Thai women: Meditation as a way to cope with AIDS

Mental-health professionals often ignore the spirituality and religious bel iefs that can aid a person's ability to cope with a life-threatening illnes s such as HIV/AIDS. As the physical body succumbs to the disease, people wi th HIV/AIDS search for ways to lower their stress, regain control of their health, attain some peace of mind, and hope to prolong their survival. This sense of personal control is important when dealing with chronic or termin al illness. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of meditation in Thai Buddhist women who are infected with HIV/AIDS. Interviews were con ducted with 26 Thai women living in the northern part of Thailand known as Chiang Mai, where the incidence of AIDS is the highest in Southeast Asia. A lthough the scope of this study is limited and not generalizable, it suppor ts the idea that a spiritual approach to healing, in conjunction with conve ntional medical treatment, is a source of great comfort to persons living w ith HIV/AIDS and may influence immune functioning.