The days when the common belief was that “One never changes” are a thing of the past. Our brain is like plasticine, molded by our life experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Multiple studies prove that life experiences can reshape the brain and nervous system. For better or worse, it’s up to you. This property of the brain is called “neuroplasticity.”
Below we’ll talk about how meditation acts on our brains. We’ll also discuss how to apply this knowledge to your benefit.
At the neurobiology level
Speaking of the brain, it is essential to mention that scientists divided it into several conventional parts.
Thus, the so-called limbic system is responsible for our emotions, memory, and instincts. It is not a separate structure but a cluster of different brain areas. The exact boundaries of the limbic system have not yet been defined.
But the prefrontal cortex, aka “gray matter,” formed later than anything else. It’s the notorious mind: right hereб complex thought processes occur. The prefrontal cortex is an extraordinary brain area that distinguishes humans from other living organisms. The limbic system and the prefrontal cortex are in constant contact.
You can call the prefrontal cortex the executive director of your life. It allows you to predict, plan, and move toward your goals. Animals also do it: predators can track their prey for a long time, and herbivores can hide skillfully. But they act to achieve a specific result when they need to find food or save their lives. On the other hand, humans are still capable of long-term planning and changing reality.
In the 20th century, the “triune brain” theory was also popular, according to which the oldest system in our heads is the so-called “reptilian brain.” It is the first part of the brain in the evolutionary stage, responsible for survival and physical functioning. According to the Triune Brain Theory, meditation allows you to connect the prefrontal cortex, the reptilian brain, and the limbic system. Thus, the mind and instincts begin to cooperate in perfect harmony. However, modern science does not always recognize this concept. Neurologists believe brain work is a very complex process, which cannot be considered within such a simple model.
In any case, numerous studies confirm that meditation affects certain parts of the brain — and, first and foremost, it is the prefrontal cortex.
What the studies say
Over the past few decades, there have been dozens of studies in which fMRI has determined the effects of meditation. One of the most exciting researches was conducted by Massachusetts scientists. They assumed that the brain centers of experienced meditators are much more centralized due to the abundance of functional neural connections. Subsequently, they confirmed these data.
Forty-seven people took part in the study. Sixteen of them practiced yoga, and 16 practiced meditation. Each of them had more than 7,000 hours of meditation experience. Another 15 had never done yoga or meditation.
Scientists carefully examined the brains of each of the participants with an MRI scanner.
The results were striking. The scientists paid particular attention to the prefrontal cortex. It turned out that it was more prominent in the regularly meditating persons. The difference between participants with zero experience of spiritual practices was evident. Researchers believe that, in this case, the analogy with the work of building muscle is appropriate: the longer the training takes place, the more our brain transforms. And these transformations have a very concrete physiological substrate. Just as a muscle gets bigger and stronger during exercise, the brain grows during meditative practice.
Another remarkable study was conducted for 12 years by the University of Wisconsin. Several hundred meditation practitioners were observed and periodically connected to sensors that read the brain’s electrical activity. In this case, scientists were not studying the subjects’ cognitive abilities but their happiness levels.
Scientists found that regular meditators had exorbitantly high happiness levels and negligible levels of depression. And the official title of the happiest person on earth was given to Mathieu Ricard, a Tibetan monk of French descent. His article “The Brain and Meditation,” co-authored with neurobiologists Richard Davidson and Antoine Lutz, notes: “Meditation not only causes changes in specific cognitive and emotional processes but also contributes to the enlargement of certain parts of the brain. This is presumably caused by an increase in the number of connections between neurons. Scientists also suggested that meditation may slow down the brain tissue’s thinning rate that occurs with age.
So what does it all mean?
If we put aside statistics and scientific terms, we can draw the most important conclusion. Regular meditation promotes the development of higher mental qualities directly related to conscious activity.
You can observe positive effects from the practices after several weeks of regular meditation. Positive transformations concern not only the improvement of attention, memory, and self-control. The bioelectrical activity of the brain changes, and the biochemical balance is normalized (in particular, the levels of the hormones acetylcholine and cortisol are stabilized).
Summary
Meditation changes the volume in critical areas of the brain. The above studies have already confirmed this hypothesis.
Just a few days of practice improves focus and attention. Since a powerful concentration is one of the key goals in meditation, it’s not surprising that your cognitive skills improve.
Meditation preserves the aging brain. Because of constant activity in important brain parts, meditators are much less likely to suffer from senile dementia.
**The effects of meditation on depression and anxiety are comparable to antidepressants. ** Of course, it is not a magic pill for depression (like any other treatment), but it is one of the tools that can help with the symptoms.
Make meditation a habit!
“The mind is malleable,” said the aforementioned monk Ricard in one of his interviews. — “We can greatly transform our lives by slightly changing how we manage our thoughts and perceive and interpret the world. Happiness is a skill. It takes effort and time.”
Just as muscles are changed and strengthened by exercise, the brain is altered by regular, purposeful action, emphasizing: a regular one.
Inite is one of the tools that help turn meditation from a rare practice into a daily habit.
The app awards tokens for practicing and writing down ideas, which you can later sell on the crypto exchange. And the user-friendly interface facilitates meditation at your convenience!
