Learn how a long term meditation practice can positively alter the structure of your brain for the better, helping treat chronic pain and symptoms of stress.
“Meditation is a way of rewiring the brain to create positive habits and behaviors.”
– Dr Andrew Huberman
The neuroscience of meditation. Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, in fact, the earliest evidence we have dates back to ancient Hindu scriptures from 1500 BCE. These texts detail how meditative techniques were supposedly used at the time to achieve states of enlightenment. Neuroscience, in comparison, is a fairly recent scientific field that only emerged in the 20th century with the advent of modern brain imaging technologies like CT scans and MRIs.
The study of the brain, however, has long been a subject of interest to our species. Earlier methods of enquiry were more invasive and quite gruesome, including post mortem examination, the study of brain lesions from injury and surgeries, and Electroencephalography or EEG, which involves attaching electrodes to the scalp to measure electrical activity.
While older methods of examining the brain contributed to significant scientific discoveries, they had their limitations. Only in recent decades have scientists been able to use new technologies to more accurately and comprehensively map the brain. Despite all the progress made thus far, neuroscience is a young and ever evolving field, with many more breakthroughs on the horizon.
What is meditation exactly?
Meditation is the act of consciously refocusing our attention using anchors like the breath, the sound of your own heartbeat, an inner mantra or the voice of a meditation guide. The aim of meditation is not to suppress our thoughts, but rather to bring awareness to them as they arise. This can help us cultivate a sense of presence, and bring the body back to a state of balance.
Today, particularly in Western cultures which place strong emphasis on productivity and achievement, meditation is often viewed as one more way to optimize and improve our everyday lives. It is seen as another task to add to the endless list of things to do in order to feel successful. However, meditation is more than just a task to be completed or a means to an end. It is a spiritual practice that helps us to reconnect with our own bodies, wake up to the present moment, and to remember who we truly are and how we wish to be in the world.
What are the benefits of a meditation practice?
Meditation has been shown to have numerous, scientifically proven, physiological benefits when practiced consistently. One of the most well known benefits being the alleviation of anxiety and chronic stress. The practice does this by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. This response successfully slows down the heart rate, decreases blood pressure and lessens levels of stress hormones like cortisol, ensuring a return to restoration and homeostasis.
The Neuroscience of Meditation, Long-term research now suggests that meditation can actually alter the structure of our brains for the better.
This is your brain on meditation
The prefrontal cortex
The Neuroscience of Meditation. Your prefrontal cortex is just behind your forehead in an area called the frontal lobe. In humans, it’s a region that is highly developed and believed to be responsible for abstract thought. It’s involved in complex thinking and problem solving, and it helps us control our impulses as well as regulate our emotions. In meditation, there is an emphasis on watching your thoughts – this is another function of the prefrontal cortex called metacognition, thinking about your own thinking.
Incredibly, research has shown that meditation can develop the prefrontal cortex, resulting in better focus, lower stress levels, and improved mood. It also “trains” the mind in metacognition, making it easier for you to observe your thoughts before identifying with them – leading to a more thoughtful and less reactive way of being.
The somatomotor cortex
In Greek, “soma” means body and “motor” means mover, so soma motor refers to the movements of the body. The somatomotor cortex is the area of the brain that processes touch and voluntary movement. It is also part of a network of brain regions that process pain, which can affect your nervous system and the movement of your muscles.
Studies have found that people who have been practicing meditation long term have higher pain thresholds and experience less discomfort compared to those who do not meditate at all. This suggests that meditation may be an effective method of managing and treating chronic pain.
The insula
The insula senses and interprets information regarding our internal state. This kind of sensory awareness is called interoception, which helps us regulate our blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, and temperature. Think of it as your body’s way of keeping track of things like how hot or cold you are, whether you’re hungry or thirsty, or if you’re running on empty and need some sleep or rest.
Different kinds of meditation can alter activity in the insula, making us more interoceptive (aware of our bodies) or exteroceptive (aware of our surroundings).
For example, closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing will light up your insula, making you more conscious of your body. This is a great way to reconnect with yourself if you experience disassociation.
If you’re someone who has a heightened sense of self awareness, often present in those suffering from social anxiety, you may want to focus on something in your environment, as well as keeping your eyes open during your meditation practice. This will dampen activity in the insula, which can help slow racing thoughts and soothe the nervous system.
The amygdala
The amygdala is a small almond-shaped structure in the brain that helps us process and regulate emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, and pleasure. When the amygdala is activated, it can trigger the “fight or flight” response – the body’s natural reaction to a perceived threat. This response increases heart rate and blood pressure, releases adrenaline into the bloodstream, and inhibits digestion. Which is all good and well if you need to prepare the body to fight or flee/for action, but is often not the case in the modern age when something like an email or text can set this response off.
Though more research needs to be done, early studies have indicated that practicing mindfulness meditation for a period of eight weeks or more may lead to changes in the size and activity of the amygdala. This may positively influence the way the body responds to stress and negative emotions, leaving you feeling more functional, calm and relaxed.
Reap the benefits of meditation with The Pantheon Method
According to neuroscientist Dr Andrew Huberman, you don’t need to meditate daily to start feeling the benefits. The most important thing is that your practice is consistent. He suggests forming a routine you can actually keep up with, whether that’s daily, weekly or monthly. As for duration, Huberman states on his podcast that “there is good evidence that even three minutes of meditation is good for enhanced anxiety management.”
By dedicating just a few minutes every other day, this ancient practice could radically alter your brain and body. Start your practice with The Pantheon Method.
