Meditation is an ancient practice that has attracted much attention in the past few years. It is said to have its roots in Eastern religions and Vedic Hinduism but seems to have developed independently in Sufism as well. To put it simply–meditation is the practice of focussing one’s attention for a period of time. For the benefits of the practice to be apparent, it is often formalised into a routine. (1)
Meditation is a practice that has evolved over multiple centuries; however, it has not been under the scrutiny of scientific research for more than just a few decades. Looking under the hood with an fMRI, scientists have found that mindfulness meditation can spark renovations in the brain’s function and structure. It activates brain regions that include: the insula, associated with compassion and self-awareness; the putamen, associated with learning; portions of the anterior cingulate cortex, associated with regulating blood pressure, heart rate, and other autonomic functions; and the prefrontal cortex, referring to the hub of higher-order thinking skills such as planning, decision-making and moderating social behaviour. (2)
Meditation can have a variety of features associated with it; however, the practice is almost always conducted with the following elements in mind: being in a quiet location with as few distractions as possible and in a comfortable posture, having a focus of attention on a particular movement or a particular thought with an open attitude. The process must not be rushed, and it must be understood that positive results begin to show only after a few sessions of meditation. (3) Four different types of meditation were studied in a series of experiments in 2016, which found that they each have their own unique benefits. (4) One of these techniques, which has been thoroughly researched, is mindfulness. It entails being focused on one’s breathing and is said to improve the ability to regulate one’s emotions. In a simple study on mindfulness, the participants reported less negative emotions in response to a series of slides that displayed negative images in comparison to people who didn’t complete the exercise. (5)
Some studies, such as those which involve a treatment called ‘mindfulness-based cognitive therapy’ have led to some very impressive findings. The treatment combines meditation with psychotherapy to help patients deal with thoughts that lead to depression and other mental disorders. Controlled trials based on random sampling have also shown that the approach significantly reduces the risk of a relapse for patients with depression. (6)
Mindfulness also acts as a buffer against stress. It does this by increasing activity in regions of the prefrontal cortex that are important for dealing with stress, while reducing activity in regions associated with the brain’s fight-or-flight stress response–in particular, the amygdala. (2) Similarly, promising results were presented in a study on combat veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq with PTSD. Studying the brain scans of these veterans before and after 16 weeks of mindfulness-based group, therapy showed an increase in the connectivity between brain networks associated with attention, rumination and spontaneous thoughts. (7)
A trial involving almost 300 university students suggested that practising transcendental meditation can lower the blood pressure of those already predisposed to developing high blood pressure in the future. (3)
In a study conducted by Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital also suggests that there exists a strong relation between mindfulness, meditation, and memory. Participants spent around 27 minutes each day practicing mindfulness exercises. Their analyses of Magnetic Resonance images taken of the brain two weeks after the completion of the study indicated an increase in gray-matter density in the hippocampus, which hence indicated an improvement in memory, compassion, and self-awareness. However, the core benefits of meditation in navigating life stressors is still unclear. It is also uncertain whether such changes in brain activity can be maintained over time, and questions such as how long one should meditate to ensure a positive result remain unanswered. (2)(8)
There is a common misconception that a vast amount of convincing clinical evidence exists for the efficacy of mindfulness being used as an “all-healing practice”. Studies on meditation are curbed by various limitations such as a small sample size, lack of follow-ups, and inadequacy in scientific rigour. A group of scholars wrote that mindfulness-based therapies have shown “a mixture of only moderate, low or no efficacy, depending on the disorder being treated”. (2)
A multitude of studies suggests that meditation will invariably result in a sense of peace and calm. There is truth to this statement, but not unlike many other psychological studies, it has its own shortcomings. It has been seen that 25.6% of the participants in a meditation-related study reported that they had previously encountered particularly unpleasant experiences while partaking in the practice. (9) At times, sitting quietly with oneself can be difficult and painful. Trauma or other such experiences can result in unpleasant thoughts being brought up, some, which the participant is not equipped to handle effectively. (10)
Nevertheless, for most, the benefits of meditation remain extensive and undeniable. This practice, which has been recognised and observed over centuries, is just now entering the realm of scientific research and the findings of these studies continue to indicate that the practice positively impacts mental and physical health-whether it’s by reducing stress, improving sleep, increasing focus, or improving relationships.
References:
1. ScienceDaily. (n.d.). Meditation. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/meditation.htm
2. Lieberman, B. (2018). Mindfulness meditation is huge, but science isn't sure how, or whether, it works. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/mindfulness-meditation-is-huge-but-science-isnt-sure-how-or-whether-it-works/2018/03/23/2fa510a6-1e4e-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html
3. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (n.d.). Meditation: In Depth. Retrieved from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth
4. Newman, K. M. (2016). How to Choose a Type of Mindfulness Meditation. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_choose_a_type_of_mindfulness_meditation
5. Winston, D. (n.d.). Mindful Breathing. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/mindful_breathing?_ga=2.186186985.1579717961.1594650276-913196227.1593696683
6. Powell, A. (2018).When Science Meets Mindfulness. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-researchers-study-how-mindfulness-may-change-the-brain-in-depressed-patients/
7. Boyd, J. E., Lanius, R. A., & McKinnon, M. C. (2018). Mindfulness-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder: A review of the treatment literature and neurobiological evidence. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5747539/
8. McGreevey, S. (2019). Eight weeks to a better brain. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/01/eight-weeks-to-a-better-brain/
9. University College London (2019, May 09). Meditation needs more research: Study finds 25 percent suffer unpleasant experiences. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190509142724.htm
10. Smith, J. A., Newman, K. M., Suttie, J., & Jazaieri, H. (2017). The State of Mindfulness Science. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_state_of_mindfulness_science
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