Your Brain on Meditation Candice Kazmarzyk

Have you ever wondered how meditation affects your brain? Plenty of people have been asking this question, as result studies and research on this topic are becoming popular. Overall meditation can be physically shown in the brain to have an impact on our attention and emotion centers. More specifically the brain also responds to meditation in the me, fear, and assessment centers. Meditation has an effect on the alpha, beta, gamma, and theta waves in the brain as well. It appears that even an occasional practitioner has mental benefits from meditating, and with long term practice these brain changes are intensified and maintained even in a non-meditative state.

The brain waves are greatly impacted by meditation. Alpha waves, which help filter irrelevant sensory inputs in the brain, are most predominate during meditation. They promote changes in the autonomic nervous system that creates a sense of calmness. This increase also lowers the amount of stress hormones produced. Gamma waves, which are usually low during daily activity, are also increased during meditation and are an indicator of focus. These waves are especially high in the prefrontal cortex. Activity in this area of the brain from gamma waves is said to help decrease anxiety, fear and negative emotion while increasing positive feelings. Theta waves create a state of relaxation and creativity. During meditation the increases in this are considered to be able to improve problem solving and memorization. Delta waves are the slowest during meditation. These waves are present during deep sleep and are associated with a persons ability to incorporate newly learned things to their lives. When these waves are

present in meditation they are said to help conscious communication with the subconscious mind.

Parts of the brain that regulate our attention and other corresponding areas definitely get busy during meditation. Studies have shown that the long term effects of practice result in a strong increase of activity in the frontal cortex, insula and hippocampus. This suggest a heightened ability to be able to control attention and awareness. Because of these signs there was a study done on people with ADHD in a 6 week yoga based mindful meditation co urse. The patients finished with significant reduction in their symptoms and increased attention even in situations with unexpected stimulation. Another study that was done looked at the brains activity in the attention areas in novice, master and expert level meditators. Areas in the brain during practice were more active than a normal state for novices, but not as much as participants with around 19,000 hours of practice. Experts who had 44,000 hours of practice showed lower levels of activity than both of the other groups. Based on this the findings support the idea that after extensive practice it take minimal effort to sustain the same level of attentional focus.

During meditation centers that impact mood and reasoning are also changing, like the part of the brain that is considered the me center which effects a persons feelings, the way the perceive things relating to them, and their capability for empathy with others. Connections between this and the fear center in the brain slowly break down through meditation. This makes a person less prone to anxiety and able to look at a situation without having an initial

response that something is wrong. While this happens the connections between the me center and pre lateral cortex, the assessment center, of the brain strengthen. This enables a person to look at a situation more rationally without assumptions of it relating to them personally. Activity in the amygdala, cingulate, and frontal cortex suggested that meditation has a big impact on mood, a study done to find if meditation could treat depression was a result of this information. Participants in studies not only had lots of success in treating their depression, but also in preventing relapses. Another study suggested that meditation could help prevent depression altogether. Despite the achievements in this area it appears there needs to be more studies before meditation as a therapy will be scientifically backed to treat depression.

This topic was intriguing to me for many reasons. Neuroplasticity and the way that altered states are experienced in the brain are two of the most fascinating subjects to me. When I stumbled upon neuroplasticity and started learning about it I realized that knowing how changes are physically possible to be made in the brain made it a lot more motivating to put the effort into changing my habits. It has been the same way f or me learning about meditatings effect on the brain. Seeing that it is physically proven to be possible to improve my overall awareness, logic and mood has increased my desire to keep up with regular practices. Living in a society so strongly geared toward instant gratification and the product of our efforts, I think it is inheritably hard to do something without wanting to see some sort of improvement. The simple knowing that these changes are possible if I put my effort towards them makes it easier to not look for an instant result.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/use-your-mind-change-your-brain/201305/is-yourbrain-meditation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_activity_and_meditation http://scan.oxfordjournals.org/content/8/1/1.full http://www.project-meditation.org/wim/brain_waves_in_meditation.html Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom by Rick Hanson