You’ve heard that Meditation can have a lasting and transformative impact.
Sound like woo-woo?
Has anyone done any research about this?
Where’s the evidence?
How Does Meditation Change The Brain?
Meditation has been empirically shown to reshape the brain’s structure, enhance its function, and promote emotional well-being and cognitive health through consistent practice.
Research into the effects of meditation isn’t new.
Since the early physiological research studies in the 1950s and 60s meditation research has come a long way. The huge steps taken in this field have grown along two intersecting lines.
- The coming together of meditation research and neuroscience
- The emergence of Mindfulness Meditation as the dominant paradigm for clinical research (and development).
The Emergence of Contemplative Neuroscience
The Dalai Lama has played a significant role in bridging the gap between science and meditation. His support of the scientific research into meditation includes co-founding the Mind and Life Institute in 1987. The aims of the Institute are to promote dialogue and research between modern science and Buddhist practices. It has been active in organising conferences and fostering collaborations between scientists and Buddhist scholars and advanced meditation practitioners.
The Dalai Lama has also participated in numerous dialogues with scientists, particularly in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science. These have explored the effects of meditation on the brain, mental health, and overall well-being. The annual Mind and Life Dialogues are a notable example of these collaborations. He has also supported various research projects and provided access to Tibetan monks for scientific study. These studies have examined the effects of long-term meditation on brain structure and function, stress reduction, emotional regulation, and cognitive performance.
In 1992 one such study was initiated after the Dalai Lama proposed a simple question to neuroscientist and Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Richard Davidson:
“Why can’t you use the same tools of modern neuroscience that you’re using to study depression and anxiety and stress and use those tools to study kindness and compassion?”
Davidson’s subsequent commitment to that task became one of the early examples of a branch of neuroscience now known as contemplative neuroscience.
Summarising his work Davidson said:
“one of the key insights is the finding that engaging in this very simple form of, if you will, a kind of mental exercise is accompanied by changes in the brain that we believe facilitate the enduring impact of these changes”
Brain Differences in Long-Term Meditators
In support of Davidson’s and Lutz’s early study the Dalai Lama helped in recruiting experienced meditators with thousands of hours of meditation practice. This allowed the research to begin with those most likely to show significant brain differences.
What emerged was that long-term meditators do exhibit significant brain differences.
For instance, they can sustain gamma oscillations (brain waves) at will for minutes, whereas the average person has these for less than a second. Gamma waves are linked to focused attention and are highly synchronized across different brain regions. These findings are indicative of increased learning and neural plasticity. This finding published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences was a turning point for meditation research. It reframed meditation as a missing link in conscious self-regulation, connecting mental training on the one hand to the electrochemical processes of neuronal firing, epigenetic regulation of gene transcription, and new neural connectivity on the other.
Research Into Brain Changes In Beginning Meditators
Lutz and Davidson continued their work with randomised controlled trials with novice meditators. These studies found that even short-term meditation practice (about 24-30 hours over two months) led to noticeable changes in brain networks related to attention and emotion regulation. This helped demonstrate that meditation itself, not pre-existing brain differences, caused observable changes.
Since the early days of neuroscience research into the effects of meditation on the brain the volume of research worldwide has exploded. Any overview of the results will be somewhat summary.
The following is such.
Meditation And Structural Changes To The Brain
Meditation has been shown to induce significant structural changes in the brain.
In particular in regions associated with:
- memory
- emotional regulation
- cognitive functions
The Hippocampus
One key area affected is the hippocampus. This plays a crucial role in memory formation, emotional regulation, and learning. Research indicates that regular meditation can increase the cortical thickness of the hippocampus.
This structural enhancement is linked to:
- improved memory
- better emotional regulation
- enhanced learning capabilities (Hölzel et al., 2011).
The Amygdala
The amygdala is involved in processing emotions like fear, stress, and anxiety. It also undergoes significant changes due to meditation. Studies have found that meditation can reduce the volume of the amygdala, correlating with:
- lower levels of stress
- fear
- anxiety.
This reduction in volume helps meditators feel less stressed and more emotionally balanced (Desbordes et al., 2012)
Gray Matter
Gray matter, which contains most of the brain’s neuronal cell bodies and is crucial for muscle control, sensory perception, emotions, memory, decision-making, and self-control, is preserved through long-term meditation practice. Research comparing meditators with non-meditators over 20 years shows that meditators experience less gray matter loss, which is significant in combating cognitive aging and related disorders (Luders et al., 2015).
The Prefontal Cortex
The prefrontal cortex which is responsible for higher cognitive functions such as decision-making, complex thinking, and impulse control, also benefits from regular meditation. Meditation increases gray matter density in the prefrontal cortex. This leads to better decision-making, improved focus, and an increased ability to resist distraction.
Long-term meditators exhibit increased connectivity within and between brain networks that support attention and executive control, such as the Frontoparietal Control Network (FPCN), Dorsal Attention Network (DAN), and Salience Network (SN). These changes improve the brain’s ability to maintain focus, process information efficiently, and manage emotional responses (Fox et al., 2016).
Meditation And Functional Changes In The Brain
Meditation has been shown to bring about significant functional changes in the brain, improving focus, attention, memory, stress reduction, emotional regulation, neurotransmitter production, brain wave activity, and connectivity within brain networks.
Improved Focus, Attention, and Memory
Meditation, particularly mindfulness meditation, helps reduce activity in the brain’s default mode network (DMN), which is responsible for mind-wandering and self-referential thoughts. By decreasing DMN activity, meditators can maintain better focus (Brewer et al., 2011). Studies have demonstrated that even short-term meditation training can significantly improve our attention, concentration, and memory.
Neurotransmitter Production
Meditation boosts levels of positive neurotransmitters such as serotonin and endorphins, which are associated with mood and well-being. It also increases gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which has a calming effect on the central nervous system, and DHEA, a hormone linked to longevity and youthfulness (Newberg et al., 2010).
Long-Term Cognitive and Emotional Benefits
Long-term meditation practice leads to lasting improvements in cognitive functions such as:
- attention
- working memory
- problem-solving abilities (Pagnoni & Cekic, 2007).
Meditators develop greater emotional resilience and stability, allowing them to handle stress and emotional challenges more effectively (Luders et al., 2011). Meditation also alleviates symptoms of anxiety and depression, both alone and in combination with traditional treatments.(Goyal et al., 2014).
Meditation And Its Impacts On Stress and Emotional Regulation:
Meditation has profound effects on stress reduction and emotional regulation, significantly altering both the brain’s structure and function. Studies indicate that meditation helps shift the body’s physiological response from a “fight-or-flight” mode to a “rest-and-digest” state, promoting a calmer, more relaxed physiological state and reducing stress levels. This shift is facilitated by a decrease in cortisol, the primary stress hormone, which is consistently observed in meditators (Bauer, 2022).
Research shows that long-term meditators exhibit lower amygdala activation during stressful situations, leading to better emotional regulation and more rational responses (Desbordes et al., 2012). Meditators can handle stress and emotional challenges more effectively, contributing to overall mental well-being. These findings underscore the significant benefits of regular meditation practice for emotional health and stress management.
Meditation and Neuroplasticity:
Meditation has been shown to induce significant changes in brain neuroplasticity and connectivity, enhancing both cognitive and emotional functions. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections in response to learning, experience, or injury. Meditation enhances this adaptability, leading to improved attention, memory, and emotional regulation.
Meditation’s ability to enhance neuroplasticity and connectivity underscores its potential as a powerful tool for cognitive and emotional development. Regular practice can lead to long-lasting improvements in brain function, supporting better mental health and well-being.
Meditation And Brain Wave Activity
Meditation has a profound impact on brainwave activity. Brainwaves are electrical impulses in the brain that vary in frequency. They are associated with different mental states.
One of the primary effects of meditation is the increase in alpha and theta brainwaves. Alpha waves are associated with a calm, relaxed, yet alert state and are typically present during creative activities and light meditation. Studies have shown that meditation practices can enhance alpha wave activity, promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety. This increase in alpha waves helps meditators achieve a state of calm and mental clarity, making it easier to manage stress and maintain emotional balance (Lomas et al., 2015).
Theta waves, which are linked to deep meditation, relaxation, and REM sleep, also show increased activity during meditation. Theta waves are associated with deep relaxation and the subconscious mind, allowing for enhanced introspection and emotional processing. This increase in theta wave activity during meditation supports deeper states of mindfulness and self-awareness, aiding in emotional regulation and stress reduction (Cahn & Polich, 2006).
Meditation’s impact on brainwave activity contributes to improved mental clarity, emotional regulation, and overall well-being.
Experience It For Yourself
At Aussie Meditation we offer personal support so you can clearly understand how meditation works, why it matters and what to do. Additional to the general benefits listed above is the ability to focus Mindfulness Meditation practices directly on the areas of your life you wish to enhance. That’s what we’re all about at Aussie Meditation. Mindfulness Skills for your goals and happiness as you see it. Nothing makes us more excited than to offer genuine, life changing help. The kind of help you can take away with you to practice, develop and benefit from for lifelong wellbeing.