The Power Of Meditation and Science

Meditation & Science

Awareness and concentration can be increased through practices such as meditation and mindfulness. Multiple studies point to the effectiveness of exercise in easing stress, as well as in regulating anxiety, lowering inflammation, improving memory and concentration, and enhancing overall well-being. Due to the remarkable results, a growing number of doctors across a wide range of specialties are recommending meditation in the same way that they would a medication to treat depression or high blood pressure. However, the mechanisms underlying meditation’s wide-ranging positive effects on health remain a mystery.

For this reason, Bin He, a neuro-engineer at Carnegie Mellon University, decided to study the brains of Tibetan monks. In a previous study, he and his colleagues found that meditators had a superior ability to control a computer cursor with their minds compared to participants who had no prior experience with meditation. Since Tibetan monks devote years of their lives to the practice of meditation, he was intrigued to determine whether there were any major changes in brain activation that could provide a clue as to how meditation produces so many positive impacts. He believed that if there were such changes, it could provide a clue as to how meditation produces so many positive impacts.

“We traveled to Tibet and monitored the brain activity of monks who had between five and thirty-five years of meditation experience on average,” he explained. “We found that monks’ brain activity was significantly different from that of laypeople.” Then, we compared these results with those of native Tibetans who had never meditated.

He and his colleagues discovered, through the use of electroencephalography (EEG), which is a series of electrodes implanted on the scalp to record brain activity, that intensive, long-term meditation lowers activity in the default network. This network is related to the brain’s resting state, in which the mind wanders without a particular goal in mind and is comprised of brain regions such as the medial prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex, among others. In addition, the researchers found that the amount of time spent practicing led to a greater decline in activity.

According to what he had to say, “It appears that the longer you practice meditation, the better your brain will be at self-regulation.” When you don’t have to work as hard to keep up your physical activity, it will be much easier to get into and stay in a state of relaxation.

It is his contention that the practice of meditation “optimizes” the resources that are utilized by the brain. This makes perfect sense, according to Michael Posner, a pioneering neuropsychologist from the University of Oregon who first defined how the brain’s attention systems operate. The practice of meditation is associated with specific alterations to the white matter surrounding the anterior cingulate, which is a region of the brain that is largely involved in the control of attention. White matter is composed of nerve fibers that enable different parts of the brain to communicate with one another more effectively. After only a few weeks of regular meditation practice, Posner and colleagues discovered increased levels of myelin, which is sometimes referred to as brain “insulation.” They discovered that this increased insulation improves connectivity by allowing different brain regions to communicate more quickly and efficiently. This was discovered using diffusion tensor imaging, a specialized form of neuroimaging.

“We may detect these changes after only two to four weeks of exercise,” he stated. “This is a major attentional hub in the brain, and we may observe these changes after only two to four weeks of practice.” “These shifts are linked to improved attention across a variety of contexts and activities. This helps us understand why meditation can also improve our mood and reduce anxiety. The anterior cingulate has a lot of connections to the limbic system, which is also called the “emotional system.”

It was not necessary for the people who participated in Posner’s study to become Tibetan monks in order to get a variety of benefits, which is one of the reasons why these findings are so hopeful. The participants improved on assessments indicating attentiveness and problem solving within as little as five days of the study. Posner observed that these individuals also showed decreases in cortisol, which is a hormone that is usually used to evaluate one’s degree of stress. Less stress and better cognitive skills are both good results that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

It does not come as a surprise to Richard Davidson, who established the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is the founder of the Center for Healthy Minds, that numerous neuroscience studies are explaining the neurological mechanisms behind the therapeutic effects of meditation. According to him, there is substantial data indicating that engaging in regular and consistent contemplative practice confers many direct benefits on the functioning of the brain and, consequently, on the mental and emotional well-being of the practitioner. As a result, you shouldn’t be surprised if your primary care physician brings up mindfulness practices when they talk to you about your upcoming annual exam.

A number of studies lend credence to the idea that meditation has positive effects on both the brain and the body. If you are unable to follow the same routine as a normal Tibetan monk, what other activities besides those monastic routines can offer you the same benefits? There is still a lot of study that has to be done in order to discover the kind of practice and the amount of practice that is required to create an effect, which is likely going to be different for each individual. And with so many ways to do so, from workshops to smart phone apps, Davidson contends that the ideal sort of meditation is the one you are most likely to stick with. In other words, Davidson believes that the best type of meditation is the one you are most likely to practice.

He advised that we consider it a form of mental hygiene, analogous to the practice of brushing our teeth. “It was not part of humans’ natural evolution to brush their teeth twice a day. It is a skill that may be gained. The value of your mind is comparable to that of your teeth. So, you have to put in the work to understand a practice and then do it the same way every time.

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