What Meditation Does To Your Brain

Meditation Lowers Stress & Improves Emotional Well Being

Meditation is a very powerful and mysterious practice adopted by over millions of people worldwide. There is more and more evidence being presented everyday that validates the healing components of meditation. The aim of this article is to show how meditation directly affects the brain; we have extracted our findings from research studies that have been conducted globally and filtered through hundreds of articles to provide you a summary of the very best information that explores this field.

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years but in recent times has gone from alternative to be much more accepted in the mainstream. And now conclusive research has found that even people that are beginners to meditation can create immediate positive effects on their brain like enhancing emotional resilience by strengthening connections between the left prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the amygdala.
Neuroscience can tell us a lot about how our emotions and happiness works.

“The prefrontal cortex appears to play a critical role in the unique human capacity to modulate emotions.”

~ Richard J. Davidsomn, Ph.D

Emotions are strongly influenced by the frontal lobe to be experienced as a positive or negative feeling (fear or love), through a set of important feedback loops. The frontal lobe interprets our experiences and then communicates this information through feedback loops with the limbic brain.

Amygdala is a region found in the limbic brain often represented as two almond shaped structures that are responsible mainly for fear and anxiety.

The pre-frontal cortex maybe important in inhibiting activity in the amygdala and dampening response to negative events, and particularly in shutting off the negative response quickly once it has been activated. ~ Richard J. Davidsomn, Ph.D

Having a strong connections between the pre frontal cortex and amygdala suggest that the individual will not “drown” in any negative emotions — Internal balance is restored right away if an individual experiences anxiety, anger, signs of depression or any other negative emotions.

Scientists studied Lama Oser — a European monk with over 30 years of meditative experience whilst he was meditating on compassion, finding that his left-to-right prefrontal cortex activity was quite literally off the chart. This heightened left-to-right brain activity means that he has an abnormally large capacity for happiness!

Meditation develops awareness through nonjudgmental witnessing, you become the observer to thoughts and emotions. This level of mental training allows you to pause and observe, resisting the pull of emotionally charged thoughts that thrive on your attention. This creates stronger connections between the pre-frontal cortex and amygdala, and thus becoming emotionally resilient to negative emotions. 

A larger amygdala has been associated with people who suffer from PTSD and severe anxiety. “MRI scan shows that after an eight-week course of mindfulness practice, the amygdala known as the ‘fight or flight’ centre, appears to shrink.” - Tom Ireland

Meditation decreases fear and anxiety by keeping the volume down in the amygdala. Through regular practice, individuals can strengthen the feedback loops between the frontal lobe and limbic brain, resulting in emotional resilience. Anyone who is suffering emotionally should consider practicing meditation regularly as the research now validates that meditation can result in a great deal of emotional healing and emotional intelligence.

How Meditation Affects Brain Waves

The brain waves our mind produces are altered during the practice of meditation. Typically, throughout the day our analytical mind will produce BETA waves - the norm for physical activity.

The calming effect of meditation triggers the brain to produce more Alpha waves - a creative state in the brain which alleviates the symptoms of stress. 

Different states of mind, Different brain waves

1. BETA (14-40Hz) - Normal waking state - associated with a heightened state of alertness, Logic and critical reasoning

2. ALPHA (7.5-14Hz) - Deep Relaxation - Associated with learning, concentration and imagination.

3. THETA (4-7.5Hz) - Meditation & sleeping - Associated with deep meditation, the subconscious mind & light sleep, the moment before you drift of to sleep or as you are just waking up.

4. DELTA (0.5-4Hz) - Deep sleep - Associated with deep, dreamless sleep or states of meditation where awareness is fully detached.

Modern day lifestyle can be very demanding keeping the mind in a hyperactive state for extended periods of time — reducing the ability to relax.

FAMILIAR SYMPTOMS?

•    Short temper

•    Agitation

•    Restless

•    Anxious

•    Irritable

•    Impulsive

•    Unhealthy sleeping patterns

•    Excessive thinking

All of these symptoms are by-products from high levels of stress — operating from an over stimulated mind for extended periods of time (high level beta).

A problematic mind = highly aroused beta state, this results in stress and cortisol being distributed throughout the body. Over production of cortisol is very bad for your health.  

Even what we do for relaxation is not really relaxing for your body and brain. For example watching tv, scrolling soical media or drinking alcohol all are leisure activities that can have a detrimental affect on your health.

Technology including: televisions, smart phones and computers radiate an artificial electromagnetic field that zaps our own EM (body) field. Have you ever had the feeling: where you felt “fried” or “cooked” after being in front of the computer for too long? It’s because our body’s bio-electrical field is being “zapped” by the radiation coming out of the device.

WHAT IS RELAXATION?

SOME ESSENTIALS:

•    No distractions (No technology)

•    Quiet place (Nature)

•    Deep belly breathing (diaphragmatic)

•    Mindfulness

•    Meditation

Other factors to consider that may aid in relaxation :

•    Exercise - promotes relaxation

•    Herbal tea (various different types)

•    Classical music - Soothing music

•    Nature

•    Journal

•    Reading

•    Long walks

•    Flotation tanks

•    Gentle yoga class (yin yoga)

•    Sauna

•    Juice detox (detox can help eliminate nervous energy) 

Meditation is a very effective way to relax the body. When your body is in the relaxation response the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. The RELAXATION RESPONSE is a physical state of deep rest that changes a person's physical and emotional responses to stress "Dr.Herbert Benson" The PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM is concerned with nourishing, healing, elimination and regeneration of the body. "Dr Lawrence Wilson"

RELAXING = REGENERATION/HEALING

ALPHA STATE = more relaxation harmonizing the mind and body.

What does this mean ?

•    Creativity

•    Relaxation

•    Harmonisation

•    Balance

•    Improved cognitive functioning

•    Promotes health and wellness

•    Optimal time to program mind for success

•    Heightens imagination

•    Enhanced visualisation

•    Improves memory, learning and concentration

Alpha brain wave state creates coherence between the mind and the body — where transformation begins. This state is most typically achieved when people claim to be “in the zone” or whilst meditating.  

By shifting the brain into an alpha wave state through breathing and meditation problematic thoughts subside — re-establishing coherence throughout the mind and body.

Beta mode is our alert wakeful state ideal for processing information throughout the day. However, learning how to consciously shift your brain waves into an alpha state is essential for health and well-being.

“Creative people show higher levels of alpha waves and have bursts of them when solving problems” ~Trevor Johnson  

Learning how to observe your thoughts is the key ingredient in reprogramming your mind to a higher level of consciousness. Maybe we are just poor observers, limiting the understanding we have of our minds. Only through meditation can we learn to go back into the operating system to observe our internal mechanics that lie beyond thought. In this way we can short circuit the old habits and cultivate new healthy qualities. Becoming familiar with this process is the great inner journey within.  

Written by Oska Phoenix