The Science
Meditation isn't new. It's not a new age or some hippy-dippy thing for stoners and yoga pant-wearing types. The earliest known records mentioning meditation are found in India from about 1500 BCE; however, historians believe that the practice of meditation is older than that and that meditation was practiced as early as 3000 BCE. (1) While meditation may have been a way for early people (and people today) to commune with God or a higher power, an ever-growing secular practice of meditation is developing, and the science of meditation is growing with it. Meditation brings a sense of peace and relaxation, and it may give practitioners a literal moment to breathe. However, the developing science of meditation claims it does much more.
Our brains are amazing! Even now, our brains are doing thousands of different processes, from generating new cells and destroying old and non-functioning or mutated cells. It's sending electrical signals pumping our hearts and making us breathe. It is managing our memories, knowing what information to discard and what to store. It is processing the letter symbols on this page and decoding them into sentences while simultaneously comprehending what is written. However, our brains aren't perfect machines, and the evolution of our brains simultaneously moves very quickly and very slowly. Our brains are very good at addressing danger but very bad at recognizing what is and is not truly dangerous. Our ancestors faced stress, hardships, losses, and wins, much as we do today. However, their stressful commute to work involved fear of being attacked by a wild animal, while we fear getting reprimanded by our boss as the traffic ahead of us builds. The stress reaction is the same, but the situations are different. The issue remains, our brains see both the same.
Fight, Flight, or Freeze (FFF)
When faced with danger or stress, our brains usually tell our bodies to do one of three things. Fight our attacker, run from danger, or freeze, hoping we won't be seen or noticed. Before we even consciously interpret the threat, our amygdala reacts. Only after the amygdala rings the bell does the prefrontal cortex even interpret if the threat is, in fact, a threat. The amygdala sends signals to the hypothalamus, the hub of our autonomic nervous system (ANS). Our ANS comprises the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS is our reaction, and the PNS is our recovery. Signals to the SNS start a cascade of automatic responses. Before you know what is happening, your adrenal glands flood the body with epinephrine (adrenaline), causing the heart to beat faster, increasing blood pressure as blood bypasses the digestive system and increases flow to the muscles, heart, and lungs. Cortisol, often known as the body's stress hormone, is released, causing inflammation as it prepares your body to react. You breathe faster; the airways open wide to take in more oxygen. Your senses become sharper. Your glucose levels rise as your body releases increased sugar into your bloodstream, supplying energy to your body. (2) All while you are stuck in traffic!
So what does this have to do with meditation? Studies done with functional MRIs have shown us how meditation affects the brain and how a regular meditation practice changes the brain over time. Using fMRIs, there is evidence that meditation shrinks the amygdala, creating less activation and strengthening the pathway between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. (3) A study by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and with grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have shown that long- and short-term meditation improves automatic emotional regulation. (4) Those who meditate, even those who only have been meditating for a relatively short time, are slower to react to outside stimuli. Their amygdala is slower to react, allowing the prefrontal cortex to better interpret if an event is an actual threat activating the FFF response.
Brain Chemicals
Studies show practicing meditation can directly impact the level of these crucial neurotransmitters in the brain. Mindfulness can have a measurable impact on these brain chemicals: (5)
Serotonin—increases this "feel good" chemical to help regulate mood.
Cortisol—decreases this stress hormone.
DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone)—boosts levels of this longevity hormone
GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid)—improves the calming effect of this major inhibitory transmitter in your central nervous system (CNS)
Endorphins—increase the "natural high" of this overall happiness neurotransmitter.
Growth Hormone—elevates levels of this youth-preserving chemical that naturally declines with age.
Melatonin—boosts this "sleep hormone" responsible for restful sleep and helps regulate mood.
In short, meditation can change your brain, and there is quite a bit of research and study backing this up. The science of meditation is still evolving, and there are breakthroughs all the time. What is known today, however, is that regular meditation increases memory, focus and attention, emotional regulation, improves digestion, lowers blood pressure, reduces anxiety, slows the aging process, lowers cortisol levels, helps control pain, and decreases muscle tension.
Sur-Thrive Wellness offers group and 1:1 meditation guidance. Book a free consultation, and we can work together to build your meditation practice. And check out the events page for meditation meetings and classes near you or virtually online.
My dear readers, May you be healthy. May you be safe. May you be loved.
In lovingkindness,
Krystal Linn, RMT, CHt, CLC, CMT
1. https://www.news-medical.net/health/Meditation-History.aspx#:~:text=The%20earliest%20documented%20records%20that,as%20early%20as%203000%20BCE
5. https://askthescientists.com/brain-meditation/
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