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Welcome to the Cancer and Meditation Discussion Group hosted by HEALL and Dr. Ratan Singh. The groups' purpose is to explore and discuss the role of meditation in the reversal and prevention of cancer - in theory and in practice. #1. The purpose of this list is NOT to treat patients. The choice to make meditation as a supplementary or as a sole or no mode of treatment of cancer will be solely the responsibility of the patient. The list or the list host and the administrator will not be responsible for such a choice of the patient or his/her relative. The patient should reach his/her own decision based on the fullest information possible. #2. The purpose of this list will NOT be to teach meditation online. That will be a serious task requiring careful thinking and individual attention to unique issues. For that purpose, interested persons should send e-mail to the host Ratan Singh, Ph.D who is currently at: ratans@jp1.dot.net.in #3. The purpose of this list is theoretical: To address the conceptual issues, possible philosophical base(s), sorting out of misconceptions on meditation, compare various type of meditation procedures, and discuss health, behavioral, clinical, and psychophysiological aspects of meditation in general and that type of meditation in particular that has been found to reverse terminal stage cancer. It is not the purpose of the discussion group to treat cancer patients. The choice of treatment will be that of the patient himself/herself and will be their sole responsibility including legally. The group,however,will discuss all issues related to meditation and cancer fearlessly. It will explore additional alternative treatment options to cancer and other diseases. I have read the interesting article of Dr.Singh about the Meares technique in EJBCS. Concerning the possibility to learn this meditation approach I would like to ask the following questions: 1) I could imagine if somebody is already familiar with this method he/she can profit from beeing consulted by e-mail but is it possible to learn this method from the ground and to apply it just by reading the books of Meares and beeing consulted? Yes it is possible. In fact,
I believe the "Guru-making" or disciple-making practice I believe is exploitation
of one human by the other. The "Shishya" or disciple is subjugated and
lives in a hypnotized state under the spell of a Guru. But it is true
that all disciples are not suitable. So, they have to be weeded out by
a Guru. But it is possible to learn without physical presence of a Guru.
I am learning from Meares although he is long dead. He has been my Guru
psychologically, which is more powerful a phenomenon than having a physical
Guru. In ancient text, "Eklavya" had "Dronacharyya" as his Guru in imagination.
He used to keep an idol or the Guru and practise the skills in front of
that idol after observing the Guru physically teaching another disciple.
This clearly was a case of well known Observational Learning or Vicarious
Learning. Meares' psychological guru late Shiva Puri Baba never made any
disciple in his lifetime of over 137 years. Meares was experimenting on
teaching this approach in person to groups. Later on he started experimenting
to see if he could teach by means of his books. He has written so, specifically
on page 186 of his book "Relief Without Drugs" Fontana 1970 and tangentially
on page 16 of the same book. If NOT, then some help via e-mails should
do. Of course, underlying psychosis has to be ruled out. 2) is there somewhere a course, where trainees could participate? Not to my knowledge. But former patients of Meares, among them such luminaries as Ian Gawlor (his book: You Can Conquer Cancer) and McKinnon (her book Conquering Fear In Stillness) do organize training workshops in Australia. 3) is it possible to use any
passive relaxation technique e.g. Wolpes method or autogenic training,
or is this approach restricted to a special step by step,relaxation technique
? Good question. Meares' approach
is the passive of all the passive approaches such that it comes very very
close to Zen Buddhist form of mindfullness or Full Mindedness in tune
with the Zen Buddhist poem "Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes
and the grass grows by itself" or the following reply by the Advaita Vedanti
late Shri Raman Maharshi: "Do not meditate- be ! Do not think that you
are- be ! Do not think about being-you are !" Now mind you, Schultz autogenic
training is NOT a passive approach in strict sense. It makes use of autogenic
PHRASES: "My hand is getting heavier and warmer" etc.. This then is clearly
different from Meares'. But Jacobson's PMR in its original form is passive.
Note that Jacobson never asked the patient to feel relaxed or heavy--
thus NO SUGGESTION-- but only asked to note the sensations and feelings
and the difference between tension and relaxation of muscles. He did suggest/direct
to tense and then relax the muscles physically, but used no suggestion
beyond that point going from physical to mental level. Meares in original
sessions, meaning where he was present in person, used very little words.
In fact he developed a non-verbal hypnotic technique. In his method of
relaxing the patients, he used very very less words and did not directly
ask to physicall relax. Here it ties in with my research on mind's influence
on body the data which I have published including some EEG (I can send
to anyone on request in person) and which show that the mind-body barrier
is not crossed if it is done with effort, including the effort of doing
the so-called therapeutic imageries (yes, here I am critical of Simonton's
approach)-- the imageries have to come on their own after you create suitable
condition. I note that the US approach has been aggressive, whereas the
Eastern approach has been passive. In his books (Meditation- a guide to
better living) Meares comes out clearly with his emphasis on Progressive
Muscle Relaxation (PMR) as NECESSARY but not sufficient condition for
mental relaxation or meditation. I hope I have relevantly replied to the
points. More queries are welcome.
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