Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious and debilitating condition that arises after experiencing severe trauma. Traditional therapies have been the mainstay of treatment, but complementary approaches, notably meditation, have been making strides in helping individuals cope with the aftermath of traumatic events. Here, we explore the scientific findings on meditation's role in assisting those with PTSD.

Understanding PTSD

PTSD is a condition where individuals repeatedly re-experience traumatic events through flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts. Accompanied by heightened states of arousal and avoidance of trauma reminders, it can severely disrupt a person's life.

Meditation and PTSD: The Science 

1. Mindfulness Meditation: Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment. A study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress found that veterans with PTSD who underwent a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program showed reduced symptoms compared to those who did not (Polusny et al., 2015). 
2. Loving-kindness Meditation: This form of meditation emphasizes compassion towards oneself and others. A research article in the journal Emotion illustrated that practicing loving-kindness meditation resulted in decreased PTSD symptoms and increased positive emotions among trauma survivors (Kearney et al., 2013).
3. Body Scan Meditation: Body scan is a mindfulness practice where individuals mentally scan their bodies, noticing sensations. Research in Depression and Anxiety demonstrated that the body scan practice could reduce the dissociation and emotional numbing symptoms often seen in PTSD (Price et al., 2018).
4. Mantra Meditation: This involves repeating a specific sound or mantra. A study in the Military Medicine journal indicated that veterans with PTSD practicing mantra meditation experienced a significant reduction in symptoms and improved overall quality of life (Nidich et al., 2018).

The Mechanism Behind the Benefit

Neuroscience provides insights into how meditation can aid PTSD recovery. MRI scans have shown that mindfulness meditation can lead to increased connectivity in the brain areas associated with memory and executive control, such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (King et al., 2016). This enhanced connectivity can potentially help PTSD sufferers process traumatic memories more healthily.

Conclusion

While traditional therapies remain essential, meditation offers promising complementary strategies for PTSD sufferers. The empirical evidence suggests that meditation, in its various forms, can help alleviate symptoms and improve the overall well-being of those grappling with trauma's effects. 

References:

- Polusny, M. A., Erbes, C. R., Thuras, P., Moran, A., Lamberty, G. J., Collins, R. C., ... & Lim, K. O. (2015). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Veterans. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 28(4), 267-276.

- Kearney, D. J., Malte, C. A., McManus, C., Martinez, M. E., Felleman, B., & Simpson, T. L. (2013). Loving-kindness meditation for posttraumatic stress disorder: A pilot study. Emotion, 13(4), 545.

- Price, M., Spinazzola, J., Musicaro, R., Turner, J., Suvak, M., Emerson, D., & van der Kolk, B. (2018). Effectiveness of an extended yoga treatment for women with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. Depression and Anxiety, 35(4), 292-300.

- Nidich, S., Mills, P. J., Rainforth, M., Heppner, P., Schneider, R. H., Rosenthal, N. E., ... & Rutledge, T. (2018). Non-trauma-focused meditation versus exposure therapy in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: A randomised controlled trial. Military Medicine, 183(11-12), e431-e440.

- King, A. P., Block, S. R., Sripada, R. K., Rauch, S., Giardino, N., Favorite, T., ... & Liberzon, I. (2016). Altered default mode network (DMN) resting state functional connectivity following a mindfulness-based exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq. Depression and Anxiety, 33(4), 289-299.