REPORT ON CME ON “SLEEP, CONSCIOUSNESS AND MEDITATION: NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES” 2014

A CME on “Sleep, consciousness and meditation: neurophysiological correlates” was held at MGMC&RI, Pondicherry on 27th November 2014. This event was organized by Department of Physiology and Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research (CYTER), MGMC&RI, Pondicherry. More than 300 medical and paramedical professionals and students as well as Yoga practitioners and enthusiasts took part in the day-long event that updated knowledge of participants in the fields of sleep, consciousness and meditation and introduced them to the practices leading to meditation.

The CME was inaugurated by Prof KR Sethuraman, Vice-Chancellor, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth in the presence of Prof N Ananthakrishnan (Dean PG Studies and research) and Prof S Krishnan, (Dean Administration).

In his inspiring lead talk, Prof KR Sethuraman said, “To an uninformed person, ‘Conscious Sleep’ seems to be a funny oxymoron. However, ‘Yoga Nidra’ or ‘Yogic Sleep’ is a state of deep relaxation in which one leaves the waking state, go past the dreaming state, and enter into the deep sleep state, while remaining fully awake and alert. This state of awareness is extremely beneficial, both for releasing stress, and for the joy of spiritual experiences.” He reminded the audience of work done at the Menninger Foundation in USA in 1971 that provided scientific evidence of the existence of a fourth state of unified, transcendental consciousness, which lies at the transition between sensory and sleep, consciousness. He stressed need for adequate amounts of sleep as also the voluntary control of internal states with therapeutic potential in many fields of human endeavor including integrated healthcare.”

Prof N Ananthakrishnan (Dean PG Studies and Research) felicitated the occasion and stressed on the importance of integrating Indian Systems of Medicine (AYUSH) with modern health care as detailed in the national health plans as well as the necessity of young medicos to be exposed to Yoga as recommended by the MCI. To this extent Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth has set up the SBV AIM HIGH under which the CYTER and CMTER are functioning at MGMCRI. Prof S Krishnan, (Dean Administration) in his presidential address explained the importance of meditation in daily life and wished the event all success.

A practice session on meditation was conducted by Smt. Meena Ramanathan, the Coordinator- cum - Yoga therapist of CYTER and all participants were exposed to various techniques enhancing contemplative aspects when mind is drawn inwards.

In his invited talk on neural correlates of consciousness, Prof Harsha Halahalli from the K.S. Hegde Medical Academy reminded us of the statement by David Chalmers that, “there is nothing that we know more intimately than conscious experience, but there is nothing that is harder to explain.” He discussed different features of consciousness studied in neurobiological research such as the ‘functions’ of consciousness and the phenomenological experience or conscious ‘experience’. He elaborated on the neural correlates of consciousness that are the basic brain systems whose activity correlates directly with the states of conscious experience as this is regarded as a starting point to investigate the harder problems of the neurobiology of conscious experience. He brought to light the newer neuroimaging methods along with neurophysiological approaches that are being used to investigate the NCC of the contents of consciousness.

Prof Ravindra PN from the Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences, Karnataka gave a presentation on the neurophysiological correlates of sleep and meditation. He mentioned that both meditation and sleep bring about a positive regulatory effect on body and mind thereby influencing various physiological functions and behavioral states. Though the mechanisms of sleep and meditation are both through efferent and sensory attenuation thus inducing a state of hypometabolism, however it is a natural and spontaneous phenomenon in sleep, whereas during meditation it is a cognitive skill. Behaviorally, both sleep and meditation appear to be a passive like state, but physiologically they are highly dynamic with multidimensional interactions of neuronal, humoral, autonomic and cognitive mechanisms.

Prof Madanmohan, the Professor and Head, Department of Physiology and Director CYTER of MGMCRI gave an enlightening presentation on the neurophysiological basis of conscious behavior. He explained how the limbic system and hypothalamus influence our behavior and how damage to amygdala results in episodes of limbic rage. There is extensive development of cerebral cortex (encephalization) in human brain and the prefrontal cortex is responsible for discrimination and judgment. Encephalization implies that our innate animal behavior is subject to physiological, psychological and social modulation. Different parts of the brain are inter-related. Human behavior should be modulated by higher brain areas and higher morals and not limited to limbic and animal behavior. “We humans have free will” said he and “hence responsibility.” Practice of desirable behavior needs constant repetition so that the transmission through relevant neural pathways is facilitated. As demonstrated by Pavlov (classical conditioning) and Skinner (operant conditioning), learning involves

repetition. Hence, conscious desirable behavior should be practiced repeatedly so that it becomes an automatic response.

Yogacharya Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, the Deputy Director, CYTER gave a detailed presentation on the therapeutic potential of meditation. He explained how many eastern healing traditions have slowly and steadily percolated the health care system worldwide. This is especially true of mind–body therapies that focus on the health promotive intrinsic connections that exist between the human brain, mind, body, and individual behaviour. This includes techniques of meditation (mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, and others), and the holistic lifestyle of Yoga. He detailed the documented health promoting benefits of mind-body practices on all systems of the human body and concluded that the eastern mind-body techniques seem to affect every cell bringing about better neuro-effector communication, enhancing optimum functioning of all organ-systems while increasing resistance against stress. In fact scientific research in recent times has shown that the physiological, psychological and biochemical effects of Yoga and meditation are of an anti-stress nature thus making them a potent antidote to the omnipresent stress pandemic.

The final session was a special talk by Dr V Ambarish from the M S Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore on meditation and immunomodulation. He stressed on how meditation promotes mind and body relaxation, builds internal energy/life force (prana), develops compassion, love, patience, generosity, forgiveness and enables us to enjoy an indestructible sense of well-being while engaging in daily activity. He highlighted outcomes of a few interesting studies addressing the effect of meditation on immunomodulation. These included those reports on how meditative practices brought about immune changes at both cellular and molecular level.

An open forum with all CME faculties was held before the CME concluded with the valedictory session that honoured members of the Departments of Physiology and CYTER for their active and enthusiastic assistance that made the event a grand success.

The following are the recommendations of the CME:

1. The CME puts on record its appreciation for the visionary efforts of the Chairman, management and authorities of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth for their foresightedness in creating a Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research (CYTER) at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute. This is truly innovative and is applauded by all concerned.

2. Scientific studies provide evidence of the preventive, rehabilitative and complementary role of Yoga and specifically meditation in management of various stress induced, lifestyle disorders and hence it should be introduced in all medical institutions as part of an integrative approach for the benefit of patients.

3. It is desirable that modern medical professionals be exposed to the scientific and therapeutic aspects of Yoga and this may be done by awareness programmes, workshops and seminars.

4. Yoga and meditation should be introduced to undergraduate medical and paramedical students as recommended by MCI and this should be done in the first year itself.

Modern medical advancements provide the rationale for the integration of various traditional healing techniques including Yoga to promote healing, health, and longevity. It is imperative that advances in medicine include the holistic approach of Yoga to face the current challenges in health care. Under the dynamic leadership of Shri MK Rajagopalan, authorities of SBVU had set up CYTER in 2010 and many activities have been going on since then. More than 7000 patients have benefited from a scientifically sound Yoga therapy programme is imparted through the Yoga Therapy OPD that is functioning daily from 9 am to 1pm. Consultations are offered by Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Deputy Director and Mrs Meena Ramanathan, Coordinator and Yoga Therapist and qualified Yoga instructors are imparting the schedules. Individualized and group Yoga therapy sessions are being conducted for various medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, musculoskeletal and psychiatric disorders with excellent feedback from participants. Numerous research studies have been completed under guidance of Dr. Madanmohan, Professor and Head, Department of Physiology and Director CYTER and 30 papers have been published.