05/30/2024
Here are some neuroscience-based facts about meditation:
1. Structural Brain Changes: Regular meditation is associated with increased gray matter in areas of the brain associated with memory, learning, emotional regulation, and perspective-taking, such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.
2. Functional Brain Changes: Meditation can enhance functional connectivity between brain regions involved in attention and self-regulation, such as the anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
3. Stress Reduction: Meditation reduces activity in the amygdala, the brain’s fear center, which can lower stress levels. This is often accompanied by a reduction in cortisol levels, a stress hormone.
4. Improved Attention and Focus: Mindfulness meditation can lead to improvements in attention, cognitive control, and working memory. This is partly due to increased thickness in the prefrontal cortex.
5. Enhanced Emotional Regulation:
Meditation can enhance emotional regulation by increasing activity in brain areas associated with emotion processing and decreasing activity in the default mode network (DMN), which is linked to self-referential thoughts and mind-wandering.
