The Healing Power of Being Seen: Understanding How Genuine Care Strengthens Human Connection

by Hannah Panidis^1,2

¹Ixxx

²Ixxx

Models of Connectedness

by Maren M. Michaelsen¹ and Tobias Esch¹

¹Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion, School of Medicine, Witten/Herdecke, University, 58455 Witten, Germany

AlphaFold 2: Insights and Future Directions in Psychiatry

by Pascal Büttiker¹, Simon Weissenberger^1,2, Martin Anders¹, Jiri Raboch¹, George B. Stefano¹, and Amira Boukherissa^3,4

¹Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic

 ²Department of Psychology, University of New York in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

³Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), UMR91918, CNRS, CEA, Paris-Saclay University, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

⁴Ecology Systematics Evolution (ESE), CNRS, AgroParisTech, Paris-Saclay University, Orsay, France

Mind-Body Exercise Corner

Mantra meditation

by Anna Illgner¹

¹Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion, School of Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, 58455 Witten, Germany

Description

Mantra meditation is a mind-based relaxation technique whereby the mantra acts as an anchor to maintain focus during meditation. The word "mantra" has a long history in ancient systems such as yoga, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Ayurveda. It is derived from the old Sanskrit and has various meanings as “prayer” or “mystic formula” (Gonda, 1963). In its wider sense we can understand it as “song, chant, or hymn”. Every syllable, word, verse, or phrase can be used as a mantra, though there are many traditional ones. The tone "om," which is a sacred sign and represents the primordial sound of the cosmos, is undoubtedly the most well-known mantra. These days, affirmations and positive phrases and statements are frequently used, such as "I am glad." It is repeated in the same beat, revealing the spiritual power and effectiveness. You can chant it, whisper it, or only say it to yourself (Carrington, 2007).

Mantra meditation can help to deepen relaxation and have beneficial effects on stress, anxiety, hypertension and immunity (Tseng, 2022). It is also helpful for depression therapy (Bringmann et al., 2021), may improve attention, awareness and stress coping (Lynch et al., 2018).

Exercise

You can do mantra meditation almost anywhere. While it is advised to look for a peaceful area and attempt to minimize distractions during this period, it is not required to be sitting in an upright position. To relax and establish a connection with yourself, start by concentrating on your breathing. Next, consider a word, phrase, or syllable that makes you feel good or evokes pleasant feelings. Attempt to establish your rhythm by repeating it multiple times. The mantra can be linked to your breathing. This facilitates understanding the flow.

As with all mindfulness meditations, you simply observe the present moment without passing judgment or setting any particular goals. The practice of meditation is neither "good" nor "bad." You just watch what happens, and when you catch yourself thinking about something else, gently remind yourself to return to your mantra. To finish your meditation, return your focus to your breathing and take one or two deep breaths.

References 

Announcement

Next MBMRC Guest Lecture on August 27^st 15:00h – 16:15h (CET)

We are excited to launch a new lecture series, which will feature distinguished researchers and practitioners presenting current findings and perspectives in MBM.

Join us for the second edition of this digital event series:

Happily, we welcome xx from xx as speaker for MBMRC Guest Lecture, hosted by the Institute of Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion (IGVF).

Title: …

Time: 15:00h – 16:15h (CET)

Room: TBA

Zoom-Link: TBA

The participation will be free of charge. 

Additional dates of the guest lectures are

19^th November 2025

The lecture will be followed by an open Q&A.

The Mind-Body Medicine Research Council (MBMRC)

At the present time, the Council consists of the following members:

Tobias Esch, M.D. (Co-Chair)
George B. Stefano, Ph.D. (Co-Chair)

Maren M. Michaelsen, Dr. rer. oec. Dr. rer. medic. (Project Lead)

Christoph Stückle, M.D.

Pascal Büttiker, M.Sc.

How to become a member of MBMRC

As the MBMRC has been founded in 2022, and due to its dedication to rigorous contributions on the basic research foundations of Mind-Body Medicine, the number of members is yet small. In the future, the council aims to invite outstanding researchers in the field to become MBMRC members. Membership implies no fee.