Charles L. Raison, MD, posted an article on March 8, 2008, at The Psychiatric Times, in which he reported discussions between leading researchers last October on the promise as well as limitations of meditation for the prevention and treatment of major depression. It was noted that His Holiness the Dalai Lama also participated in the day-long symposium titled “Mindfulness, Compassion, and the Treatment of Depression.”

Dr. Helen S. Mayberg reviewed recent findings regarding the neurobiology of depression, focusing on her team’s work with deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the white matter surrounding the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex as a treatment for severe, treatment-resistant major depression. She showed remarkable video footage of rapid and sustained mood improvements brought on by DBS.

However, and the Dalai Lama agreed, Dr. Mayberg also emphasized that when depression reaches a certain degree of severity it may require biological interventions to normalize the brain to a degree sufficient to engage in behavioral strategies such as meditation.

One of the participants, Dr. John Dunne, served to bridge the more established scientific knowledge of depression with the still-nascent field of meditation research by highlighting intriguing similarities between cognitive-behavioral theories of depression and Buddhist understandings of the origin of emotional suffering.

The researchers discussed more about the neural basis for the therapeutic benefits of mindfulness-based practices, as well as the therapeutic potential of meditation practices, and more. Click here to read the full article.