Push-ups, crunches and gyms are fine for building bigger
muscles and stronger bones. But can you meditate your way to a bigger brain ?
The answer is yes, as a new study has established that
certain regions in the brains of those meditating long term were larger than
in a similar group.
A group of researchers at the University of California Los
Angeles (UCLA), used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan
the brains of people who meditate. Specifically, such people showed
significantly larger volumes of the hippocampus and areas within the orbito-frontal
cortex, the thalamus and the inferior temporal gyrus-regions known for
regulating emotions. “We know that people who consistently meditate have a
singular ability to cultivate positive emotions, retain emotional stability
and engage in mindful behaviour”, said Eileen Luders, study co-author and
postdoctoral fellow at the UCLA Lab of Neuro Imaging.
Luders and colleagues examined 44 people, 22 control
subjects and 22 who had practised Zazen, Samatha and Vipassana meditation,
among others. They had devoted an average of 24 years to the practice. More
than half of all the people who meditate said that deep concentration was an
essential part of their practice, and most meditated bet. 10 and 90 minutes
daily, said an UCLA release.
The researchers used a high-resolution, three-dimensional
form of MRI and two different approaches to measure differences in brain
structure.
These findings were published in Neuro Image.
(Source : The Times of India, dated 14.05.2009)
