A study published in the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) concluded that an eight-week mindful meditation practice produced measurable changes in participants’ brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress.
MR images were taken of the brain structures of 16 study participants two weeks before and two after they participated in the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness. In addition to atttending weekly mindfulness meditation practice sessions the research subjects also listened to audio recordings of guided meditation practice and were asked to log their daily meditation time. MR brain scans were also taken of a control group of non-meditators over the same time interval.
The meditators reported spending an average of 27 minutes a day practicing mindfulness meditation. The MR images showed increased grey-matter density in the hippocampus (an area of the brain known to be important for learning and memory) and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion and introspection. In addition the MR images showed reductions grey-matter density in the amygdala, (the part of the brain which is known to play an important role in anxiety and stress). None of these changes were seen in the control group.
It's exciting to know that by practicing meditation we can cause physical changes in the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life.
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