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Meditation, Health and Scientific Investigations: Review of the Literature

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Abstract

A growing number of people are seeking health recovery treatments with a holistic approach to the human being. Meditation is a mental training capable of producing connection between the mind, body and spirit. Its practice helps people to achieve balance, relaxation and self-control, in addition to the development of consciousness. At present, meditation is classified as a complementary and integrative technique in the area of health. The purpose of this review of the literature was to describe what meditation is, its practices and effects on health, demonstrated by consistent scientific investigations. Recently, the advances in researches with meditation, the discovery of its potential as an instrument of self-regulation of the human body and its benefits to health have shown that it is a consistent alternative therapy when associated with conventional medical treatments.

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Acknowledgments

Sampaio CVS was supported by a master’s degree scholarship from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health, Bahia Foundation for the Development of Sciences, FBDC, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

    Cynthia Vieira Sanches Sampaio PsyD, MS, Manuela Garcia Lima MD, PhD & Ana Marice Ladeia MD, PhD

  2. Centro Médico Iguatemi, Av. Tancredo Neves, 805-A, Sala 301, Caminho das Árvores, 41820-021, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

    Cynthia Vieira Sanches Sampaio PsyD, MS

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  1. Cynthia Vieira Sanches Sampaio PsyD, MS
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  2. Manuela Garcia Lima MD, PhD
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  3. Ana Marice Ladeia MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Cynthia Vieira Sanches Sampaio PsyD, MS.

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Sampaio, C.V.S., Lima, M.G. & Ladeia, A.M. Meditation, Health and Scientific Investigations: Review of the Literature. J Relig Health 56, 411–427 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0211-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0211-1

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