Acem Meditation is a
meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...
technique developed in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
since 1966 by the
Acem School of Meditation and is now taught in many countries.
It is non-religious, and its effects are attributed to psychological and physiological mechanisms. It is process-oriented, correct meditation being defined in terms of practice rather than experiences or states of mind. In contrast to many other forms of meditation, it makes no use of
concentration
In chemistry, concentration is the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Several types of mathematical description can be distinguished: '' mass concentration'', '' molar concentration'', '' number concentration'' ...
, but instead allows spontaneous thoughts to come and go during the practice. According to Acem, this increases relaxation effects and stimulates long-term processes of
personal growth
Personal development or self improvement consists of activities that develop a person's capabilities and potential, build human capital, facilitate employability, and enhance quality of life and the realization of dreams and aspirations. Personal ...
.
Technique
Acem Meditation involves the mental repetition of a simple sound, called a ''meditation sound'', a meaningless combination of vowels and consonants which is believed to help mind and body relax and to bring
unconscious
Unconscious may refer to:
Physiology
* Unconsciousness, the lack of consciousness or responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli
Psychology
* Unconscious mind, the mind operating well outside the attention of the conscious mind a ...
material closer to consciousness.
The way the meditator repeats the meditation sound is considered to be of paramount importance: the sound should be repeated with a so-called 'free mental attitude', i.e., in an effortless manner which does not require concentration and which allows thoughts, feelings and other impulses to come and go freely; forgetting the sound from time to time because one is absorbed by spontaneous thoughts is considered a central part of the technique.
In keeping with this emphasis on a free mental attitude, Acem does not recommend any meditation position that strains the
body
Body may refer to:
In science
* Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space
* Body (biology), the physical material of an organism
* Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anima ...
. The meditator should sit comfortably with good support for the lower back.
Meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...
habits vary, but for long-term results 30 minutes twice a day or 45 minutes once a day is recommended.
Acem Meditation offers beginner's courses, courses for established meditators, and retreats with long meditations. These courses emphasise
group dynamics
Group dynamics is a system of behaviors and psychological processes occurring within a social group (''intra''group dynamics), or between social groups ( ''inter''group dynamics). The study of group dynamics can be useful in understanding decision- ...
and encourage discussion of one's practice. Individual or group guidance is seen as a help to increase the effect of meditation, and sometimes provides opportunities for discussion of central life issues, which are believed to be reflected in one's meditative practice.
Long meditations (i.e. meditations of more than an hour) followed by guidance are believed to provide deeper relaxation and increase the potential for personal growth. Most Acem centres arrange meetings with meditations of 1½ to 2 hours. At retreats, the length of time is increased beyond the 3-hour level, and at so-called deepening retreats beyond the 6-hour level.
Research
In recent years, an increasing amount of research has been carried out on the psychological and physiological effects of
meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...
techniques in general and of Acem Meditation in particular.
In his 2004 doctoral thesis from the Faculty of Medicine,
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top univers ...
, Norway, Dr. Erik Ekker Solberg explored the psychobiological effects of Acem Meditation.
One of his studies shows that Acem Meditation reduces heart rate,
blood pressure
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term "blood pressur ...
, and muscular tension. The heart rate reduction is stronger and more stable than at ordinary rest. A slow heart rate is usually considered to indicate
relaxation.
Dr. Solberg's research also suggests that advanced meditators have higher
melatonin
Melatonin is a natural product found in plants and animals. It is primarily known in animals as a hormone released by the pineal gland in the brain at night, and has long been associated with control of the sleep–wake cycle.
In vertebrat ...
levels than non-meditators (though melatonin decreases during long meditation), possibly an effect of long-term relaxation.
In a study of performance under stress, marksmen who had learned Acem Meditation improved their results in competition marksmanship, compared to a control group that did not learn meditation, indicating that Acem Meditation reduces the level of stress in tense and demanding situations.
Another study showed that the meditators had significantly lower blood lactate concentration after physical exercise than the control group, indicating faster recovery.
In a study on the effect of meditation on immune cells, Erik Solberg found that long term practice of meditation may influence absolute
lymphocyte counts at rest. Runners practising meditation had lower lymphocyte counts at rest before the race.
Effects
Relaxation is presented as a basic effect of Acem Meditation. The beneficial effects of the technique on insomnia, concentration problems, headaches and other bodily symptoms, social relations etc. are seen as extensions of the relaxation response elicited by the practice. Acem Meditation is often used as a tool in stress management, and Acem also arranges courses specifically designed to deal with
stress.
For regular practitioners, however, Acem Meditation is typically seen as a method for long-term personal growth rather than just a
relaxation technique
A relaxation technique (also known as relaxation training) is any method, process, procedure, or activity that helps a person to relax; to attain a state of increased calmness; or otherwise reduce levels of pain, anxiety, stress or anger. Relaxa ...
. According to Acem's psychology of meditation, meditation may help the individual to overcome some of the limitations set by his or her personality, leading to a freer frame of mind and a higher degree of receptivity and sensitivity. The same limitations that create problems for the person in his everyday life will also at times influence his meditation practice. For instance, a tense person may repeat the meditation sound too forcefully, while an evasive person may tend to be more passive in his meditation. Adjusting one's meditative practice is seen as a means to overcome such limitations, not only in meditation, but also in everyday life. The most important elements in Acem's psychological understanding of the technique are explained in the book "Inner Strength — the free mental attitude in Acem Meditation".
History
Are Holen Are Holen (born 18 July 1945) is a Norwegian psychiatrist and psychologist, and professor of psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He specializes on stress psychiatry, and has done scientific re ...
learned deep meditation (later called
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of silent mantra meditation advocated by the Transcendental Meditation movement. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created the technique in India in the mid-1950s. Advocates of TM claim that the technique promotes ...
) from
Mahesh Yogi in 1962 and in January 1966 founded the Academic Meditation Society, precursor to the Acem School of Meditation, at the
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top univers ...
. At first, he represented Mahesh Yogi in Norway, but Acem soon distanced itself from the
transcendental meditation
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of silent mantra meditation advocated by the Transcendental Meditation movement. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created the technique in India in the mid-1950s. Advocates of TM claim that the technique promotes ...
movement due to disagreements about methods and ideology.
[Tobjørn Hobbel, "Den fascinerende begynnelsen", ''Dyade'', No 2-3, 2005]
Literature
Inner Strength — the free mental attitude of Acem Meditation, Acem Publishing,
Acem Meditation — an introductory companion, Acem Publishing,
Fighting Stress — Reviews of meditation research, Edited by Svend Davanger, Halvor Eifring and Anne Grete Hersoug,
Psychology of Silence — Perspectives on Acem meditation,
The Power of the Wandering Mind — Nondirective Meditation in Science and Philosophy,
References
{{reflist, 30em
External links
Acem Meditation International 1966 introductions
Meditation
Norwegian inventions