Meditation has been part of our ancient human heritage for thousands of years and along with art, music and language may be unique to humankind. The ability of the human mind to contemplate itself, further developed by many religious practices over time, has been described by modern scientific researchers as ‘a family of mental training practices aimed at monitoring and regulating attention, perception, emotion and physiology’.1 Such research began in the 1950s and 1960s and since has seen almost every tool available for investigating the structure and function of the brain employed to assess that which is measurable both during meditation practice and throughout the rest of subject’s lives. A growing body of robust, high quality, controlled, scientific evidence is building that reports a range of health and well-being benefits associated with regular meditation. The remainder of this essay explores a summary of this evidence.
Invasive methods of assessing the physiological changes in the brain due to environmental and behaviour characteristics, as have been used in animal subjects2, are not possible in humans. However since the earliest studies into the effects of meditation a range of techniques have been used to identify and understand such changes. Anatomical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (aMRI) has been used to provide detail about the morphological features, size and shape, of various regions in the brain of live subjects3. This technique has been applied both before, during and after meditation to assess the state of non-meditators, changes during meditation and those brought about by long-term, regular meditation. Longitudinal studies have helped describe the effect of meditation over time.1 At the turn of the century scientists began to use Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) which measures the brain at work.4 fMRI, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Regional Cerebral Blood Flow (rCBF) techniques are usually used to measure changes in the flow of blood in the brain and correlated to brain activity. They have been used to look at the brain activity during particular kinds of meditations and task response post meditation. Electroencephalography (EEG) techniques have been used to measure electrical activity in the brain using small metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp. EEG test have helped to demonstrate changes to electrical brain waves during meditation compared with non-meditative states.5
Such EEG techniques have been used for almost 70 years and the approaches taken and reliability of results have improved over that time. EEG is an excellent tool for determining when changes in brain activity occur and at what ‘power band’ however it is poor at determining where those changes occur. Combining EEG with fMRI techniques helps identify when and where brain activity changes during (a state change) and after regular meditation (a trait change)6. The generally accepted model of electrical brain activity describes five types of ‘wave’ across different frequencies measured in cycles per second or Hertz. In order of highest to lowest Hertz they are Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta. The model generalises that our normal waking alertness is a mixture of Gamma, Beta and Alpha waves while Alpha and Theta signify relaxation and Delta signifies deep sleep. As the science develops, we are seeing a more nuanced reality with different regions of the brain exhibiting different combinations of waves at any given time. However, to aid understanding a simplification suggests that daily meditation reduces Beta waves and increases Alpha and Theta waves.7 As meditation becomes more established an increase in Gamma waves can also be identified. Variation in the scale of response to meditation on EEG spectra occurs, based on the individual due to each person having their own unique brain wave signature. However studies have shown that changes to such spectra at speed are common and follow the pattern outlined above.8
Alongside changes to the electrical activity throughout the brain both during and because of meditation daily meditation has effects both immediately and as a practice matures. Studies have suggested that changes in the brain can occur within eight weeks,9 however more recent studies have suggested 100s of hours are likely to produce long lasting trait effects.10 Structural changes to the brain have been observed including increases grey matter volume, density and cortical thickness (connection between different hemispheres of the brain) in the left hippocampus (self-awareness and empathy), the posterior cingulate (wandering thoughts and self-relevance), the pons (production of neurotransmitters – helps regulate much of the rest of the brain) and the temporo parietal junction (empathy and compassion). It is also seen that the Amygdala (fight or flight producing stress hormones associated with anxiety, fear and stress) gets smaller.11 The greater capacity to observe our own thoughts and feelings enabled by meditation and the changes to the brain have a range of health and wellness benefits. Psychological benefits include improved memory, mental clarity, greater control of thoughts and psychological stability. Physical benefits include the ‘Relaxation Repsonse’ described by Herbet Benson12; slower heart rate, lower blood pressure, triggering of the parasympathetic nervous system, improved digestion, and better sleep.12 There is also evidence of higher pain thresholds and slower aging as meditation affects telomere length.13 Emotional benefits include amplified positive feelings such as empathy and kindness and less negative feelings such as frustration and loneliness. Spiritual benefits include a sense of oneness and connection.14
Stress, anxiety, depression, and panic attacks are an increasing problem in Western society in the 21st century.7 Our bodies are equipped with powerful tools to respond to very highs stress, life threatening scenarios such as we experienced as hunter gatherers. These scenarios are far less common now however our response mechanisms are triggered very often by much lower and vastly more common stressors in our daily lives. As a result our bodies are flooded with hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Herbet Benson’s ‘Relaxation response’ highlights how mediation can help to counteract our response to stress.12 The proven neuroplasticity, ability of the brain to adapt its structure at micro scales, is enabling these benefits and this and other benefits have far reaching implications.15 A 2023 metanalysis of research between 2013 and 202116 reports that ‘beneficial effects were found for psychological stress’ in relation to adjunct treatment for long term health conditions. It is also found that it’s not just patients that benefit. A 2023 study17 reported ‘significant and rapid benefits of the practice of transcendental meditation and demonstrated positive impacts on healthcare workers in a high stress setting’.
Meditation has been practiced in many forms, by many peoples throughout human history. Modern science is now beginning to uncover, describe and build on the felt benefits reported by meditators for thousands of years.
1 Brazier, M. (2021). Oxford Handbook Of Meditation. S.L.: Oxford Univ Press. – KIERAN C. R. FOX, B. RAEL CAHN.
2 www.youtube.com. (n.d.). How Meditation Can Reshape Our Brains: Sara Lazar at TEDxCambridge 2011. [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/m8rRzTtP7Tc
3 J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2008 Jun; 47(6): 619–621. [Online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4396633/
4 Brewer, J.A., Worhunsky, P.D., Gray, J.R., Tang, Y.-Y. ., Weber, J. and Kober, H. (2011). Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(50), pp.20254–20259. doi:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1112029108.
5 Psychological Medicine, Volume 10 , Issue 2 , May 1980 , pp. 369 – 375 [Online] Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291700044147
6 Brazier, M. (2021). Oxford Handbook Of Meditation. S.L.: Oxford Univ Press. – DUSANA DORJEE
7 Pearson, M. (2011). Meditation: the stress solution. Evesham: Hothive Books.
8 Stapleton, P., Dispenza, J., McGill, S., Sabot, D., Peach, M. and Raynor, D. (2020). Large Effects of Brief Meditation Intervention on EEG spectra in Meditation Novices. IBRO Reports. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibror.2020.10.006.
9 Schulte, B. (2015). Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation not only reduces stress, here’s how it changes your brain. The Washington Post. [online] 26 May. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/.
10 Goleman, D. and Davidson, R.J. (2018). Altered traits : science reveals how meditation changes your mind, brain, and body. New York, Ny: Avery, An Imprint Of Penguin Random House Llc.
11 Mindworks Team (2017). How Meditation Changes the Brain. [online] Mindworks Meditation. Available at: https://mindworks.org/blog/how-meditation-changes-the-brain/
12 Massachusetts General Hospital. (n.d.). Tips to Manage Stress with the Relaxation Response. [online] Available at: https://www.massgeneral.org/children/inflammatory-bowel-disease/tips-to-manage-stress-with-the-relaxation-response
13 Phd, D.R. (2021). WHY WOO WOO WORKS: the science behind crystals, reiki and the things that the age of reason… tried to quash. S.L.: Hay House Uk Ltd.
14 Siegel, D.J. (2022). IntraConnected: MWe (Me + We) as the Integration of Self, Identity, and Belonging (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology). W. W. Norton & Company.
15 Ruwax (2014). Sane new world : taming the mind. London: Hodder.
16 Seekircher, J., Burgard, T. and Bošnjak, M. (2023). The Effects of Clinical Meditation Programs on Stress and Well-Being. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 231(1), pp.16–29. doi: https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000510
17 Nestor, M.S., Lawson, A. and Fischer, D. (2023). Improving the mental health and well-being of healthcare providers using the transcendental meditation technique during the COVID-19 pandemic: A parallel population study. PLOS ONE, 18(3), p.e0265046. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265046