Can Mediation Benifit Me Even If I Have Little Experience?

Meditation is in the news again, thanks to a study published this week which compared experienced and  beginning meditators.

Study:  Researchers at Yale did functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans on 24 participants: half of whom were experienced meditators and half who were novices.  Functional MRI is a form of imaging which allows you to map blood flow changes in the brain as it works. The 12 experienced meditators had reduced activity in a part of the brain called “the default mode network” but had more activity in the posterior cingulate, dorsal anterior cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex  - all parts of the brain that manage “self-monitoring or thought control”.

According to the researchers, many traditions state that “living in the moment” promotes happiness, but the “default mode” of most humans seems to be to let their minds wander, which can correlate with unhappiness.  In this study, novice meditators were more prone to have their minds wander, as shown by increased activity in the default mode network. In contrast,  experienced meditators had little activity in the default mode network, but much higher activity in the parts of the brain which are responsible for  self control of their thoughts – which means they can be more present and stay focused on tasks.   Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Nov 23.  Brewer JA

Commentary: CBS news took interest in this study http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500368_162-57328931/meditation-may-help-brain-tune-out-distractions/   because the default mode network has been connected to ADHD, Alzheimer's disease and anxiety.  This means that meditation may have practical applications for people with ADHD, or who are at risk for Alzheimer's disease, anxiety and other mental disorders such as depression.

 This isn’t the first study that has showed benefits for meditation for people suffering from anxiety. A study published in 1995, just as one example, had 22 patients with anxiety disorder participate in an eight week mindfulness mediation based stress reduction program. While there were immediate benefits for these patients, the study also followed up with these participants a full three years later, showing a drop in the number of panic attacks and severity of anxiety. This is important because it suggests that even doing one, short term meditation program can have long lasting benefits for anxiety reduction. In addition,  there are studies showing  that meditation can be helpful for easing for depression, lowering high blood pressure, decreasing risk of developing heart disease, and decreasing sensitivity to pain.

In addition, this new study - from my point of view - backs up research that shows both short and long term meditation practice may improve executive functioning in the brain. Executive functioning is the part of the brain responsible for working memory, problem solving, verbal reasoning, and focusing on tasks. Several studies show that long term meditation practices promote people’s executive functioning ability. A study published in 2010 showed that even four sessions of meditation can make a difference, with participants showing improvement in their visual and working memory, a lessening of anxiety and fatigue, and improving their ability to concentrate.