The report on Product-based Sales Training Market to 2026 provides a brief analysis of this industry dimensions, sales forecast and regional scope with the business. The Product-based Sales Training report analysis illustrates the challenges and the growth strategies embraced by players as a part of their spectral range with the industry.

The Scope of Global Product-based Sales Training Industry: This report assesses the growth rate and the current market value on the grounds of the market dynamics, in addition to the growth facets. The analysis is based on the Product-based Sales Training market information, growth potentials, and market trends. It contains an in-depth investigation of this sector and scenario, along with the analysis of their leading competitors.

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Product-based Sales Training Market 2019

Competitors Landscape:

Leading Keyplayers Listed in this Report covers their insights upto 2019, some coverage from the competitor covers the following information:

Company Profile Product Information (Product-based Sales Training) Production Information (2013-2019) Development of Product-based Sales Training Manufacturing Technology Analysis of Product-based Sales Training Trends of Product-based Sales Training Contact Information

Scope of the report:

The extensive assessment of real-time data on the business environment offers a more specialized view of threats and challenges companies are likely to face in the years to come. In addition, the unique expertise of the researchers behind the study in strategic growth consulting enables product owners identifies important definition, product classification, and application. Coverage of critical data on investment feasibility, return on investment, demand and supply, import and export, consumption volume and production capability aim at supporting the business owners in multiple growth phases including the initial stages, product development and prioritizing potential geography. All valuable data assessed in the report are presented through charts, tables, and graphic images.

In market segmentation by types of Product-based Sales Training market, the report covers-Type 1, Tpye 2 and so on. Depending upon the Product size, demand and supply, consumption and volume of Product-based Sales Training.

On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each application.

For further granularity, the study digs deep into aspects such as market segmentation, key driving forces, opportunities and threats for the forecast period of 2019-2026. To help business strategist strengthens their strategic planning and executes a plan to maintain and gain a competitive edge the research weighs up on buyer preferences, gross margin, profit and sale across different regions. Strong focus on financial competency, strengths, and weaknesses of the companies and recent acquisition and merger speaks a lot about the future adjacency around the core business due to the on-going development in the Product-based Sales Training market.

The research provides answers to the following key questions:

What will be the growth rate and the market size of the Product-based Sales Training industry for the forecast period 2019-2026?

What are the major driving forces expected to impact the development of the Product-based Sales Training market across different regions?

Who are the major driving forces expected to decide the fate of the industry worldwide?

Who are the prominent market players making a mark in the Product-based Sales Training market with their winning strategies?

Which industry trends are likely to shape the future of the industry during the forecast period 2019-2026?

What are the key barriers and threats believed to hinder the development of the industry?

What are the future opportunities in the Product-based Sales Training market?

The report is distributed over 15 Chapters to display the Research full data of the Global Product-based Sales Training market.

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Product-based Sales Training Market Evolution Analysis and In-depth Research on Market Dynamics and Forecast to 2026 - The Denton Chronicle

Like clockwork, its that time of year again! The now annual 20% off sale has begun. Now technically, its semi-annual since it happens now and in the spring. But I dont think anyones complaining about the chance to buy a brand new just released trainer for 20% off.

No matter what you call it, there are some amaze-balls deals in here. And while my title says almost all trainers and many power meters, the reality is that this applies to boatloads more devices/products too. More about your imagination than anything else, in terms of finding solid deals.

To briefly back up: Historically speaking we see the biggest sports tech sales clustered in two timeframes: November (up to/around Black Friday), and May. Its now November, and were starting to see some companies announce sales. Plus weve seen some Black Friday ads start to appear on the interwebs.

In general, sales fall into two buckets:

A) Retailer driven salesB) Manufacturer driven sales (specified by the manufacturer, but then sold through retailers)

Within the US, manufacturers have to approve virtually all sales, to stay compliant with MAP policies (Minimum Advertised Price). Said MAP concept doesnt exist elsewhere. So in the case of the sales that begin tomorrow, those fall into bucket B above. Whereas everything else in this post falls into bucket A above. Make sense? Good.

UPDATE THESE ARE NOW LIVE: See this post here! This includes the FR945, Edge 1030, Fenix 5 Plus and many more.

In addition to the huge 20% VIP sale below, theres a *huge* pile of wearable and cycling sales that start tomorrow, Friday. I cant post them yet. Buttheyre from multiple brands so hang tight if youre looking for some deals in those realms that arent covered by the below.

In other words, this little section is a placeholder for another 23 hours and 59 minutes.

For many of you, this is actually the much bigger sale. And it only happens twice a year, starting now (today).In this sale, each Clever Training (CT) VIP member will automatically have 20% discounted off a single non-sale item including most trainers.

But its not just power meters and trainers, its almost anything.

With that in mind, there are some incredible deals to be had for trainers and power meters here or other high-value items. Especially new trainers and newly released power meters, even more so going into trainer season. Heres some quick guidance on both categories:

Power Meters: Youve seen all there is to see on new power meter announcements for the year. The next time well see meaningful power meter announcements is usually in April, clustered around Sea Otter (usually for shipping months later). So basically if you want a power meter for the next 6 months or so and want to save 20%, it wont get better than this anytime soon. And honestly, there was almost nothing new in 2019 anyway.

Trainers: This is super simple everything has been announced, and dont expect anything new till at least next summer (likely June or July). And even better is that almost everything is available immediately, save a few last minute stragglers going into the next couple days or weeks. Definitely check out my just published 2019 Trainer Guide here!

The sale is members only, but its simple to get started. If not a member:

1. Go to this page and add theClever Training VIP membership to your cart2. Check-out and use DCR coupon code FREEVIPDCR to waive the fee

Once a VIP member, simply:

1. Pick out the item you want to buy and add to cart (see below list as a starting point)2. Go to checkout to save 20% (a discount will automatically apply to a single item).3. Enjoy gadget!

There are too many deals to list, because obviously thatd be tens of thousands of items that Clever Training carries, even helmets and other sports gear. But you can find all trainers Clever Training carries here on the trainer landing page (its basically everyone). ALL trainers listed qualify for the sale! Yes, all of them!

You can find all power meters Clever Training carries here on their power meter landing page including Stages & Pioneer. Plus another tomorrow.

Im going to call out the most notable ones in the table below:

And, heres a pile of other categories, many of which arent directly sports tech but are things you and I buy just as much. So if you need some shopping inspiration, here ya go:

Main sale landing page (shows all of the categories below):

o Bike Trainerso Power Meterso Cycling Gearo GPS Watches & Fitness Trackerso Running Accessories (theres a lot of mark-down items in here that can still have 20% applied to them)o Sunglasseso Outdoor Gearo Other Sporty Things

And of course, your gadgetry purchase helps support the site here (as all Clever Training purchases do).

The only power meters excluded from this sale are Favero Assioma and Quarq/PowerTap. Those are manufacturer specific choices by those companies. Non-power meter exclusions are GoPro, most non-power meter Garmin stuff, again, also per manufacturer requirement. Finally, the smart bikes are all excluded, as is the Wahoo Desk and ELEMNT/BOLT/ROAM.

Heres what I expect to be a few frequently asked questions:

How many items can I get a discount for?

One item. Just one, and only one.

Is this per household?

No, its one item per member (per human). Thus, if you have multiple unique VIP members in a household, then you can have multiple people. You can sign-up to be a Clever Training VIP member here. I explain more of the details here.

Which brands doesnt it work on?

At this time, its not valid on most non-power meter Garmin stuff (but does work on some things, see list above), GoPro, and Quarq/PowerTap. Also, the Wahoo bike computers (ELEMNT/BOLT/ROAM) and Wahoo Desk are excluded. Finally, the indoor smart bikes are excluded. There are some additional non-tech exclusions listed on CTs site.

What about other things like socks and such?

Actually, a lot of those are included. So if you dont need a new trainer, you can pick upstuff like shoes, clothes, etc

In the cart it says it doesnt work?

Validate that you only have one item in the cart, and that its not one of the above listed items. Also, validate that youre signed in as a CT VIP member.

Do I get VIP points on top of this?

No, since its a large sale item. No double-dipping here.

Are there some fancy details I can read somewhere?

Yes, right here (end of page, some text).

When does this end?

November 24th, 2018 at 11:59PM US Eastern Time. However, Id really stress to get orders in now. Youre a million times better off getting your order in and canceling later if you change your mind, than waiting. This isnt so much a sales pitch, but just word to the wise (be it inventory, etc). Clever has done a good job stocking up (containers worth!) based on what demand looked like last year for this sale, but its always hard to know.

What happens when it ends?

Its over. End of the road. Time to eat turkey for Thanksgiving. Dont do Thanksgiving? Fake it eat Ben and Jerrys Ice Creamor just go straight chocolate.

What about Europeans and CT Europe?

In this case, its a Clever Training USA-specific sale, though per the next item some things can be shipped internationally. In the case of Clever Training UK/Europe, you get 10% off all year round on everything, whereas the US folks get caught up on the whole MAP thing I mentioned earlier on.

Is shipping free?

Yes, US shipping is free as long as your order is over $79. For items that can be shipped internationally, its $29 flat rate. Generally speaking, trainers cant be shipped internationally.

Should I wait for a better deal?

Frankly speaking, for the items in this post, there wont be any better deals this year. Theres never been a case in recent memory where people got trainers or power meters for more than 20% off (aside from accidental small retailers bulk loading sales and then having to undo them).

Typically speaking for the US folks we see Black Friday-specific sales (meaning, just those couple days) as more accessory in nature rather than big ticket items like trainers/power meters. In Europe, you tend to get more selection, but thats because European retailers dont need approval from the device manufacturers like in the US. Whereas within the US, MAP basically means all these sales are pretty much locked and loaded already.

Is this the end of the FAQ section?

Yes.

Phew there ya have it! Go forth and enjoy. And feel free to drop any questions you have down below on recommendations, etc Id be happy to try and help ya out. Thanks for the support!

More here:
Huge Fall Sale: 20% off including trainers, power meters, watches and more - DC Rainmaker

image via shutterstock.

Higi partnered with the American Diabetes Association.The consumer health engagement company is working to make it easier for people to measure, track and act on their health data. In partnership with the ADA, the company is offering free self-service type-2 diabetes risk assessments at Higi Health Stations to combat undiagnosed prediabetes and diabetes. [Press Release]

Showpad expanded its partner program. Showpads sales enablement platform is used by marketing and sales teams to prepare sellers, engage buyers, and optimize performance. Its partner program helps to givetheir customers access to sales training courses and best practices within the platform. [PRWeb]

Groupon announced Q3 results. For the full year of 2019, the company continues to expect an adjusted EBITDA of about $270M, with the third quarter EBITDA at $50M. [Press Release]

MeTime launched its on-demand childcare platform. The local startup created the web-based platform so parents can find and book drop in childcare in the Chicago and Northwest Indiana region. Parents can search for childcare on an interactive map. [Press Release]

VillageMD partnered with Zero Waste Chicago. The primary care provider will work with Zero Waste Chicago, which helps clients develop and meet sustainability goals. Together, they aim to create a zero-waste corporate environment. [Press Release]

Centro appointed anew CFO. Centro, a global provider of advertising tech, brought on Colleen Healy, who has spent most of her career in enterprise-class software and services. [Centro]

Infutor acquired Dunn Data Company. Infutor, a consumer identity management company, has acquired the marketing intelligence provider Dunn Data Company. Dunns data sets will enrich Infutors extensive TruthSet Identity Graph. [Press Release]

Women In Tech award winners announced. Women Tech Founders, an organization dedicated to advancing women in tech, narrowed down 65 finalists across 14 awards categories. More than eight different countries were represented among the finalists. [Press Release]

See more here:
Weekly Refresh: Groupon Announced Q3 Results and Higi Partnered with the ADA - Built In Chicago

A civil flight simulator recreates the aircraft flight environment and various aspects of flight artificially for pilot training purposes on civil and military aircraft. There are two types of training: initial training for new pilots and recurrent training for existing pilots. Flight simulators cover simulation in the aircraft, environment, and cueing.

Access Report Details at: https://www.themarketreports.com/report/global-civil-aerospace-simulation-and-training-market-by-manufacturers-countries-type-and-application-forecast

Market share of global Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training industry is dominate by companies like Cae, Flightsafety International, L-3 Link Simulation & Training, St. Jude Medical, Rockwell Collins, Thales, Airbus, Eca, Frasca International, Lockheed Martin, Simcom Aviation Training and others which are profiled in this report as well in terms of Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2017-2018).

With the help of 15 chapters spread over 100 pages this report describe Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, and market driving force. Later it provide top manufacturers sales, revenue, and price of Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training, in 2017 and 2018 followed by regional and country wise analysis of sales, revenue and market share. Added to above, the important forecasting information by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue from 2019 to 2024 is provided in this research report. At last information about Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, and research findings completes the global Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training market research report.

Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers:

North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)

Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, etc.)

Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

Market Segment by Type, covers:

Fixed-Wing

Rotary-Wing

Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into

Manoeuvre

Defense

Purchase this premium research report at: https://www.themarketreports.com/report/buy-now/1490989

Table of Contents

1 Market Overview

2 Manufacturers Profiles

3 Global Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training Market Competitions, by Manufacturer

4 Global Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training Market Analysis by Regions

5 North America Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training by Countries

6 Europe Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training by Countries

7 Asia-Pacific Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training by Countries

8 South America Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training by Countries

9 Middle East and Africa Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training by Countries

10 Global Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training Market Segment by Type

11 Global Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training Market Segment by Application

12 Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training Market Forecast (2019-2024)

13 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers

14 Research Findings and Conclusion

15 Appendix

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Global Civil Aerospace Simulation and Training Market Research: Key Companies Profile with Sales, Revenue, Price and Competitive Situation Analysis -...

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Retired Army 1st Sgt. Antwon Davis spent two decades protecting and defending his country, but when he left the service, Davis faced the challenge of finding a new career that would safeguard his future and that of his family.

Starting a new career after military service can be trying, said Davis, whose stellar military tenure included a deployment to Kuwait for Operation Iraqi Freedom. GEICO was a champion for me in helping me find my next career.

Davis began GEICOs Veteran IT Transition Program in March. Launched in 2015, the program combines 12 months of classroom work, mentoring and real-world experience to transform military veterans into full-time GEICO IT analysts. Veterans are paid and receive benefits during training.

The program had been based solely at GEICO corporate headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland, but next year, it is expanding to the companys regional office in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a city with a strong military and veteran presence. Veterans who are interested, can learn more or apply here.

Those who have served in the military have unique talents and skills, GEICO Manager of IT Talent and Leadership Development Missy Clark said. GEICO believes in this program. We believe our commitment to supporting veterans onboarding, training and development will build long-term employment and growth opportunities that will be beneficial to veterans and GEICO.

Although Davis is still in the training phase of the program, he is already fully immersed in his job as a GEICO IT software analyst. After completing training in coding, spreadsheets, pivot tables and other tools essential to his job, Davis now works to fix and prevent bugs on GEICO websites.

Much like the military, we support one another as a team, Davis said of his fellow IT associates. We feel a sense of accomplishment when we solve issues and create solutions.

Veteran IT Transition Program applicants do not need previous tech experience or a college degree. Clark said what the program does seek is veterans who are results-oriented, adaptable and self-reliant.

We look for demonstrated leadership, a willingness to learn and demonstrated growth while in the military, she said.

The inaugural Virginia Beach Veteran IT Transition Program begins in early 2020. Applications are being accepted now.

About GEICO

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company), the second-largest auto insurer in the U.S., was founded in 1936 and insures more than 28 million vehicles. For more than 80 years, the company has worked to make peoples lives better by protecting policyholders against unexpected events. As GEICO has grown, it has delivered money-saving coverage and outstanding customer service to policyholders through its investment in human resources and technology. GEICO is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies.

Homeowners, renters, condo, flood, identity theft and term life coverage are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Commercial auto and personal umbrella coverages are also available.

GEICO has a national workforce of 40,000 associates. GEICO sales representatives throughout the country are licensed insurance agents in order to help guide customers through coverage decisions. To make changes, report claims, print insurance cards and/or purchase additional products, policyholders can access their insurance policy here, connect via GEICO Mobile or by phone. Sales and service is also available at GEICO Local Offices.

Visit http://www.geico.com for a quote or to learn more.

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GEICO Program That Turns Military Vets Into IT Analysts Expanding to Virginia Beach - Business Wire

In December 1978, a bizarre theater company headed by an actress from the Slaughterhouse-Five film was run out of San Francisco.

Members of Sharon Gans so-called Theater of All Possibilities had come forward to claim they were pressured into arranged marriages, beaten if they didnt sell tickets and had gone broke paying for classes while Gans and her husband lived in a tony home in the posh neighborhood of Pacific Heights.

With the police asking questions and the ex-members claims splashed across the pages of local papers, the actress and her theater group closed up shop and seemingly disappeared from public view.

But they never really went away.

A new group sprang up in the 1980s in New York under the name Odyssey Study Group and has been operating here quietly ever since still led by the washed-up actress, now 84, who reigns from an $8.5 million apartment at Manhattans Plaza Hotel that was mostly paid for by devotees, according to public records.

A dozen former members have spoken to The Post telling stories similar to those shared more than four decades ago, including claims that they forked over huge sums to Odyssey while being emotionally abused and exploited.

In my 30 years of working in this field, this is one of the most secretive groups Ive encountered, said cult expert Rick Ross, a key witness in the recent Brooklyn trial of upstate sex cult Nxivm who tried unsuccessfully to stage an intervention for a member in the early 2000s.

After San Francisco, everything was hush-hush.

Hot on the heels of her role in the 1972 film version of Kurt Vonneguts sci-fi novel, Gans fell in love with Alex Horn, a playwright and mystic who ran a fledgling theater in the Golden Gate Citys Mission District, and moved from New York to San Francisco, according to divorce proceedings from her first husband.

Their acolytes became known in the neighborhood for aggressive panhandling stopping passersby and begging them to buy tickets to the shows that were mocked by local theater critics as punishing, the San Francisco Chronicle reported at the time.

Inside the theater, members alleged to the paper they were invited to join a class that could help them improve their lives but were instead brainwashed, beaten and told to sell hundreds of tickets that enriched Gans and Horn.

The group denied doing anything illegal, immoral or dangerous but the couple closed up shop and left town.

They eventually resurfaced in Manhattan in the 1980s, starting a new group with the Odyssey name, real estate deeds and court documents show. When Horn died in 2007 at the age of 78, Gans took the throne, former members said.

Today, Odyssey is headquartered in a fourth-floor loft space in the Garment District. There is a smaller branch in Boston, Mass., where at least another hundred members have passed through over the years, according to former devotees.

Its unclear how many have joined Odyssey since the 1980s, but ex-students estimate the group has had up to 250 members at any given time over the past 30 years.

Members continue to recruit unwitting New Yorkers cultivating friendships with strangers in coffee shops, supermarket lines and other public spaces before inviting them to a philosophy group or acting class, according to former students involved in the recruitment process.

Esther Friedman, 54, says she was recruited when another member struck up a conversation with her in the checkout line at a Whole Foods in Cambridge, Mass., in 2006 and invited her to meet a group of friends. It all seemed aboveboard.

This is not a group where you live in a compound, said Friedman, a mental health counselor who left Odyssey in 2011. This is not one of those cookie-cutter images of living in a cult.

Members meet twice a week to study the teachings of philosophers George Ivanovich Gurdjieff and his protege P.D. Ouspensky, who believe that the path to self-development involves labor and intentional suffering.

In their pursuit of enlightenment, ex-students say, they were told to recruit others up to 50 people a week, according to one follower who quit in April this year and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Spencer Schneider, a Big Apple attorney who left the group in 2013 after nearly two decades, says Gans asked students to divulge their greatest weaknesses and insecurities to the class and then verbally assaulted and berated them.

Students are also forbidden from discussing their participation with anyone, including their spouses, and are warned not to use the internet, former acolytes said.

Sleep deprivation and hard labor are cornerstones of Odysseys teachings.

Former students recalled working on the organizations 19-acre property in upstate Pawling in the 1990s and 2000s staying awake for 24-hour periods to build large lodges under the guise of doing Gurdjieffs advanced work.

We would pretty much work around the clock the whole weekend for 48 hours and I was probably working 100 hours a week, said member Don Raskopf, 61, who lived on the Pawling estate as a supervisor with his wife and two children in the 1990s.After about six months of that, I learned I had a psychotic break just from the stress.

Each summer, the highest-ranking Odyssey members would do the same at the Gans family ranch in Montana, according to Schneider, who said students coughed up thousands of dollars to go to the property between the 1980s and 2000s.

He likened the abuse to Nxivms ritual of branding female members with leader Keith Ranieres initials a bizarre practice in the group exposed during Ranieres trial.

Sure, my genitals dont have Sharons initials on it, but my brain, my psyche has Sharon imprinted on it, Schneider said.

The Pawling estate was purchased by the nonprofit organization Hudson Valley Artists Foundation Inc. in 1998 and sold in 2004 for $1.4 million, according to public records.

The group thrived on wealthier devotees. A small group of deep-pocketed members poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the foundation from 1997 to 2007, according to tax filings obtained by The Post.

Members say they were also expected to pay monthly dues ranging from $100 to $400 making the checks out to OSG, according to documents obtained by The Post.

Meanwhile, the money and hard work were flowing into Gans pockets, according to Schneider and Raskopf, who said students labored on the apartments, condos and ranches that Gans later sold for big sums.

Shes a multimillionaire, said Raskopf. It comes from profit on flipping real estate built by students and from fees.

Gans purchased a villa in Mexico City in 2004 paying $310,000 before selling it to a student for $754,000 just four years later, according to public records.

Robert Klein who listed himself as the manager of OSG LLC, a study group associated with Odyssey, on tax documents transferred a three-bedroom West Village condo he owned to Gans in 2006, the records show.

Gans then sold the condo for $3.1 million in 2010, according to public records.

And one wealthy hedge-fund investor poured $3.2 million into Gans Plaza Hotel abode in 2008, according to a deposition in a 2014 upstate lawsuit he filed against another member. He said she kicked in $2 million of her own money, while Klein and two others named as followers in the Chronicle investigation paid for the rest, he said.

The sprawling, 2,100-square-foot apartment ultimately was purchased for $8.5 million, according to the deed. According to Schneider, the luxurious pad is decorated with bold colors, strewn with replicas of Renaissance art and has a stunning view of Central Park South.

But money grabbing and hard labor arent the most disturbing allegations leveled at Odyssey.

In a 2012 legal spat between two members, ex-member Charles Ward claimed the group had been accused of sexual predation, child abuse, racism, anti-homosexual behavior, illegal adoption, financial chicanery, coerced labor, sustained emotional cruelty, and the systematic looting of members wealth and that he had personally witnessed some of that alleged behavior.

Ward called it a cult.

I was, and the plaintiff still is, a member of a cult known as the Gans Group, said Ward, a member from 1988 to 2009.

In 2015, Gans own son, David Kulko, left the group and sued his siblings in an effort to dissolve the corporation that owned the Montana ranch.

Kulko said in Montana Supreme Court papers that after he left the cult in 2000, his family cut him out of the business and kicked him off the ranch that they used to support, finance, and shelter the operations of the Odyssey Study Group.

Many former members who spoke to The Post say they experienced severe PTSD, depression or even suicidal thoughts after leaving Odyssey.

It was like this world was opened to you and then it was suddenly ripped away, recalls actress Betsy Winslow, 56, who fled Odyssey 29 years ago.

For me, I think having a community is one of the biggest things, another member of 19 years confessed. I think its a part of the modern condition. We are lonely. I think we are all really lonely.

For Friedman, part of her recovery is talking about the group.

The more honest I am, the less power they have. Thats the trick of it, she said.

Reached several times by phone, Gans said shed never heard of Odyssey Study Group.

On one call, a woman who answered as Sharon later denied she was Sharon Gans and then hung up.

Repeated attempts to reach Robert Klein were unsuccessful.

Excerpt from:
Inside the alleged 'cult' that has been quietly operating in NY for decades - New York Post

It takes just 20 minutes of calmly staying in the present moment to change the brain and boost a persons response to mistakes, one of the biggest studies of meditation so far has found.

But its not focusing on the breath the kind of mindfulness practice most people are familiar with but a different type of meditation that really made a difference.

Meditative practice like this is probably a persons best bet to improve cognitive performance, co-author Jason Moser, an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University, told TODAY.

It could possibly boost peoples attention and help them minimize mistakes down the road, added lead author Jeff Lin, an MSU psychology doctoral candidate.

The chance of us making a similar mistake in the future is largely predicated on our ability to recognize our errors in the present, Lin said.

Its not unreasonable to think that maybe with prolonged meditation practice, it would actually help us be less error-prone in daily life.

As people go on about their daily lives, their brains are constantly keeping track of their actions so that they can get through the day without making mistakes, hurting themselves and ultimately dying, Moser said.

Trending stories,celebrity news and all the best of TODAY.

This system is monitoring basic things like: Did you grab the right keys? Are you walking in the right direction? Did you make the right turn at the traffic lights? The brain is trying to make sure our actions are giving us the results we want.

When people make a mistake, theres a surge of electrical activity in middle front part of brain about half a second afterwards. Its basically the mind recognizing, Hey, I have made a mistake.

That brain wave is really indexing how conscious you are of your mistake how much youre really making sense of it and using that information going forward, Moser said.

It turned out 20 minutes of meditation boosted this signal, indicating people were registering their mistakes more deeply, paying more attention to them and recognizing what they were, he noted.

The study, recently published in Brain Sciences, involved open monitoring meditation described as taking notice of present-moment feelings, thoughts, and physical sensations in an open, nonjudgmental manner.

Rather than focusing on the breath, participants were encouraged to be completely open and aware of any sensations and experiences they were having at that moment.

To understand how this practice would impact a persons ability to respond to mistakes, 206 women all meditation novices who hadnt done the practice before were randomly assigned to one of two groups:

Afterwards, both groups performed a simple computerized test designed to measure their ability to pay attention and deal with distractions. When people do this 500 times, they're bound to make mistakes, Lin said.

As they took the distraction test, all of the participants wore caps that measured the electrical activity in their brains.

The results showed women who went through the meditation had a stronger error detection signal in their brains than the other participants. It was remarkable to see a measurable effect on brain processing after only a one 20-minute session of meditation, Moser said. The results would likely apply to men, too, he added.

The researchers dont know how long the effect lasts, but said a consistent practice perhaps every day is probably a good idea.

Being "mindful" can be an abstract concept for people, so a guided practice may be a better way to go, Moser said.

Try out a free meditation app, or follow this link for the exact same open monitoring meditation session the study participants listened to.

Give it a shot, Moser said. You can at least feel good that the immediate impact of it will be positive your brain will be processing and paying more attention to things.

A. Pawlowski is a TODAY contributing editor focusing on health news and features. Previously, she was a writer, producer and editor at CNN.

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Meditation benefits: This practice may help you respond better to mistakes - TODAY

On days when you feel spacey, forgetful or tired at work, taking a 20-minute break to meditate could help you pay closer attention to tasks and ultimately make fewer mistakes, according to a new study out of Michigan State University.

Lots of successful people, from billionaire Ray Dalio to Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey, swear by daily meditation. But in this new study, researchers found that listening to a guided meditation for just 20 minutes is enough to make an impact even if you've never meditated before.

For the experiment, 212 undergraduate college students with no meditation experience followed along with a guided meditation recorded by Steven Hickman, a licensed clinical psychologist and the founding director of the University of California San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The meditation instructed participants to notice the feelings, thoughts and physical sensations that arose in the moment and take note of them without judgement.

After meditating, participants completed a quiz on a computer that was intended to distract them and test their concentration. Throughout the experiment, participants were wearing electroencephalography (EEG) sensors, so researchers could measure their brain waves.

Researchers were looking for a specific neural signal that fires a half-second after you make a mistake, called "error positivity." They found that the strength of the "mistake" signal was stronger in people who had meditated, meaning they were able to recognize and correct their slip-ups.

"It makes us feel more confident in what mindfulness meditation might really be capable of for performance and daily functioning right there in the moment," Jason Moser, co-study author said in a press release.

The specific meditation that the participants listened to is also unique. Unlike other meditation styles, such as mindfulness meditation, which have you pay attention to your breath, this type coaches you to pay close attention to everything going on in your body and mind, including your thoughts, Jeff Lin, co-author explained in a press release. "The goal is to sit quietly and pay close attention to where the mind travels without getting too caught up in the scenery," he said.

Listen to the meditation below and see if you feel sharper:

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Science says listening to this meditation can help you make fewer mistakes - CNBC

To deal with chronic pain, Pamela Bobb's morning routine now includes stretching and meditation at home in Fairfield Glade, Tenn. Bobb says this mind-body awareness intervention has greatly reduced the amount of painkiller she needs. Jessica Tezak for NPR hide caption

To deal with chronic pain, Pamela Bobb's morning routine now includes stretching and meditation at home in Fairfield Glade, Tenn. Bobb says this mind-body awareness intervention has greatly reduced the amount of painkiller she needs.

There's new evidence that mind-body interventions can help reduce pain in people who have been taking prescription opioids and lead to reductions in the drug's dose.

In a study published this month in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers reviewed evidence from 60 studies that included about 6,400 participants. They evaluated a range of strategies, including meditation, guided imagery, hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy.

"Mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy and clinical hypnosis appear to be the most useful for reducing pain," says study author Eric Garland, a professor at the University of Utah. The reductions in dose were modest overall, he says, but the study is a signal that this approach is beneficial.

And Pamela Bobb, who lives in Fairfield Glade, Tenn., can attest to the benefits. She's 56 and has endured decades of pain. "Oh, I had been suffering terribly for years," Bobb tells us.

Bobb was born with a malformation in her pelvis that led to pain. Over the span of two decades, she underwent more than a dozen major surgeries, yet none offered relief. "When you get to that point, you can't see beyond the pain," Bobb says. "You're just surviving." Jessica Tezak for NPR hide caption

Bobb was born with a malformation in her pelvis that led to pain. Over the span of two decades, she underwent more than a dozen major surgeries, yet none offered relief. "When you get to that point, you can't see beyond the pain," Bobb says. "You're just surviving."

She was born with a malformation in her pelvis that led to pain. Over the span of two decades, she underwent more than a dozen major surgeries, yet none of them gave her relief; each procedure left more scar tissue and nerve damage.

"I felt desperate, " Bobb says. "I didn't feel like I had any control."

She couldn't do basic things such as cook or take care of her family.

"I was completely debilitated," Bobb says. "And when you get to that point, you can't see beyond the pain you're just surviving."

She was put on high doses of opioids to ease the constant pain, but then a few years ago she thought, "There just has to be a better way." Ultimately, she found help at a clinic that specializes in complementary and alternative medicine.

"We offer a variety of things, explains Wayne Jonas, a physician who treated Bobb at the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Pain Clinic in Fairfax County, Va.

"We offer physical therapy, behavioral medicine, acupuncture, yoga and mind body practices," Jonas says. None of these is a cure-all, he adds, but the idea is that there are lots of tools in the toolkit for people to try.

Jonas is a longtime proponent of an integrated, mind-body approach to treating pain and the author of How Healing Works, a book that describes the science behind these approaches.

He says that when someone is in severe pain, their body's normal defenses are down.

Pamela Bobb harvests some mint from her indoor herb and lemon garden at her home in Fairfield Glade, Tenn. Changes in her diet lots more greens, fruits, vegetables and herbs and spices that reduce inflammation are also part of her pain-reduction routine. Jessica Tezak for NPR hide caption

Pamela Bobb harvests some mint from her indoor herb and lemon garden at her home in Fairfield Glade, Tenn. Changes in her diet lots more greens, fruits, vegetables and herbs and spices that reduce inflammation are also part of her pain-reduction routine.

"It bumps up a variety of dysfunctions," Jonas says. Pain increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increases inflammatory processes in the body, too. "This starts a continual negative feedback loop that produces more pain," Jonas explains.

It's not a surprise, he says, that techniques such as meditation or yoga can be helpful. "If you engage in a deep mindfulness and relaxation it will counter those stress responses," Jonas says.

Think of meditation as a form of mental exercise.

"It's almost like weightlifting for your brain," says Garland. Just as curling a dumbbell strengthens the bicep, he says, "meditation is almost a way of, sort of curling the dumbbell of the mind to strengthen the mind's self control."

And this can change the way the brain perceives the input from the body. "If you can change the way the brain perceives signals from the body you can actually change the experience of pain," Garland says.

But there's a trick here: Learning to meditate takes time, effort and some training. It's more complicated than swallowing a pill. Pamela Bobb has stuck with it. She has tried a bunch of these alternative mind-body strategies, including acupuncture and biofeedback, and now starts every morning with a meditation practice.

"It's 4:45 in the morning and I've just awakened," she says in a recording she made of her practice, so I could listen in. She sounds centered, and calm. "I'm allowing my body to feel as relaxed as it possibly can."

After several surgeries were unable to alleviate her pain, Bobb couldn't do basic things such as cook or take care of her family, she says. "I was completely debilitated." Incorporating mind-body techniques have completely changed that, she says. Jessica Tezak for NPR hide caption

After several surgeries were unable to alleviate her pain, Bobb couldn't do basic things such as cook or take care of her family, she says. "I was completely debilitated." Incorporating mind-body techniques have completely changed that, she says.

Bobb has also overhauled her diet, now eating a lot more greens, fruits and vegetables and herbs and spices with anti-inflammatory properties. On the day we talk, she's making a spinach saute with ginger, mint and rosemary.

"I swear you can smell each of those spices. They smell so good!" she says.

Bobb is so at ease now that, just hanging out with her, you'd never guess all that she has endured. And she feels so much better, she says.

"It's empowering to [have] come all this way," Bobb says. She says she's made a fundamental transition in her mind: Instead of waiting for doctors to heal her with surgeries or injections, she now realizes that many of these alternative therapies have empowered her to help herself.

Pamela Bobb still takes medicine to help manage her pain and other health issues, but she cites meditation as key to helping her reduce the opioid dose to 25% of the amount she once took. Jessica Tezak for NPR hide caption

Pamela Bobb still takes medicine to help manage her pain and other health issues, but she cites meditation as key to helping her reduce the opioid dose to 25% of the amount she once took.

"So much of it does lie within me," she says.

Bobb accepts that she may never be completely pain-free, but now feels she has control over the discomfort.

She has reduced her opioid dose by 75%. She says she still benefits from a small maintenance dose of the medication. And her doctors say that for her, the benefits of the medicine outweigh potential harms.

In the midst of an opioid epidemic, Bobb's story may seem unlikely. But many people who have taken opioids for a prolonged period have similar stories. And last month, the Department of Health and Human Services released new guidelines urging doctors to take a deliberate approach to lowering doses of opioids for chronic pain patients.

The guidelines point to the potential harms of forcing patients off the medications.

"The goal is not necessarily to get off of all opioids but to reduce it to a dose [that is] safe," Adm. Brett P. Giroir, a physician and assistant secretary for health at HHS, told NPR. We asked him about Bobb's case. He is not her doctor, but after hearing her story he said, "The fact that she's been able to reduce her opioids substantially is a success story."

Giroir says this kind of comprehensive approach that includes alternative therapies "could be a model for what we want to do nationwide." He points out that earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed covering acupuncture for Medicare patients who have chronic lower back pain.

Bobb massages her feet with sweet-smelling lavender oil another part of her morning routine. Successfully mitigating long-term pain, she finds, takes all of the tools in the toolkit. Jessica Tezak for NPR hide caption

Bobb massages her feet with sweet-smelling lavender oil another part of her morning routine. Successfully mitigating long-term pain, she finds, takes all of the tools in the toolkit.

As the evidence accumulates, Giroir says, there will be more attention placed on covering alternative therapies.

A 2017 Gallup Poll found that 78% of people would prefer to try other ways to address their physical pain before they take pain medication.

And doctors groups such as the American College of Physicians recommend that doctors offer more nonpharmacological treatments to pain patients, such as those who have chronic lower back pain.

Yet, a paper published last year finds that most insurers have not adopted policies that are consistent with these guidelines, and many don't pay for coverage of these services. An accompanying editorial argues that it's time for that to change.

It's clear that when it comes to tackling pain, it takes all of the tools in the toolkit. And when it comes to opioids, the approach needn't be all or nothing. Bobb says she has learned that, for her, the combination of medicine plus mind-body therapies works best.

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Chronic Pain Eased With Meditation And Lower Doses Of Opioids : Shots - Health News - NPR

In todays stressful world, mindfulnessa type of popular spirituality that strives to focus on the present momentpromises to soothe away the anxiety and stress of modern life. The internet is full of popular cure-all mindfulness apps targeting everyone from busy urban professionals to dieters, those suffering from insomnia, and even children.

We are scholars of Buddhism who specialize in social media research. In August of 2019, we searched on Apples App Store and Google Play and found over 500 apps associated with Buddhism. The majority of the apps centered on the practice of mindfulness.

Do these apps truly promote Buddhist ideals or are they a product of a lucrative consumer industry?

As it is practiced in the U.S. today, mindfulness meditation focuses on being intensely aware, without any sort of judgment, of what one is sensing and feeling in the given moment. Mindfulness practice has been shown to counter the tendency in many of us to spend too much time planning and problem solving, which can be stressful.

Mindfulness practices, as pursued by the Buddhist apps, involve guided meditation, breathing exercises and other forms of relaxation. Clinical tests show that mindfulness relieves stress, anxiety, pain, depression, insomnia, and hypertension. However, there have been few studies of mindfulness apps.

The current popular understanding of mindfulness is derived from the Buddhist concept of sati, which describes being aware of ones body, feelings, and other mental states.

In early Buddhist texts mindfulness meant not only paying attention but also remembering what the Buddha taught, so that one could discern between skillful and unskillful thoughts, feelings, and actions. This would ultimately lead to liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

For example, the Buddhist text Satipatthana Sutta describes not only being mindful of breath and body, but also comparing ones body to a corpse in a cemetery to appreciate the arising and ceasing of the body.

One is mindful that the body exists, just to the extent necessary for knowledge and awareness. And one remains detached, grasping at nothing in the world, the sutra reads.

Here mindfulness enables one to appreciate impermanence, not become attached to material things, and strive to attain greater awareness so that one can ultimately become enlightened.

Early Buddhist mindfulness practitioners were those who criticized mainstream societal values and cultural norms such as bodily beauty, family ties, and material wealth.

Mindfulness apps, on the other hand, encourage people to cope with and accommodate to society. They overlook the surrounding causes and conditions of suffering and stress, which may be political, social or economic.

Mindfulness apps are part of a massive and lucrative industry valued at roughly $130 million.

Two apps, Calm and Headspace, claim nearly 70% of the overall market share. These apps cater to a wide audience, which includes religious consumers as well as the growing number of Americans who consider themselves spiritual but not religious.

Americans spend over five hours each day glued to their mobile devices. Nearly 80% of Americans check their smartphones within 15 minutes of waking up. The apps provide a way to do meditation while on the go.

The fact that Buddhist apps exist is not surprising, as Buddhism has always been skillful at using new media technologies to spread its message. The oldest known printed book, for example, is a Chinese copy of The Diamond Sutra, a Sanskrit Buddhist text that dates to the ninth century.

Are these apps merely repackaging of ancient Buddhism in new digital wrappers?

There is no doubt that Buddhist apps are a reflection of real social distress. But, in our assessment, mindfulness, when stripped of all its religious elements, may distort understandings of Buddhism.

A core aspect of Buddhism is the concept of no-self: the belief that there is no unchanging, permanent self, soul, or other essence. In promoting an individualistic approach to religion, then, Buddhist apps may well rub against the very grain of Buddhist practice.

Indeed, our findings show that Buddhist meditation apps are not a cure that relieves suffering in the world, but more like an opiate that hides the real symptoms of the precarious and stressful state in which many people find themselves today.

In that case, Buddhist apps, rather than curing the anxiety created by our smartphones, just make us more addicted to them and, in the end, even more stressed.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Meditation apps miss the point of Buddhist mindfulness - Quartzy