Meditation: Philosophical Foundations and its Role in Managing Common Noncommunicable Diseases

Meditation is a mind-body practice with many methods and variations. Initially practiced for self-realization, meditation has recently been recognized for its health benefits, with modern research exploring its medical applications. Mindfulness and transcendental meditation are the two major meditation types that are widely researched. Globally, the common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory conditions, and type 2 diabetes mellitus account for over 80% of all premature NCD deaths, the majority of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. Common mental problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress have been found to be associated with these NCDs. Meditation is found to be beneficial in addressing psychological correlates and psycho-neuro-endo-immunological mechanisms and improving the quality of life for individuals with NCDs. Several studies discovered the dose-response effects and structural and functional changes in the brain circuits, further strengthening the evidence. The effect size is reported to be small-to-medium (Cohen's d: 0.20-0.79) in the majority of the research studies as most of the randomized controlled trials are limited by small sample size, short duration, heterogeneity of intervention, and high attrition rate. In spite of the existing limitations, clinicians across the continents are encouraged to recommend meditation practices as add-on therapy for consenting people suffering from NCDs to derive the benefits of stress relief, mental health, and mind mastery.