Meditation's beneficial impact on brain
The latest scientific research had found a
cause and effect link between meditation and its enhanced benefit to the
structure of the brain. Medication definitely augmented brain's thinking
ability and processing of emotions
Researchers at Harvard, Yale and Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) compared brain scans of 20 experienced meditators
accustomed to Insight meditation or Vipassana Bhavana with those of 15
non-meditators.
The evidence was clear. Brain structure improved in people who
mediated regularly and they grew bigger brains than those who did not.
The brain scans of seasoned meditators showed increased thickness in
parts of the brain that carried out attention and sensory input
processing. The non-meditators did not show any change.
In one area of gray matter, the thickening turns out to be more
beneficially pronounced in older than in younger people. Researchers
said that it is intriguing because those sections of the human cortex,
or thinking cap, normally get thinner as we age.
Well-being heightened
Research indicated that meditation practice could promote cortical
plasticity in adults in areas important for cognitive and emotional
processing and well-being.
These findings are consistent with other studies that demonstrated
changes in areas of the brain relative to repeated ventures into
disciplined activity like competitive sports. In other words, the
structure of an adult brain can definitely change in response to
reiterated meditation.
Scientists studied the two groups. During scanning, the meditators
meditated; the others just relaxed and thought about whatever they
wanted.
Four of the clinical participants taught meditation or yoga, but they
were not monks living in seclusion. The rest worked in careers such as
law, healthcare and journalism. All the participants were white.
Distinct path of Vipassana Bhavana
Meditators following insight meditation-Vipassana bhavana professed a
distinct path into mindfulness in which attention is focused upon
registering feelings, thoughts and sensations exactly as they occur,
without elaboration, preference, selection, comments, censorship,
judgment or interpretation.
It did not involve 'om' and other mantras, or chanting. Meditator
paid attention to sensory experience, rather than to their thoughts
about the sensory experience. Intense concentration engulfed them.
Experienced meditators were attuned to focus steadfastly and not
drift aimlessly. The research participants meditated an average of about
40 minutes a day. Some had been doing it for longer periods a day for
years.
Depth of the meditation was measured by the slowing of breathing
rates. Those deeply into a meditative state showed the greatest changes
in brain structural change.
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Meditation
helps brain function. File photo |
Research proved that post-meditation differences in brain structure
were caused solely by the meditation and not the reverse corollary that
differences in brain thickness made them take to meditation.
The increased thickness of gray matter in brains of the meditator
though minute--four to eight thousandths of an inch- is proportional to
the time a person has been meditating during their lives. Extensive
practice would bring about the desired change in the brain.
Slowing the ageing process
The researchers also felt that the higher incidence of gray matter in
the brain were leading to more studies on the physiology of the brain
changes and how meditation might be used to improve health and even slow
the ageing process.
Reasons for the causes of increased thickness of gray matter,
connections between brain cells and blood vessels-if any and the type of
behavioral changes in meditators are being looked into.
Whether increased communication between intellectual and emotional
areas of the brain would occur and to what extent also need to be
probed.
To get answers, larger studies are planned at Massachusetts General
Hospital, the Harvard-affiliated facility where the original studies
were done.
That work included only 20 meditators and their brains were scanned
only once. More people may be sought in the next round.
Meditation's authenticity as a panacea to reduce stress or bring
about an enhanced clarity of thought in people seemed to reach a wider
audience. Its ability to get people stay focused in difficult situations
and prepare minds for getting solace from the clutter of daily minutiae
has reached millions in the world.
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