britta holzel – Secular Buddhist Association

Episode 96 :: Tim Gard :: Pain Attenuation Through Mindfulness

By Ted Meissner | December 23, 2011

Tim Gard speaks with us about a new study just released on pain attenuation through mindfulness.

Hi, everyone. As we mentioned in last week’s episode, we’re fortunate this week in having the author of a new study just released. This study helps shed some light on what happens in the brain when we feel pain, what happens in the brain when we feel pain while in a mindfulness state, and how this is different than what we see in placebo responses to pain. We also examine some of the subtle differences between studies of this kind, and why these distinctions matter.

Episode 95 :: Britta Hölzel :: Mechanisms of Mindfulness

By Ted Meissner | December 17, 2011

Dr. Britta Hölzel speaks with us about her recent paper about the potential mechanisms of mindfulness.

What are the mechanisms of a mindfulness state? A recent paper suggests, as a starting point of discussion, that four significant components may be Attention Regulation, Body Awareness, Emotion Regulation, and Sense of Self. As we look at the positive benefits of meditation, it is valuable for us to hypothesize about these qualities of the process, as that can help us think creatively about new areas for scientific investigation.