The Relaxation Response (1975) and
Beyond the Relaxation Response (1985) by Herbert Benson.
Double feature 😂
I have been interested in the topic of consciousness, meditation/prayer and the physiological effects for quite a while. The two books are based on a couple of decades of scientific studies conducted by Dr. Benson, a Harvard medical doctor and scientist. The author goes at length to explain that his studies should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any particular meditation technique or any religion, and most importantly, no result should be interpreted as leading to substitutes for medicine.
While studying the Fight or Flight response, Benson began wondering if there is an opposite reaction, which he called the Relaxation Response. In the late 1960’s he started studying the possibility of such response on animals, monkeys included. One sunny day, a group of meditators from the Transcendental Meditation showed up in his lab asking to be studied as their claims were outlandish: reduced stress, reduced cholesterol levels, reduced obesity, reduced drug and alcohol dependence and so on. Dr Benson then did the only thing that a good scientist would do: he kicked them out. After a few years, and quite a successful study on animals, those meditators kept coming back, asking to be studied. Finally, and armed with the initial results from animal studies, Benson gave in and began studying those individuals. The results were clear: their claims were all true. Virtually all medical parameters were outstanding, however Benson asked himself if the reason could be that those attracted to meditation are already adjusted their lifestyle. In the following years, Benson kept studying various groups: religious people, meditators, monks, controlled and uncontrolled groups. Every single time the results were leading towards a direction. At that point, other medical centers and universities began their independent investigations and not a single one had differing results. Long story short, Dr Benson proved that the Relaxation Response works as it cuts down the continuous daily stressors that affect everyone. He also verified that while Transcendental Meditation is incredibly effective, that’s not the only way to get similar or identical results. He points out four necessary elements:
- Be in a quiet place, or at least in a place that you find comfortable, and sit down. Don’t lie down.
- Sessions of 20 minutes possibly twice a day.
- Repeat mentally one word/mantra/simple phrase. Here Dr. Benson recommends to attach oneself to something that they firmly believe. It could be a Hindu mantra, an Islam related word, a Catholic Ave Maria, or even a more generic word such as “Love”. It doesn’t need to be spiritual or religious, just meaningful for you.
- Be passive. Meaning that once you catch yourself thinking about other things than the mantra/word, you go back to those.
The results of his studies have been confirmed by many other independent studies.
At the end of his first book and in the second book, Benson analyzes what he calls the faith factor. In other words, he acknowledges that the “great religions” and traditions all have the four elements described above in some of the practices. Does it mean that they already perceive the Relaxation Response as a necessary part of mental well-being? It seems so. He makes various examples, from mala meditation, to rosary, to Islamic daily prayer, chanting and so on. While there are obvious differences in practices, the main concept is and remains the same. So he decided to study one of the biggest traditions and one with some claims that could be considered crazy: Tibetan monks. In his second book he narrates his meetings with the Dalai Lama to gain permission to study Tibetan monks in their hermitages in India, a request that was granted not without some pain. Equipped with scientific machinery and a research team, and as he hiked treacherous territory in Eastern India, he studied several monks before, during, and after their meditation. The research involved rectal thermometers and much more, and weather and environmental changes were closely monitored to make sure they didn’t affect the study. The results were again quite clear: monks could control their body (heartbeat included) and most especially their external body temperature, which in turn affected the environment.
In Benson’s opinion (which precedes social
Media and 24/7 outrage news), Western society has lost the ability to “re-focus” daily, removing the Relaxation Response from our life. He predicted a bad future for our mental health, and I can’t say that he was wrong. He pointed out that even quiet times (such as waiting for something) could work as a soft Relaxation Response, but now even those are gone (and I add, social media and smartphones completely destroyed any possibility of enjoying the quiet, which probably increases overall stress even more).
The books also have an extensive bibliography that can help your research further.
If you’re interested about this topic, here’s a short lecture by the author:
www.npr.org
nealbascomb.com
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
