David S. Shannahoff-Khalsa

An Introduction to Kundalini Yoga Meditation Techniques That Are Specific for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders

The ancient system of Kundalini yoga includes a vast array of meditation techniques and many were discovered to be specific for treating the psychiatric disorders as we know them today. One such technique was found to be specific for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the fourth most common psychiatric disorder, and the tenth most disabling disorder worldwide. Two published clinical trials are described here for treating OCD using a specific Kundalini yoga protocol. This OCD protocol also includes techniques that are useful for a wide range of anxiety disorders, as well as a technique specific for learning to manage fear, one for tranquilizing an angry mind, one for meeting mental challenges, and one for turning negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Part of that protocol is included here and published in detail elsewhere. In addition, a number of other disorder-specific meditation techniques are included here to help bring these tools to the attention of the medical and scientific community. These techniques are specific for phobias, addictive and substance abuse disorders, major depressive disorders, dyslexia, grief, insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Clinical Case Report: Efficacy of Yogic Techniques in the Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive D Isorders

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of yogic techniques in the treatment of eight adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A specific yogic breathing pattern has been prescribed for the treatment of OCD, as well as others for treating generalized anxiety. A one year course of therapy was followed. Subjects improved on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) comparing baseline with three, six, nine, & 12 month results (one-way ANOVA for repeated measures, F(4,12) = 3.343, p < or = .046). Five patients completed the study (Y-BOCS results were 83%, 79%, 65%, 61% improvement, and one at-18%), group mean improvement of +54%. The Symptoms Checklist-90-R showed significant improvement comparing baseline and 12 months using two-tailed T-tests for OCD (t = 13.856, p < .001), anxiety (t = 3.167, p < .051), and global severity indexes (t = 7.314, p = .005). Perceived Stress Scale scores showed significant improvement for the five test periods (one-way ANOVA for repeated measures, F(4,12) = 9.114, p < or = .001). Five patients were well stabilized on fluoxetine prior to the study, three stopped medication after seven months or less, and two significantly reduced it, one by 25% and the other by 50%. These techniques, merit further study under controlled conditions and could help lead to new approaches for the treatment of OCD and perhaps other impulse control and anxiety-related disorders.

Patient perspectives: Kundalini yoga meditation techniques for psycho-oncology and as potential therapies for cancer.

The ancient system of Kundalini Yoga (KY) includes a vast array of meditation techniques. Some were discovered to be specific for treating psychiatric disorders and others are supposedly beneficial for treating cancers. To date, 2 clinical trials have been conducted for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The first was an open uncontrolled trial and the second a single-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing a KY protocol against the Relaxation Response and Mindfulness Meditation (RRMM) techniques combined. Both trials showed efficacy on all psychological scales using the KY protocol; however, the RCT showed no efficacy on any scale with the RRMM control group. The KY protocol employed an OCD-specific meditation technique combined with other techniques that are individually specific for anxiety, low energy, fear, anger, meeting mental challenges, and turning negative thoughts into positive thoughts. In addition to OCD symptoms, other symptoms, including anxiety and depression, were also significantly reduced. Elements of the KY protocol other than the OCD-specific technique also may have applications for psycho-oncology patients and are described here. Two depression-specific KY techniques are described that also help combat mental fatigue and low energy. A 7-part protocol is described that would be used in KY practice to affect the full spectrum of emotions and distress that complicate a cancer diagnosis. In addition, there are KY techniques that practitioners have used in treating cancer. These techniques have not yet been subjected to formal clinical trials but are described here as potential adjunctive therapies. A case history demonstrating rapid onset of acute relief of intense fear in a terminal breast cancer patient using a KY technique specific for fear is presented. Asecond case history is reported for a surviving male diagnosed in 1988 with terminal prostate cancer who has used KYtherapy long termas part of a self-directed integrative care approach.

Ultradian Sleep Rhythms of Lateral Eeg, Autonomic, and Cardiovascular Activity Are Coupled in Humans

This study compared the dynamics of multiple systems during sleep with earlier results during waking rest. Three consecutive nights of data were collected from three healthy adults for 10 variables: left and right central EEGs; the nasal cycle (NC); beat-to-beat measures of CO, SV, HR, SBP, DBP, MAP, and hemoglobin-oxygen saturation. Time series analysis detected periods at 280–300, 215–275, 165–210, 145–160, 105–140, 70–100, and 40–65 min bins with the greatest spectral power in longer periods. We found significance across subjects with all parameters at 280–300, 105–140 (except left EEG power, left minus right EEG power, and HR), 70- 100, and 40–65 min. Significant periods were reported earlier during waking for the NC, pituitary hormones, cate-cholamines, insulin, and cardiovascular function in five bins at 220–340, 170–215, 115–145, 70–100, and 40–65 min, with 115–145, 70–100, and 40–65 min common across all variables. These results suggest that lateral EEG power during sleep has a common pacemaker (the hypothalamus), or a mutually entrained pacemaker, with the cardiovascular and autonomic nervous systems (ANS), and that the waking ultradians of the neuroendocririe and fuel regulatory hormones may also be coupled to lateral EEG

Ultradian rhythms of alternating cerebral hemispheric EEG dominance are coupled to rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement stage 4 sleep in humans

Objective: To replicate the left minus right (L-R) hemisphere EEG power shifts coupled to rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep observed in 1972 by Goldstein (Physiol Behav (1972) 811), and to characterize the L-R EEG power spectra for total EEG, delta, theta, alpha and beta bands.Background: Ultradian alternating cerebral hemispheric dominance rhythms are observed using EEG during both waking and sleep, and with waking cognition. The question of whether this cerebral rhythm is coupled to the REM-NREM sleep cycle and the basic rest-activity cycle (BRAC) deserves attention.Methods: L-R EEG signals for ten young, normal adult males were converted to powers and the means were normalized, smoothed and subtracted. Sleep hypnograms were compared with L-R EEGs, and spectra were computed for C3, C4 and L-R EEG powers.Results: Significant peaks were found for all C3, C4 and L-R frequency bands at the 280-300, 75-125, 55-70 and 25-50 min bins, with power dominating in the 75-125 min bin. L-R EEG rhythms were observed for all bands. Greater right hemisphere EEG dominance was found during NREM stage 4 sleep, and greater left during REM for total EEG, delta and alpha bands (Chi-squares, P<0.001). Theta was similar, but not significant (P=0.163), and beta was equivocal.Conclusions: Earlier ultradian studies show that lateral EEG and L-R EEG power have a common pacemaker, or a mutually entrained pacemaker with the autonomic, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine and fuel-regulatory hormone systems. These results for L-R EEG coupling to sleep stages and multi-variate relations may present a new perspective for Kleitmans BRAC and for diagnosing variants of pathopsychophysiological states.

Nasal cycle dominance and hallucinations in an adult schizophrenic female

Nasal dominance, at the onset of hallucinations, was studied as a marker of both the lateralized ultradian rhythm of the autonomic nervous system and the tightly coupled ultradian rhythm of alternating cerebral hemispheric dominance in a single case study of a schizophrenic female. Over 1086 days, 145 hallucination episodes occurred with left nostril dominance significantly greater than the right nostril dominant phase of the nasal cycle. A right nostril breathing exercise, that primarily stimulates the left hemisphere, reduces symptoms more quickly for hallucinations.