I thought this book failed on all levels. Benson makes gargantuan claims that Mind-Body healing has been proven scientifically, to such a degree that it is equally as reliable as medicine or even surgery. He makes this claim multiple times, but fails to support it.
First of all, Benson seems to confuse alleviation of pain, with healing. Many of the cases/studies on which his claims are hinged, result in nothing more than the patients/subjects feeling less pain as a result. This is a good thing I suppose, but not only does this do nothing to support the 'healing' claim, but it is also entirely subjective (I picture patients pointing to a happy face chart) and therefore unreliable.
The studies he he uses are flimsy, poorly conducted, and provide only vague, and usually subjective results. They usually have fewer than 20 participants, and for most of them, his Relaxation Method is only one of a collection of variables introduced simultaneously, which does not stop Benson from chalking up any apparent promising results to his method alone. Aside from these studies, he also cites a handful of placebo studies conducted over the last 40 years.
What follows is the entirety of his "scientific evidence" for Mind-Body Healing:
-GENE EXPRESSION: The Crown Jewel of his work, and what most of his exuberant claims are based on, is a study he conducts with only 38 participants divided into two groups. One of average Joes, and one of "experience meditative practitioners." The result: after weeks of undergoing his Relaxation Response method, the group of Joe's saw a change in Gene Expression in genes that are "associated with stress related medical problems," and this change mimicked the gene expression of the experience meditators.
He of course fails to specify whether or not this change in expression actually amounts to anything, or even what effects these genes have on "stress related conditions" be it good or bad. What we're left with is a vague notion that meditation has some kind of an effect on genes that are "associated" with stress related conditions.
-HYPERTENSION: In 1974 (yes, 40 years ago) he conducted an experiment with only 14 subjects, who after undergoing his prescribed meditative methods for 20 weeks experienced an average decrease in blood pressure from 145mm to 135mm.
-HYPERTENSION: In 2008 122 patients were split into two groups. One prescribed diet, exercise, weight loss, and lifestyle modification, while the other received all of the above, plus training in the Relaxation Response method. Both groups' blood pressure readings improved dramatically (fancy that). In regards to the Relaxation Response group, he reports only this: "the rr patients were much more likely to be successful in eliminating antihypertensive medication." What does this mean? No numbers. No stats. Nothing concrete.
-INSOMNIA: In 1993, in a study of 20 participants suffering from insomnia, half educate in sleep hygiene, and half in both sleep hygiene and the Relaxation Response, again, both groups improved dramatically. The average onset of sleep time dropped by about 40-50 minutes for both groups. The only difference being the RR group averaged a quicker average onset of sleep time. 18 minutes instead of 28.
-IMSOMNIA: In another study, this time including 102 participants, 92% percent were able to "eliminate or reduce their use of sleep drugs." That's as specific as he gets. He also mentions that this study also included stimulus control, and behavior techniques, but of course Benson chalks the results up to his relaxation response method.
-IRREGULAR HEARTBEATS: Random. This study using only 11 patients, resulted in another vague report of a "reduced frequency of PVC's in eight of the 11 patients." Reduced frequency? From 1million to seven? From 44 to 43? From 1 to 0? He doesn't specify. Just celebrates another victory for the RR method.
-PMS: A study that showed a 58% improvement in the symptoms of 46 women. Whatever that means.
-INFERTILITY: Ok this is getting odd. 54 women who were infertile for an average of 3.3 years, are taught the RR method, and of course various other methods to alleviate stress in their lives. Within 6 months 34% of them became pregnant. So many problems with this study. Aside from the less than astounding result, there are far too many variables at play to make any kind of correlational tie between the RR and the 34% who became pregnant.
-NITRIC OXIDE??: A random mention, with no studies, statistics, or evidence of any kind provided, that the body's output of Nitric Oxide "a molecule associated with good health" is increased through meditation. Which means what exactly?
-PAIN: The rest of the studies and stories in the book have to do with pain. Most are placebo studies done over the last 40 years, in which the participants reports less pain after various placebo treatments. Which of course in no way supports the case for Mind Body healing, as pain management and healing are two very different things. These studies also assume that patients can articulate their pain levels in a manner both accurate and objective enough to be used as scientific 'evidence.'
-PARKINSON'S: This study had no business in this book. Two groups are subjected to surgery, with one group receiving 'placebo' surgery. The only results are higher scores on 'quality of life' measurements, and unspecific improvement of physical symptoms, by those who believed they had corrective surgery. He then goes on to say "The longer term therapeutic value remains to be established." And yet literally two lines later says this "These results demonstrate the tremendous power of the mind through the mechanism of the belief system. This affinity for exaggeration is present throughout the book.
CANCER: The final study in the book is by far the most poorly conducted, has the most ambiguous results, and yet still makes the grandest assumptions. Using the results from the first study of gene expression, Benson compared gene expressions of the meditation practitioners to those of patients in a "cancer database," and determined that the expression of certain sets of genes "associated with cancer" in the meditation practitioners were "counter" to various gene expressions in cancer patients. He then uses this kernel of possibility as a spring board for making claims that his method could benefit cancer patients, and even prescribes it to a patient of his. The results: his patient "felt less anxious, and his itching symptoms had lessened." Benson then goes on to basically praise himself for opening the door to cancer treatment using meditation.
The rest of the book is a how-to guide for treating the aforementioned conditions and a few others, as well as a "possibilities" chapter. Considering the shakiness of the 'science' I didn't feel the chapter openly advertising itself as hypothetical would hold any weight to it.
Overall I was very disappointed in this book. All I got from it was this: The Relaxation Response has been scientifically proven to maybe, possibly, alleviate some of your pain, after weeks and weeks of daily meditation. And one day, it will cure cancer.
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 28, 2015
