Meditation for Human Mind and Brain: Findings from Functional Neuroimaging Investigations
Annals of Advanced Biomedical Sciences January 1, 2023 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.23880/aabsc-16000207 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
Meditation, rooted in Yoga and Buddhist philosophy, involves present-moment awareness and non-judgmental attention. Scientific studies show it benefits health by influencing brain systems for attention, memory, emotion regulation, and cognition. Meditators have significantly larger grey matter volume overall, with regional enlargement in right hemispheric cortical and subcortical areas linked to sustained attention, self-control, compassion, and interoceptive perception. Functional neuroimaging consistently recruits the insula, pre/supplementary motor cortices, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and frontopolar cortex across different meditation techniques.
Study at a glance
| Design | review |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Meditation is associated with increased grey matter volume and consistent recruitment of specific brain regions involved in attention, self-control, and emotion regulation. |
Abstract
Meditation is generally described as being in the present moment or being alert in the present moment, instead of constantly struggling to change or to become. Meditation is an essential part of Yoga philosophy and the seventh limb of Astanga Yoga described by sage Patanjali in the ancient text Patanjali Yoga Sutra. Yoga including meditation, is an ancient technique invented to unite the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness, however, scientific studies have demonstrated the vast health advantages associated with it. Mindfulness as a non-judgmental awareness of the present-moment is also a part of yoga philosophy, however, most of the mindfulness practices those are being practiced in modern days are also rooted in Buddhist philosophy. Some well-known meditation techniques are Buddhist meditations, Hindu meditations, Chinese meditations, Christian meditation, Islamic meditations, Guided meditations etc. Meditation influences brain systems involved in attention, awareness, memory, sensory integration, emotion regulation, and higher-order cognitive functions. Meditation has also been found to be very effective in relieving stress, regulating emotions and promoting mental health. A significant increase in grey matter volume was found in the meditators as compared to non-meditators. The larger grey matter volume overall, and with regional enlargement in several right hemispheric cortical and subcortical brain regions are associated with sustained attention, self-control, compassion and interoceptive perception. Several functional neuroimaging studies showed that some brain regions are recruited consistently across different meditation techniques including insula, pre/supplementary motor cortices, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and frontopolar cortex.