Exit
E KNOW THAT the
human brain is a powerful organ, but many
of us aren’t aware of
how much the mind is truly capable of — and how much more
powerful it can become through
deliberate training. By exercising
the brain (yes, you can use repetition and habit as you do when you
exercise the body), we can achieve
what may have previously seemed
nearly impossible.
A multitude of studies have
linked meditation with both physical and mental health benefits,
from reduced depression and anxiety to improved immune system
functioning. And thanks to a line
of research that looks at the brain
power of of Buddhist monks —
who have devoted their lives to the
practice of meditation, compassion
and non-attachment — we now
know that the brain changes that
result from years of mindfulness
practices can be staggering.
“Meditation research, particularly in the last 10 years or so, has
shown to be very promising because it points to an ability of the
brain to change and optimize in a
way we didn’t know previously was
possible,” NYU researcher Zoran
Josipovic told the BBC in 2011. Jo-
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sipovic, himself a Buddhist monk,
has conducted research putting
the brains of prominent Buddhist
monks under fMRI machines to
track the blood flow to their brains
while they are meditating.
The monks who are part of
Josipovic’s research (and the research projects of several other
neuroscientists) have accomplished extraordinary feats of
mind and, in some cases, have
The findings from studies
in this unusual sample...
suggest that, over the course
of meditating for tens of
thousands of hours, the longterm practitioners had actually
altered the structure and
function of their brains.”
managed to rewire the brain.
“What we found is that the
longtime practitioners showed
brain activation on a scale we have
never seen before,” neuroscientist
and meditation researcher, Richard J. Davidson told The Washington Post. “Their mental practice is
having an effect on the brain in the
same way golf or tennis practice
will enhance performance.”