December 3, 2011

People who meditate regularly may tune out distractions and concentrate better than those who don’t meditate, according to a Yale University study published on November 23 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers from Yale University, the University of Oregon and Columbia University used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan the brains of both experienced and novice meditators while they practiced three different forms of meditation. Across all three meditation techniques, the experienced meditators showed decreased activity in the part of the brain known as the “default-mode network”, which according to the study is associated with mind-wandering and “me” thoughts.

"One of the things that meditation and basic mindfulness seems to be doing is quieting down this region of the brain," said Judson A. Brewer, PhD., lead author and associated professor of psychiatry at Yale University, in a November 22 article by ABC News. "It absolutely makes sense, given what we know about the default-mode network.”

The MRI scans also showed that when the default-mode network was active in experienced meditators, portions of the brain associated with self-monitoring were also activated. This co-activation was not present for novices and shows how thoughts of experienced meditators can stay focused even when the brain is offline.

"The default mode is when you ruminate, think about yourself, or daydream," said Brewer in a November 21 WebMD article. "Everybody has it, but experienced meditators have a different type."

According to the ABC News article, Brewer said meditation isn't a cure for mental illness, but his study suggests that there may be a neurological basis for the reported benefits of meditation such as increased awareness, better concentration, and an increased ability to deal with the mental and emotional stresses of modern life.

Sources: Yale News, ABC News, WebMD

Study: Brewer, Judson A., et al. “Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity.” PNAS 2011 ; published ahead of print November 23, 2011, doi:10.1073/pnas.1112029108.

Dave Gorczynski is president of SPARK, a non-profit organization that has provided free energy work sessions and workshops across New York City since 2002. He writes a regular column about energy work and meditation for the Compact News in New York City's Chinatown. E-mail him at dave@sparkenergy.org.