In an unexpected fusion of Eastern philosophy and Western psychiatry, researchers at Brown University have discovered that a 2,500-year-old Buddhist meditation technique significantly reduces OCD symptoms. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that intensive training in “noting practice” – a form of mindfulness that teaches non-judgmental observation of thoughts – was as effective as gold-standard cognitive behavioral therapy for many OCD patients, with lower relapse rates.
The eight-week trial compared three groups: traditional CBT, noting meditation training, and a control group. While both treatment groups showed similar immediate improvement (about 60% symptom reduction), the meditation group maintained gains better at six-month follow-up. “Where CBT teaches patients to challenge irrational thoughts, noting teaches them to let thoughts come and go without engagement,” explains lead researcher Dr. Alicia Thompson. “This appears to disrupt the obsessive-compulsive cycle more fundamentally.”
Noting practice involves mentally “labeling” thoughts and sensations (“fear is present,” “tightness in chest”) without analysis or reaction. OCD patients typically train first with neutral stimuli before applying the technique to triggering thoughts. “It’s profoundly counterintuitive for OCD sufferers,” says meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein, who consulted on the study. “Their whole pattern is to obsessively engage with thoughts. Noting builds the muscle of non-engagement.”
Participants reported unexpected benefits beyond symptom reduction. “I didn’t just manage my OCD – I changed my relationship to my mind,” shares study participant David K., who had struggled with checking compulsions for decades. The approach appears particularly helpful for “pure O” OCD (obsessions without visible compulsions), which often responds poorly to traditional therapies.
Several academic medical centers are now incorporating noting meditation into their OCD programs. Researchers caution it requires skilled instruction and isn’t a quick fix – participants meditated 90 minutes daily during the trial. But for many, the promise of lasting change is worth the effort. As Thompson notes, “We’re rediscovering ancient wisdom that happens to align remarkably well with modern neuroscience.”
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