18 Mar How meditation changes the brain
How meditation changes your brain?
In the 1960s the West showed an interest for Transcendental Meditation. The interest surged because of the pop culture integrating with the East. The Beatles for example embraced spiritualism and India They spent a lot of time with the Maharishi and the influence of meditation can be seen in their music. The West with its scientific establishment and need for quantifying and objectivity went into full scientific research of the benefits of meditation.
The scientific researches of yogis in India showed to be able to
1. slow down their heart rate to almost stopping point.
2. reduce oxygen consumption by 25%
3. increase mental absorption.
These yogis did not show results of being human in fact their metabolic rate etc were that of an exotic animal!
As the affinity for meditation in the West continued researchers had enough subjects in the West to carry out scientific research and using modern technology (then such as Electroencephalographs (EEG)) search results showed changes of the brain such as
1. that mediators? brain waves changed to a more orderly progression in the brain waves.
2. the waves shifted to a more larger alpha rhythms (brainwaves associated with relaxed attention) and these waves culminated resulting in an increased theta which is associated with deep relaxation, spiritual experience, and enhanced creativity).
3. consistent meditators showed a predominance of alpha and theta therefore correlating with showing more mindful attention.
4. Zen masters showed that they did not become habituated to recurring sound the way ordinary controls did. Their EEG patterns showed the same EEG patterns each time the sound occurred. These Zen masters consistently maintained calm, showed alert awareness to internal and external sensations regardless of the consistency of the stimulation.
Mantra chanting and the fourth state of consciousness
Research results showed that Transcendental meditators showed that repetition of a chosen mantra induced a unique fourth state of consciousness distinct from waking, dreaming, sleep and deep sleep. This fourth state of consciousness elicited an extraordinary brain coherence. This coherence is interpreted to show the degree of correlation or synchronising between different parts of the brain.
“It is like the harmonious music created under a conductor’s direction rather than the cacophonous noise generated when an orchestra tunes up.?
Orne-Johnson says
“all the benefits of Transcendental Meditation can be explained by the increased EEG coherence it produces”
Herbert Benson, MD, a cardiologist identified what he called relaxation response.
This could be triggered by
1. 20 minutes of daily meditation
2. meditating in a quiet environment
3. repetition of a sound
4. receptive of an attitude
5. a comfortable sitting position
Once initiated this response
1. reduced stress
2. counteracts the fight or flight response.
Some resultant benefits of meditation are
1. reduced hypertension
2. reduced headaches
3. reduced heart disease
4. reduced alcohol consumption
5. reduced anxiety
6. reduced symptoms of PMT
No Comments