromyalgia Symptoms in Women: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial,” Annals of Behavioral Medicine 49:3 (2015): 319-30.

[5] 1平方英寸= 6.451 6平方釐米。——編者注

[6] Melissa A. Rosenkranz et al., “A Comparison of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and an Active Control in Modulation of Neurogenic Inflammation,”Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 27 (2013): 174-84.

[7] Melissa A. Rosenkranz et al., “Neural Circuitry Underlying the Interaction Between Emotion and Asthma Symptom Exacerbation,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences102: 37 (2005): 13319-24; http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0504365102.

[8] Jon Kabat-Zinn et al., “Influence of a Mindfulness Meditation-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Rates of Skin Clearing in Patients with Moderate to Severe Psoriasis Undergoing Phototherapy (UVB) and Photochemotherapy(PUVA),” Psychosomatic Medicine 60 (1988): 625-32.

[9] Melissa A. Rosenkranz et al., “Reduced Stress and Inflammatory Responsiveness in Experienced Meditators Compared to a Matched Healthy Control Group,” Psychoneuroimmunology 68 (2016): 117-25.

[10] E. Walsh, “Brief Mindfulness Training Reduces Salivary IL-6 and TNF-αin Young Women with Depressive Symptomatology,” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 84:10 (2016): 887-97; doi:10.1037/ccp0000122;T. W. Pace et al., “Effect of Compassion Meditation on Neuroendocrine,Innate Immune and Behavioral Responses to Psychological Stress,”Psychoneuroimmunology 34 (2009):.87-98.

[11] David Creswell et al., “Alterations in Resting-State Functional Connectivity Link Mindfulness Meditation with Reduced Interleukin-6: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” Biological Psychiatry 80 (2016): 53-61.

[12] Daniel Goleman, “Hypertension? Relax,” New York Times Magazine,December 11, 1988.

[13] Jeanie Park et al., “Mindfulness Meditation Lowers Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity and Blood Pressure in African-American Males with Chronic Kidney Disease,” American Journal of Physiology——Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 307:1 (July 1, 2014), R93-R101; published online May 14, 2014; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00558.2013.

[14] John O. Younge, “Mind-Body Practices for Patients with Cardiac Disease:A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” European Journal of Preventive Cardiology 22:11 (2015): 1385-98.

[15] Perla Kaliman et al., “Rapid Changes in Histone Deacetylases and Inflammatory Gene Expression in Expert Meditators,” Psychoneuroendocrinology 40 (2014): 96-107.

[16] J. D. Creswell et al., “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training Reduces Loneliness and Pro-Inflammatory Gene Expression in Older Adults: A Small Randomized Controlled Trial,” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 26 (2012):1095-1101.

[17] J. A. Dusek, “Genomic Counter-Stress Changes Induced by the Relaxation Response,” PLoS One 3:7 (2008): e2576; M. K. Bhasin et al., “Relaxation Resonse Induces Temporal Transcriptome Changes in Energy Metabolism,Insulin Secretion and Inflammatory Pathways,” PLoS One 8:5 (2013): e62817.

[18] H. Lavretsky et al., “A Pilot Study of Yogic Meditation for Family Dementia Caregivers with Depressive Symptoms: Effects on Mental Health, Cognition, and Telomerase Activity,” International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 28:1(2013): 57-65.

[19] N. S. Schutte and J. M. Malouff, “A Meta-Analytic Review of the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Telomerase Activity,” Psychoneuroendocrinology 42 (2014): 45-48; http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.12.017.

[20] Tonya L. Jacobs et al., “Intensive Meditation Training, Immune Cell Telomerase Activity, and Psychological Mediators,” Psychoneuroendocrinology 36:5 (2011): 664–81; http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.09.010.

[21] Elizabeth A. Hoge et al., “Loving-Kindness Meditation Practice Associated with Longer Telomeres in Women,” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 32 (2013):159-63.

[22] Christine Tara Peterson et al., “Identification of Altered Metabolomics Profiles Following a Panchakarma-Based Ayurvedic Intervention in Healthy Subjects:The Self-Directed Biological Transformation Initiative (SBTI),” Nature:Scientific Report 6 (2016): 32609; doi:10.1038/srep32609.

[23] A. L. Lumma et al., “Is Meditation Always Relaxing? Investigating Heart Rate,Heart Rate Variability, Experienced Effort and Likeability During Training of Three Types of Meditation,” International Journal of Psychophysiology 97:1(2015): 38-45.

[24] Antoine Lutz et al., “BOLD Signal in Insula Is Differentially Related to Cardiac Function during Compassion Meditation in Experts vs.Novices,” NeuroImage 47:3 (2009): 1038-46; http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.04.081.

[25] J. Wielgosz et al., “Long-Term Mindfulness Training Is Associated with Reliable Differences in Resting Respiration Rate,” Scientific Report 6 (2016):27533; doi:10.1038/srep27533.

[26] Sara Lazar et al., “Meditation Experience Is Associated with Increased Cortical Thickness,” Neuroreport 16 (2005): 1893-97. 這一研究比較了20位同齡、性別相同的內觀禪修者（一生練習時長人均約3 000個小時）。

[27] Kieran C.R. Fox, “Is Meditation Associated with Altered Brain Structure? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Morphometric Neuroimaging in Meditation Practitioners,” Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 43 (2014):48-73.

[28] Eileen Luders et al., “Estimating Brain Age Using High-Resolution Pattern Recognition: Younger Brains in Long-Term Meditation Practitioners,”NeuroImage (2016); doi:10.1016/j.nueroimage. 2016.04.007.

[29] Eileen Luders et al., “The Unique Brain Anatomy of Meditation Practitioners’Alterations in Cortical Gyrification,” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 6:34(2012): 1-7.

[30] 例如：B. K. Holzel et al., “Mindfulness Meditation Leads to Increase in Regional Grey Matter Density,” Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 191(2011): 36-43.

[31] S. Coronado-Montoya et al., “Reporting of Positive Results in Randomized Controlled Trials of Mindfulness-Based Mental Health Interventions,” PLoS One 11:4 (2016): e0153220; http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153220.

[32] Cole Korponay, in preparation.

[33] A. Tusche et al., “Decoding the Charitable Brain: Empathy, Perspective Taking,and Attention Shifts Differentially Predict Altruistic Giving,” Journal of Neuroscience 36:17 (2016): 4719-32; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.339215.2016.

[34] S. K. Sutton and R. J. Davidson, “Prefrontal Brain Asymmetry: A Biological Substrate of the Behavioral Approach and Inhibition Systems,” Psychological Science 8:3 (1997): 204-10; http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00413.x.

[35] Daniel Goleman, Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them? (New York: Bantam, 2003).

[36] P. M. Keune, et al., “Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT),Cognitive Style, and the Temporal Dynamics of Frontal EEG Alpha Asymmetry in Recurrently Depressed Patients,” Biological Psychology 88:2-3(2011): 243-52; http://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.08.008.

[37] P. M. Keune et al., “Approaching Dysphoric Mood: State-Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Frontal Brain Asymmetry,” Biological Psychology 93:1 (2013): 105-13; http://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.01.016.

[38] E. S. Epel et al., “Meditation and Vacation Effects Have an Impact on Disease Associated Molecular Phenotypes,” Nature 6 (2016): e880; doi:10.1038/tp.2016.164.

[39] The Stephen E. Distinguished Lecture in the Science of Complementary Health Therapies.