Perspectives on Psychological Science
October 14, 2011
Britta K. Hölzel, Sara W. Lazar, Tim Gard et al.
2,997 citations
Mindfulness meditation, the nonjudgmental awareness of present-moment experiences, improves well-being and reduces psychiatric and stress-related symptoms, leading to its integration into psychotherapeutic interventions. Despite a surge in publications, few theoretical reviews synthesize the literature into a comprehensive framework. This article explores four components through which mindfulness exerts its effects: attention regulation, body awareness, emotion regulation (including reappraisal, exposure, extinction, and reconsolidation), and a change in perspective on the self. Empirical research, including self-reports and experimental data, supports these mechanisms. Neuroimaging studies show mindfulness practice is associated with neuroplastic changes in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, temporo-parietal junction, fronto-limbic network, and default mode network. The authors suggest these components work synergistically to enhance self-regulation, guiding future research and treatment development.
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
December 3, 2007
Britta K. Hölzel, Ulrich Ott, Tim Gard et al.
544 citations
Long-term mindfulness meditators show greater gray matter concentration in brain regions linked to interoceptive awareness and meditation, including the right anterior insula, left inferior temporal gyrus, and right hippocampus. In a comparison of 20 Vipassana meditators (averaging 8.6 years of practice, 2 hours daily) with matched non-meditators, the amount of meditation training predicted gray matter concentration in the left inferior temporal gyrus, suggesting a causal impact of practice. The findings indicate that meditation practice is associated with structural brain differences in areas typically activated during meditation and relevant to the task.
Brain and Behavior
September 18, 2020
Gunes Sevinc, Jonathan Greenberg, Britta K. Hölzel et al.
24 citations
Mindfulness meditation training is linked to structural changes in the hippocampus, specifically the subiculum, which are associated with reduced connectivity between the hippocampus and lateral occipital regions during the retrieval of extinguished fear memories. This reduced connectivity correlates with decreases in self-reported anxiety after mindfulness training. The findings suggest that the subiculum plays a key role in regulating interactions with contextual cues during memory retrieval, and that mindfulness training may foster resilience by altering these brain circuits.