Article: Meditation Quick to Grant Improvements

Dylan DeLosAngeles, an Australian neuroscientist, recently did a study that shows that after only five days of 20 minute meditations, a variety of significant improvements had shown in subjects.

"...showed greater improvement in conflict scores on the Attention Network Test, lower anxiety, depression, anger, and fatigue, and higher vigor on the Profile of Mood States scale, a significant decrease in stress-related cortisol, and an increase in immunoreactivity."

My Thoughts: More good news!  Sorry to be on the same subject so much right now, but I love this stuff!

Any Thoughts?

http://www.mindupdate.com/?p=80

Article: Meditation Decreases Attentional Blinks

(Note: This is from an older article, in 2007, but still quite fascinating.)

A study at the University of Wisconsin shows that meditation decreases the attentional blink, or the inability of people to tell closely spaced visual subjects apart.  It also results in decreased habituation, or the tendency of the mind to give progressively weaker responses to sensory stimuli.

“To understand these phenomena let us imagine that a person who is reading quietly is suddenly disturbed by a loud noise. If the same sound is then repeated with a few seconds later his attention will again be diverted, only not as strongly nor for as long a time. If the sound is then repeated at regular intervals, the person will continue reading and become oblivious to the sound. A normal subject with closed eyes produces alpha waves on an EEG tracing. An auditory stimulation, such as a loud noise normally obliterates alpha waves for seven seconds or more; this is termed alpha blocking. In a Zen master the alpha blocking produced by the first noise lasts only two seconds. If the noise is repeated at 15 second intervals, we find that in the normal subject there is virtually no alpha blocking remaining by the fifth successive noise. This diminution of alpha blocking is termed habituation and persists in normal subjects for as long as the noise continues at regular and frequent intervals. In the Zen master, however, no habituation is seen. His alpha blocking lasts two seconds with the first sound, two seconds with the fifth sound, and two seconds with the twentieth sound. This implies that the Zen master has a greater awareness of his environment as the paradoxical result of meditative concentration.”

They also mention that meditation might become a common place treatment for ADD/ADHD, and that people might be able to train themselves for certain mental characteristics, such as happiness or other emotions. 

My Thoughts: I love that science is now catching up with Eastern thought.  We used to use meditation and yoga to treat our youngest son, Avery, of his ADHD; it was the best thing we had found until we finally tried medication.  I think I'm going to be trying meditation again, though: the increasing brain strength won't hurt at all.

Any Thoughts?

http://www.mindupdate.com/?p=52

Article: Neurosci Savvy Kids Smarter

A study by Carol Dweck of Stanford University showed the effect of belief on school performance.  It illustrated that children who were taught that neural connections could be formed to increase intelligence did better than those who were taught good study habits but nothing of brain plasticity.

My thoughts: This sounds like a wonderful way to help kids improve at schoolwork.  I'm going to work with my kids with it.  Also, in trying to learn more, I've found that Carol Dweck has a program for Middle and High School students (http://www.brainology.us/).  I'm hoping to check this out as well.

Any thoughts?

http://www.mindupdate.com/?p=89

Article: The Neuroscience of Meditation

In a study at New York University, Zoran Josipovic and David Heeger are studying monks at meditation for use with treating brain disorders such as stress, depression, autism, Alzheimer's, and more.

The monks, who practice a nondual form of Tibetan Buddhist meditation, are able to focus on themselves, external influences, or both simultaneously.  The study has them put into a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) machine,  where they are able to switch focuses on command, thus helping create a "map" of the "default network" of the brain.  This "default network" is the area that shows strange behavior in brain disorder patients when they are not doing any particular tests; Josipovic and Heeger think it might be associated with internal thoughts.

My Thoughts: I think this is great news, although I doubt it will be that easy. 

Any Thoughts?

 

http://www.scienceline.org/2009/08/storrs-neuroscience-meditation-fmri-brain/

Article: Moral Transformation

Kurt Gray, a doctorial student in psychology at Harvard, has just completed in April a study on the effects of moral actions and standing on strength of body and mind.

In one part, people were asked to either donate $1 to charity or spend it and then hold a 5lb bag; those who donated were able to hold the bag on average 10 seconds longer.

Similar results were found in people asked to perform or think on evil acts.

“People perceive those who do good and evil to have more efficacy, more willpower, and less sensitivity to discomfort. “By perceiving themselves as good or evil, people embody these perceptions, actually becoming more capable of physical endurance.”

My thoughts: I think that people gain the inner fortitude from, in part, being part of something bigger than themselves.  Good and evil are ties that bind them to others everywhere, and that connection can give strength.

Any thoughts?

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/04/strength-in-naughty-or-nice/

Article: Can't Buy Love, But Can Give Away Happiness

(Note: This is from an older article, in 2008, but still quite fascinating.)

Michael Norton, assistant professor of business administration in the marketing unit at the Harvard Business School, completed a study on which made people happier: having money, wishing they had money, or giving it away.  While having money and buying material possessions for themselves gave a short lasted happiness, it was the last that gave the most benefit.

"We found that people who spent the money on themselves that day weren’t happier that evening, but people who spent it on others were. The amount of money, $5 or $20, didn’t matter at all. It was only how people spent it that made them happier.”

My thoughts: This shows that happiness is contagious- the giver gets it from the receiver.  Also, the giver will get some of the "moral fortitude strength" mentioned in another article.  All in all, no downside here.

Any thoughts?

 

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/04/money-spent-on-others-can-buy-happiness/

Article: Knowing Me, Knowing You

(Note: This is from an older article, in 2008, but still quite fascinating.)

A study completed at Harvard, led by Adrianna Jenkins, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology, shows that, when asked to make suppositions about people similar to themselves, tend to be quite accurate when they draw upon their own opinions and experiences.  When asked about people dissimilar to themselves, they had no basis for thoughts, and tended to be incorrect.

“Our research helps to explain how and when people draw on their own inner experiences to make inferences about the experiences of others. “The findings suggest that the part of the brain that is responsible for introspection also helps us to understand what other people might be thinking or feeling. But this primarily seems to be the case for people who we perceive to be similar to ourselves.”

My Thoughts:  It's nice to read the science-babble details, but who didn't know empathy helps?

Any Thoughts?

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/03/study-know-thyself-and-you%e2%80%99ll-know-others-better/

Article: Meditation Helps Increase Grey Matter

(Note: This is from an older article, in 2006, but still quite fascinating.)

Brain scans show those who practice Insight Meditation an average of 40 minutes a day have thicker layers of the human cortex, a part of the brain that deals with attention and processing sensory input, as they get older, a region that usually thins with age.

"This practice helps reduce random thoughts, as people focus upon- not necessarily concentrating hard- whatever they hear or see."

My thoughts: I've always found Insight Meditation to be a fun and calming exercise.  It relaxes me and helps me slow down, reducing stress, without trying to get me to "clear out everything", something I find impossible.

Any thoughts?

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2006/01/meditation-found-to-increase-brain-size-2/