Meditation can boost your gray matter

'Buddhist Insight' practitioners build thicker cortical regions

LIVE SCIENCE, November 13, 2005

Meditation alters brain patterns in ways that are likely permanent,
scientists have known. But a new study shows key parts of the brain
actually get thicker through the practice.

Brain imaging of regular working folks who meditate regularly revealed
increased thickness in cortical regions related to sensory, auditory
and visual perception, as well as internal perception - the automatic
monitoring of heart rate or breathing, for example.

The study also indicates that regular meditation may slow age-related
thinning of the frontal cortex.

"What is most fascinating to me is the suggestion that meditation
practice can change anyone's gray matter," said study team member
Jeremy Gray, an assistant professor of psychology at Yale. "The study
participants were people with jobs and families. They just meditated on
average 40 minutes each day, you don't have to be a monk."

The research team was led by Sara Lazar, assistant in psychology at
Massachusetts General Hospital. It is detailed in the November issue of
the journal NeuroReport.

The study involved a small number of people, just 20. All had extensive
training in Buddhist Insight meditation. But the researchers say the
results are significant.

Most of the brain regions identified to be changed through meditation
were found in the right hemisphere, which is essential for sustaining
attention. And attention is the focus of the meditation.

Other forms of yoga and meditation likely have a similar impact on
brain structure, the researchers speculate, but each tradition probably
has a slightly different pattern of cortical thickening based on the
specific mental exercises involved.
-----------------------
see "Meditation Handbook" at:
http://home.att.net/~meditation/MeditationHandbook.html

Christopher Calder
http://home.att.net/~meditation/ - home page

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