Mindfulness meditation changes brain structure
Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation programme lead to measurable changes in the brain region associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress.
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Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation programme lead to measurable changes in the brain region associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress.
For the study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was done of 16 participants two weeks before and after they took part in the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme in America. In addition to weekly meetings that included practice of mindfulness meditation - which focuses on non-judgmental awareness of sensations, feelings and state of mind - participants received audio recordings for guided meditation practice and were asked to keep track of how much time they practiced each day. A set of brain images using MRI were also taken of a control group of non-meditators over a similar time interval.
The meditation group participants reported spending an average of 27 minutes each day practicing mindfulness exercises, and their responses to a mindfulness questionnaire indicated significant improvements compared with pre-participation responses. The analysis of MRI images, which focused on areas where meditation-associated differences were seen in earlier studies, found increased grey-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion and introspection.
Participant-reported reductions in stress were also correlated with decreased grey-matter density in the amygdala, which is known to play an important role in anxiety and stress. Although no change was seen in a self-awareness-associated structure called the insula, which had been identified in earlier studies, the authors suggest that longer-term meditation practice might be needed to produce changes in that area. None of these changes were seen in the control group, indicating that they had not resulted merely from the passage of time.
The findings reveal that by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life.
For the study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was done of 16 participants two weeks before and after they took part in the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme in America. In addition to weekly meetings that included practice of mindfulness meditation - which focuses on non-judgmental awareness of sensations, feelings and state of mind - participants received audio recordings for guided meditation practice and were asked to keep track of how much time they practiced each day. A set of brain images using MRI were also taken of a control group of non-meditators over a similar time interval.
The meditation group participants reported spending an average of 27 minutes each day practicing mindfulness exercises, and their responses to a mindfulness questionnaire indicated significant improvements compared with pre-participation responses. The analysis of MRI images, which focused on areas where meditation-associated differences were seen in earlier studies, found increased grey-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion and introspection.
Participant-reported reductions in stress were also correlated with decreased grey-matter density in the amygdala, which is known to play an important role in anxiety and stress. Although no change was seen in a self-awareness-associated structure called the insula, which had been identified in earlier studies, the authors suggest that longer-term meditation practice might be needed to produce changes in that area. None of these changes were seen in the control group, indicating that they had not resulted merely from the passage of time.
The findings reveal that by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life.
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