Tag: meditation
More Americans turning to complementary approaches to pain control
The use of of complementary health approaches overall, and for pain management, is growing among US adults.
Wim Hof, the Iceman
Wim Hof, the Iceman, is extraordinarily resistant to extreme cold. His Wim Hof Method (WHM) combines breathing exercises, cold exposure, and meditation. Hyperventilation has been shown to reduce the body's response to inflammation, but Hof's extravagant claims of health benefits are not supported by scientific evidence.
Another Broken Meditation Study
Another study shows meditation does not work, but the authors manage to conclude that it does.
Dr. Seeds’ Chill Pills
Dr. Seeds sells a Chill Pill to treat stress and anxiety. There's no scientific evidence.
Soothing Your Heart: Does practicing self-compassion have physical and mental health benefits?
Does a recent study demonstrate that being kind to yourself has benefits for your mental and physical health?
Can mind-body practices “reprogram” our DNA?
A recent systematic review has been touted as demonstrating that "mind-body" practices like yoga can reprogram our DNA. There are several reasons to doubt these claims, not the least of which is the history of bias in past studies on this topic.
Skeptic’s Guide to Debunking Claims about Telomeres in the Scientific and Pseudoscientific Literature
The New Year starts with telomeres as the trendiest of trendy biomarkers. As seen in Time, telomeres are the means to monitor our well-being so we can protect ourselves from all sorts from threats, including early death. A skeptic needs to do considerable homework in order to muster the evidence needed to counter the latest exaggerated, premature, and outright pseudoscientific claims about...
Is Mindfulness Meditation Science-Based?
Existing research has not yet clearly defined what mindfulness is and what effect it has. The hype clearly has gone beyond the science, and more rigorous research is needed to determine what specific effects there are, if any.