Mayo Kelley Raab
Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
J Health Care Chaplain. 2009;16(1-2):53-7. doi: 10.1080/08854720903451055.
Research in neurobiology supports use of spiritual techniques as a beneficial treatment for anxiety. Psychotherapy, including mindfulness CBT and meditation, has been shown to change brain structure. The amygdala-the brain structure responsible for processing emotion and anxiety-demonstrates plasticity, and the purpose of therapy may be to allow the cortex to establish more effective and efficient synaptic links with the amygdala. A main feature of spiritual approaches is changing one's focus of attention. Instead of worry, one focuses on peaceful thoughts, thoughts of helping others, etc. Research demonstrates that thought, meditation, and other manifestations of mind can alter the brain, sometimes in an enduring way. Few studies have addressed the neurobiological underpinnings of meditation. Limited evidence, however, suggests that brain changes occur during prolonged meditation and that meditation activates neural structures involved in attention and control of the autonomic nervous system.
神经生物学研究支持将精神技巧作为治疗焦虑症的有益方法。心理治疗，包括正念认知行为疗法和冥想，已被证明能改变大脑结构。杏仁核——负责处理情绪和焦虑的大脑结构——具有可塑性，治疗的目的可能是让皮层与杏仁核建立更有效率的突触联系。精神疗法的一个主要特点是改变人的注意力焦点。人们不再担忧，而是专注于平静的想法、帮助他人的想法等。研究表明，思想、冥想和其他心理表现形式可以改变大脑，有时这种改变是持久的。很少有研究探讨冥想的神经生物学基础。然而，有限的证据表明，长时间冥想会引起大脑变化，且冥想会激活参与注意力和自主神经系统控制的神经结构。
