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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 127 (2014) 631 – 635

PSIWORLD 2013

Meditation as adaptation strategy

Aliodor Manolea*
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, 90 Panduri street, Bucharest, Romania
“CAROL I” National Defense University, 68-72 Panduri street, Bucharest, Romania

Abstract

By using appropriate meditation techniques in order to obtain altered states of consciousness, one can transfer, diminish or
annihilate conditionings from the implicit subcortical memory. When the attention is constantly and systematically focused on
the physical body, at the skin level appear sensations as sensorial perceptions of the somatic manifestations of the subliminal
records of the conditionings from the implicit memory. Under these circumstances occurs a selective de-potentiation of the
unconscious personal concepts, stopping the occurrence of the uncomfortable symptoms, the integration of the new obtained
psycho-emotional reality of the balanced ways to relate with you and the outside world.

©
© 2014
2014 The Authors.
Aliodor Published
Manolea. by Elsevier
Published Ltd. Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
by Elsevier
Selection
Selection and
and peer-review
peer-review under
under responsibility
responsibility of
of PSI WORLD
Romanian 2013of
Society and their Guest
Applied Editors: Dr
Experimental Mihaela Chraif, Dr Cristian
Psychology.
Vasile and Dr Mihai Anitei

Keywords: meditation; memory; subliminal; subconscious; unconscious.

1. Theoretical Considerations

During the everyday activity the perception of the outside information is made on two levels. The first level is a
supraliminal one of the conscious, diurnal, rationality. The second one is the subliminal level which lacks the
conscious processing of the information. At this last level, at the level of the terminal threshold, are registered the
sensory stimulus beyond the absolute threshold of perception. The subliminal registered stimulus both at conscious
and unconscious level, at the same time with an intense emotional experience, may be the triggers, the Initial
Triggering Factors (Manolea, 2010) of those emotional experiences as well as of the accompanying physiological

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +4-072-257-9790; fax: +0-000-000-0000 .

E-mail address: aliodor@glide.ro

1877-0428 © 2014 Aliodor Manolea. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Romanian Society of Applied Experimental Psychology.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.325
632 Aliodor Manolea / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 127 (2014) 631 – 635

reactions. The subliminal level is reached when some of the stimuli are so intense that they overwhelm the capacity
of the individual to confront, to cope, and the neo-cortex is not processing the information anymore. Under these
circumstances the information is taken by the amygdala that may trigger an immediate emotion. It has an essential
part in the process of implementation in the memory of the intense emotional experiences (Manolea, 2012a). But the
implementation of the emotional memories, at subconscious and unconscious levels, may become maladaptive and
may turn into sources of anxiousness. The emotional arousal induced by the plasticity in the amygdala together with
changes in other areas of the brain may have consequences in what concerns the cognitive performance and the
maintenance or even the occurrence of pathological states (Haas & Canli, 2008).
Within the experimental research described in this article, the meditation method applied (Lutz et al., 2009;
MacLean et al., 2010) involved the observation, according to which, the stimuli subliminally registered at the level
of implicit memory, are directly connected with a specific sensorial threshold. This observation is based on the fact
that at the level of implicit memory the triggers, the initial triggering factors, the conditionings, reactivate the
emotion that accompanied the initial stimuli, together with the entire range of psychosomatic manifestations. The
emotion is released due to a manifestation potential through the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system,
both at the organs level as well as at the surface of the body where different sensations are perceived. Due to the
specific method of meditation used, in the altered stages of consciousness that naturally accompany the meditation
process, sensations are activated at skin level. These sensations are induced by the activation of some emotional
memories from the implicit memory, through the introspection process specific to the meditation (van Vugt & Jha,
2011). Thus, willingly, systematically and repetitively, there is interference in the feedback system of the
manifestations, at somatic level, of the psycho emotional potential discharge of the records from the implicit
memory, of the subliminal registered stimuli. The additional intervention during meditation, that causes a
prominence of the feedback path, make that the response to the execution of the emotional potential discharge not to
be a positive one, action that produces a new discharge of the conditional potential from the level of the implicit
memory. In fact, this is a positive biofeedback loop. Maintaining the intervention that increases the sensations
through the introspective meditative process, other and other potentials are released from the implicit memory. I
may conclude that, during the meditation sessions, the biofeedback loop is not closing, fact that causes the
elimination of the maladaptive emotional memories as well as the accompanying physiological reactions.
In one study Bauerman et al, 2007 apud AniĠei et al, (2010b) they have monitored by fMRI the cortical activity,
while measuring reaction time and electro-dermal response. They have shown that there is a correlation between
electro-dermal responses, cerebellar activity (…), establishing for the first time a link between emotional behavioral
assessments, physiological sympathetic arousal and neural activation. Since sensations that appear on the skin level
are related to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, we chose as a method of objectification of the
phenomenology described above, the measuring of electro-dermal response. There is a close relationship between
fluctuations of EDR and emotional experiences of an individual (AniĠei, 2010a). This effect is not triggered by
thermoregulation, but the signal generated by the sympathetic nervous system. These emotional signals are due to
almost instantaneous changes in quantity of sweat from the sweat glands, thereby influencing conductivity of the
skin in the area where they are present (AniĠei et al, 2010b). Based on these considerations, has been achieved a
device and software-Aura Video Station (AV5.1), for interpretation of the simultaneously differential measured
electro-dermal response between the five fingers of the left hand (http://www.aura.net/flash_e/index.shtml). Here
was used the association between right hemisphere activity and its reflection at the somatic level, in levels of
electro-dermal response measured at the fingers of the left hand. Emotional potential can be transduced into
electrical and thermic potentials, with AV5.1 (Manolea, 2012b), so we can have a quantitative description of the
process of emotional regulation, the adaptation strategy of the human personality that takes place during and after
performing a meditation session.
Our mind, thoughts and emotions seems to play a vital role in our physical well-being. Even neuro-immunology
and psychiatry are starting to integrate mind-body-spirit concept, and have started studying this phenomenon (Ader,
Felten & Cohen, 1991). “Mind-Body connection means, that our emotions and mind,our psyche, do have a great
influence over our body, so that many symptoms are influenced by our mental-emotional condition”
(http://www.aura.net/education/Questions_Answers2.pdf).
The human quantum field (HQF) basically reflects this connection between body, mind and spirit (Baaquie &
Martin, 2005). Our thoughts, emotions and beliefs are mirrored or reflected in the HQF, and therefore the HQF and
 Aliodor Manolea / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 127 (2014) 631 – 635 633

Quantum Vortexes can be used to determine the underlying issues related to physical symptoms. One can say that
HQF is intrinsically linked to the initiation of processes of adaptation and to keeping homeostasis in the optimal
range (Korotkov, 2011). Determining the characteristics of HQF, can be show how carried out the human adaptation
strategy. Thus, the level of activation of vortex QV1 provides details about the physical body activity, QV2 about
how the emotions are expressed (emotional behavior), QV3 about the will and the intellect, QV4 about personal
affectivity and social skills, QV5 about verbal and emotional abilities, QV6 about creativity and intuition, and QV7
about the spiritual communication. Increased activity of these parameters (elevated mean values of the dependent
variables) corresponding to an improvement of the adaptations modalities of that personality.

2. Objective and hypotheses

2.1. Objective

We aimed to highlight the significant difference between the transduced of the psycho-emotional potentials
results at two distinct moments: before and after applying a meditation technique. To highlight how that meditation
technique influence the emotional state of human being.

2.2. Hypotheses

The meditation technique, statistically significant influences the activity of the seven Quantum Vortexes of the
human quantum field, measured using Aura Vision (AV5.1) instrument.Specific hypotheses were issued for the
dependent variables:

3. Method

3.1. Participants

The study group was composed of 9 subjects, men and women (M = 46.4 SD = 6.87) with different meditation
experience, participating in a meditative traineeship for 10 days.

3.2. Apparatus and instruments

For determining electro-biological and psycho-emotional state, the device AV 5.1 was used. The AV 5.1
apparatus determines the human field characteristics through electro-dermal response and hand temperature
measurement. The AV5.1 “measure, analyze and process the biofeedback data and correlate this information to
specific emotional-energetic states so that, the measured parameters describe emotional, mental and physical
changes which occurs” (http://www.aura.net/flash_e/index.shtml). For data analyzing, the SPSS 20 and Excel 2010
were used.

3.3. Working procedure

The meditative experimental research was carried on during 100 hours of meditations within 10 consecutive
days, in minutes sessions and following a rigorously, repetitive schedule. The reduction of the external disrupting
factors was realized by choosing a quite location in a mountain resort. The visual, sound, kinesthetic, taste, tactile
and smell stimuli were reduced by closing the eyes during the sessions, ensuring a half-light environment, through
phonic semi-isolation, taking a still sitting position. The diminution of the cognitive factors was made through the
interdiction of the oral communication between the attendants and the elimination of the media devices (phones,
audio and video).
634 Aliodor Manolea / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 127 (2014) 631 – 635

3.4. Experimental design

The experimental design used was one using repeated measures before and after the meditation sessions. We used
a pretest-posttest matched-pairs experimental design. The independent variable was represented by the meditation
technique.The dependent variables describe the psycho-emotional states of the subjects participating in the research:
SizeQuantumField, QuantumVortex1 (QV1), QuantumVortex2 (QV2), QuantumVortex3 (QV3), QuantumVortex4
(QV4), QuantumVortex5 (QV5), QuantumVortex6 (QV6), QuantumVortex7 (QV7), MIND, BODY, SPIRIT,
EnergeticLevel, ColorDeltaLambda, all measured with the AV 5.1 device.

4. Results

After applying Kolmogorov Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk statistical tests, we revealed that some variables:
QuantumVortex3, QuantumVortex4, QuantumVortex6, MIND, BODY, EnergeticLevel, are values normally
distributed and the rest are not. The fulfill condition of normality is based on the fact that p> 0.05.
In applying the t test for the normal distributed dependent variables, statistically significant differences were
confirmed for QV3 (81.11+/-22.05>53.33+/-20.61, t(8)=2.71, p=0.027<0.05), QV4 (83.33+/-20.61>53.33+/-26.45,
t(8)=3.53, p=0.008<0.05), QV6 (83.33+/-18.02>64.44+/-22.42, t(8)=3.90, p=0.005<0.05), MIND (22.77+/-
16.97<44.55+/-7.79, t(8)=3.60, p=0.007<0.05), BODY (13.33+/-9.68<29.55+/-5.76, t(8)=3.99, p=0.004<0.05),
EnergeticLevel (1122.22+/-377.58>648.88+/-107.40, t(8)=3.47, p=0.008<0.05).
In applying Wicoxon nonparametric tests statistically significant differences were confirmed for other some
variables: QV1 (Z=-2.13 p=0.021<0.05), QV2 (Z=-2.06 p=0.04<0.05), QV5 (Z=-2.04 p=0.04<0.05), QV7 (Z=-2.54
p=0.01<0.05), SPIRIT (Z=-2.55 p=0.01<0.05) and ColorDeltaLambda (Z=-2.54 p=0.01<0.05).
No statistically significant results were found for the dependent variable SizeQuantumField (Z=-0.79
p=0.43>0.05).

5. Conclusions

The meditation, as a mental biophysical phenomenon, requires a concentration of the attention and I believe that
it can be considered an adaptive strategy because, generating a state of altered consciousness includes mechanisms
that elude the barrier of the conscious self-control. In the experimental meditative research realized, the attention
was focused on the physical body therefore at the skin level appeared sensorial perceptions of the somatic
manifestations of the subliminal recordings, of the conditionings from the implicit memory. Therefore there is a
willingly, systematically and repeatedly intervention in the feedback system of the somatic manifestation of the
psycho emotional potential discharge of the emotional stimuli registered at the subliminal level of the implicit
memory. During the meditation, the intervention to increase the feedback makes the response of discharge of the
emotional potential not to be positive action that causes a new discharge from the new conditional, emotional
potential from the level of implicit memory. Under these circumstances the introspective, meditative, repetitive
process, may maintain the prominence of the occurring sensations which makes the biofeedback loop not to close.
This way it is generated a signal of non-execution of the discharge of the psychosomatic potential of the emotional
conditionings from the level of the implicit memory. This action results in the elimination of the maladaptive
emotional memories as well as of the accompanying physiological reactions. Accepting the mind-body-spirit model
(Chan & Chow, 2001) in which these three components of the human being forms a unitary whole, it can be seen
that, after 10 days of meditation training of the group, appeared statistically significant changes in their distribution.
Thus, proportion in which spiritual abilities are present has increased (dependent variable SPIRIT, 63.89+/-
25.34>25.66+/-5.85) due to the decrease of the other two components, demonstrating that subjects were even in
altered state of consciousness, and this was at a profound level, highlighted by the dependent variables
EnergeticLevel and ColorDeltaLambda, whose mean values have increased significantly (1122.22+/-
377.58>648.88+/-107.4 and respectively 81.55+/-24.35>40.55+/-13.95). In this state of consciousness has
manifested itself an increased activity of the quantum vortices (for example QV2 corresponding to emotional
abilities has registered an increase of the mean value 73.23+/-28.3>55.45+/-21.27) showing the effects of meditation
on the various facets of human personality. Some effects of meditation practice have been highlighted by recent
 Aliodor Manolea / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 127 (2014) 631 – 635 635

studies: improvements in attention stability (Lutz et al., 2009; MacLean et al., 2010), sustained response inhibition
(Sahdra et al., 2011), information processing efficiency (van Vugt & Jha, 2011) and alerting (Jha et al., 2007). All
these effects obtained during the session of 10 days meditation, demonstrates the potential of meditation as
emotional regulation used as a coping strategy.

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http://www.aura.net/flash_e/index.shtml
http://www.aura.net/education/Questions_Answers2.pdf