We are currently recruiting participants for this research study. If you are interested, and have the following conditions:
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Frequent headaches (at least 15 per month)
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Of the headaches, at least 8 or more should be migraine or migraine-like
Men & women 18 years and older are eligible.
(If you do not fit the criteria above, you may still be eligible. Please contact us at the email or phone below.)
About Meditation
The meditation technique teaches one to explore the mind-body phenomenon in great detail, studying it systematically on subtle levels. The emphasis is on understanding the technique, as well as guided practice. Because the meditation teaches one to understand how the mind affects sensations in the body, our interest is in studying the effect of intensive meditation on the sensations of headache and pain. The particular technique we are using is called Vipassana.
Retreat Details
Learning meditation can require a significant amount of personal training to be effective. Some people have more time than others to devote to this type of personal project. Our training begins with a 12 day retreat that helps you get started. The retreat is about a 1 ½ to 2 hour drive from Baltimore. During the retreat you would train for about 10 hours each day. Participants are not expected to have any experience in meditation beforehand.
The first day begins with a seminar that introduces you to the concepts and technique of meditation. Then the group practices meditation (wearing comfortable clothes and seated in a comfortable position) in hour-long blocks while listening to pre-recorded voice guidance. At the close of each day there is another seminar discussing the steps for how to train the next day. After the training, you would practice on your own daily. You would also get together weekly with others to practice meditation for an hour or two. It does not involve religion or any religious practices. It is not inconsistent with any religious beliefs.
Your involvement in the study will last 6 to 12 months. During this time, we will be doing 24 hour monitoring of your heart rate and blood pressure periodically. We will also be doing periodic evaluations of your headaches and general health. Regardless of the effects of Vipassana Meditation on your headaches, you would gain a thorough grounding in how to meditate, as well as learn a tool that some believe is helpful for coping with stress and pain.
The website for Vipassana Meditation (www.dhamma.org) is extensive. Some of the relevant parts you should review before signing up for the study are (click on links below):
2) a short video 2minvideo.mov (which needs QuickTime movie player available for free at QuickTime - be sure to uncheck the "sign-up" items to avoid extra spam)
3) The Code of Discipline and
4) Questions & Answers about the Technique
If you are planning to join our study, DO NOT FILL OUT THE ONLINE APPLICATION on the Vipassana Website. We will do this with you for our specific course. We are making changes to our informed consent form. If you have read over the links above and are interested in participating in the study, please email or call us and we will send you our current version of the informed consent.
Our next retreat is September 24 - October 5, 2008. Food and lodging are provided to the participants. Participants will need to be able to stay at the retreat for the initial 12 day training. During the 12 day retreat, you would miss seven and half working days.
We are currently recruiting participants for this research study. If you are interested, and have the following conditions:
-
Frequent headaches (at least 15 per month)
-
Of the headaches, at least 8 or more should be migraine or migraine-like
