The Amazing Variety of Meditation's Benefits

by Ram

Open Gate by Melina Meza

Studies on meditation and its effects on brain structure and function have been rolling in steadily for a number of years. Using state of the art technology and imaging techniques, researchers are confirming numerous independent observations with detailed precision about brain structure, behavior, and function. The unanimous conclusion from all these findings is that meditation appears to have an amazing variety of neurological benefits. 

We have written several articles about meditation (dhyana) in this blog. Articles by Baxter (see Thoughts on Dhyana: Meditation over the Holidays), Nina (see Meditation and Compassion), and others have provided a lucid explanation about how to meditate, the benefits of meditation on body and mind, and empirical evidence of these benefits. Undoubtedly, meditation has been shown to:

• reduce fear, worry, anxiety, anger, and rage
• reduce chronic pain
• increase cognitive function
• lower blood pressure
• alleviate post-traumatic stress syndrome
• slow down cellular aging. 

For those suffering from age-associated memory impairment, meditation has been shown to reverse hippocampal (one of the areas in brain involved in memory) degeneration and improve neuronal connectivity (see Memory Loss—Meditation to the Rescue). 

Several studies also confirmed the role of meditation in actually reducing pain perception. In my post Mindfulness Meditation andPain Management: Recent Findings! I discussed about the study in which people with lower back pain who practiced a mindfulness meditation technique showed greater improvements in pain perception. That study led to the conclusion that meditation activates several regions of the brain, and this global effect of mindfulness meditation helps to prevent pain and painful information from spreading throughout the brain and body.

The question that arises from all these studies is that in addition to functional changes, does meditation also have a structural effect on the brain? Does it increase or decrease the volume of any areas of the brain or does it promote any new neuronal connectivity? Results from recent studies do point to the role of meditation in structural changes in the brain in addition to functional changes. In a study Reduced age-related degeneration of the hippocampal subiculum in long-term meditators that was published last year, a group of researchers reported that long-term meditators had better preserved brains associated with less reduction in brain volume than non-meditators as they aged. Participants who had been meditating for an average of 20 years had more grey matter volume throughout the brain. The volume of the grey matter is a measure of the density of brain cells and appears to correlate positively with various abilities and skills. While older and more experienced meditators exhibited some grey matter volume loss compared to younger meditators, this loss was less pronounced compared to non-meditators.

Just as a reminder, the grey matter contains mostly the brain's neuronal cell bodies and non-neuronal cells, and is chiefly involved in muscle control, sensory perception, such as seeing and hearing, memory, emotions, speech, decision making, and self-control. You may wonder why the loss in grey matters so important or critical. Turns out, as we age, there is a significant loss of grey matter volume in multiple areas of the brain, resulting in loss of function associated with those specific areas. Age-associated grey matter decline is significant in the memory centers of the brain, the hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex, leading to dementia. The aging process also affects normal cerebral blood flow that in turn triggers the grey matter loss and dysfunction. While there is no drug to stop this natural age-associated loss of brain cells, meditation actually helps to delay the age-associated loss by strengthening those areas. The widespread effect of meditation throughout the entire brain may partly explain the brain’s resilience exhibited by seasoned meditators. 

This effect of meditation on reversing/delaying grey matter volume triggers favorable functional outcomes as well. There is very good evidence for concomitant functional changes in brain with meditation, with studies reporting that meditation:

• helps to relieve chronic stress, anxiety and depression
• curbs inflammation
• improves attention and concentration
• promotes overall psychological wellbeing

Most of these functions are associated with the grey matter. Specifically, with regard to its role in inflammation (see Chronic Inflammation and Yoga: An Update), a couple of recent research studies point to meditation’s therapeutic benefit in lowering stress and curbing chronic inflammatory conditions. In one such study, meditation training resulted in a significantly smaller post-stress inflammatory response together with reduction in emotional disturbances (see A comparison of mindfulness-based stress reduction and an active control in modulation of neurogenic inflammation). Additionally, in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, participation in a meditation program resulted in significant improvements in psychological, emotional and physical symptoms, quality of life, as well significantly lowering the levels of C-reactive protein that serves as a marker of inflammation (see The Effect of Breathing, Movement, and Meditation on Psychological and Physical Symptoms and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial).

The health benefits from meditation are so striking that researchers are swearing by it, and more doctors are recommending this practice to their patients. Meditation has gained millions of converts, helping them ease a myriad of modern ailments. People who meditate agree that it is not difficult to learn, but let us also agree that it's a skill that is mastered with practice, and in time people develop the ability to achieve the meditative, relaxed states very quickly. I know if I have to choose between drugs or meditation practices to curb stress and strengthen my brain, I would choose meditation. How about you?

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