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 Scientists
used to believe the connections among the brain nerve cells were
set early in life and did not change in adulthood; however, with
the help of advancements in brain imaging and other techniques.
this assumption has been disproved In fact, scientists have come
to grasp the concept of ongoing brain development.
Studies have indicated that mental training through meditation
can change the inner workings of the brain and allow people to achieve
different levels of awareness.
By working with Tibetan monks, scientists
have been able to:
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Translate mental experiences into a scientific language of
high-frequency gamma waves and brain coordination
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Identify the left prefrontal cortex of the brain -- an area just
behind the left forehead -- as a place where brain activity associated
with meditation is particularly intense
In one study, scientists hooked up eight of the Dalai Lama's most
accomplished practitioners (with an estimated 10,000 to 50,000 hours
of meditation training) and 10 student volunteers (with one week
of training) for electroencephalograph (EEG) testing and brain scanning.
The subjects were fitted with a net of 256 electrical sensors and
asked to meditate on unconditional compassion for short periods
of time. The sensors picked up slight bursts of electrical activity -- caused
by thinking and other mental motion -- as large groupings of neurons
sent messages to each other.
The Results
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Sensors picked up much greater activation of fast-moving, powerful
gamma waves in the monks, compared to the students
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The movement of the waves through the brain were better organized
and coordinated in the monks than in the students
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The highest levels of gamma waves were found in monks who spent
the most years meditating; intense gamma waves have been associated
with knitting together dissimilar brain circuits and are connected
to higher mental activity and heightened awareness
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It was concluded that meditation not only alters the workings
of the brain in the short-term, but quite possibly permanently
Washington
Post January 3, 2005
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