Science of Meditation

“…on a strictly cellular level, repeated experience can change the way the brain works. This is the why behind the how of the Buddhist teachings that deal with eliminating mental habits conducive to unhappiness.”

— Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness

“This study, which we published in 2007, provided strong evidence that the brain’s attention systems can be trained. Like any form of workout, from weight lifting to cycling to learning a second language, it causes an enduring change in the system that is engaged. In this case, that change is the ability to maintain laser-sharp concentration with less and less activity in the brain’s attention circuit.”

— Richard J. Davidson, PhD, (Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin - Madison), The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way you Think, Feel, and Live - and How You Can Change Them

“Results indicate that meditation leads to activation in brain areas involved in processing self-relevant information, self-regulation, focused problem-solving, adaptive behavior, and interoception. Results also show that meditation practice induces functional and structural brain modifications in expert meditators, especially in areas involved in self-referential processes such as self-awareness and self-regulation. These results demonstrate that a biological substrate underlies the positive pervasive effect of meditation practice....”

— Boccia M, et al. (2015) The Meditative Mind: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of MRI Studies, Biomedical Research International.

What is meditation?

Meditation describes a variety of exercises that have the effect of making us aware of and familiar with the way our minds work. There are many different forms of meditation. The simplest type of mediation is called various names: tranquility meditation, or calm abiding meditation, or awareness meditation. The basic practice consists of sitting comfortably and quietly for a short period with one’s attention resting peacefully and without effort on an object of meditation, such the breath or a sound or a body sensation.

What does meditation do?

Within the Karma Kagyu and other Buddhist traditions, meditation is practiced to develop stable attention, to free the mind of disturbing emotions, and to produce inner peace, harmony, balance, compassion, and loving kindness.

How does meditation work?

Since the 1980s, there have been hundreds of scientific studies of people who practice mindfulness mediation. Some studies focus on new, inexperienced meditators, while other studies focus on very experienced meditators. These studies indicate that meditation causes changes in brain activity, including increases in neurotransmitters and activation of brain areas associated with the sensations of happiness and well-being.