Meditation

because of the relationship between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex . [ 18 ] In very simple terms, the amygdala is the part of the brain that decides if we should get angry or anxious (among other things), and the pre-frontal cortex is the part that makes us stop and think about things (it is also known as the inhibitory centre). The prefrontal cortex is very good at analyzing and planning, but it takes a long time to make decisions. The amygdala, on the other hand, is simpler (and older [ 19 ] in evolutionary terms). It makes rapid judgments about a situation and hasa powerful effect on our emotions and behaviour,linked to survival needs. For example, if a human sees a lion leaping out at them, the amygdala will trigger a fight or flight response long before the prefrontal cortex responds. But in making snap judgments, our amygdalas are prone to error [ citation needed ] , such as seeing danger where there is none. [ citation needed ] This is particularly true in contemporary society where social conflicts are far more common than encounters with predators, and a basically harmless but emotionally charged situation can trigger uncontrollable fear or anger — leading to conflict, anxiety, and stress. [ 20 ] Gray and White Matter Studies done by Yale, Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital have shown that meditation increases gray matter in the brain and slows down the deterioration of the brain as a part of the natural aging process. The experiment included 20 individuals with intensive Buddhist "insight meditation" training and 15 who did not meditate. The brain scan revealed that those who meditated have an increased thickness of gray matter in parts of the brain that are responsible for attention and processing sensory input. The increase in thickness ranged between .004 and .008 inches (3.175 x 10 −6 m - 6.35 x 10 −6 m) and was proportional to the amount of meditation. The study also showed that meditation helps slow down brain deterioration due to aging. [ 21 ] [ 22 ] A study involving the participation of a group of colleges students, who were asked to use a meditation technique called integrative body-mind training, concluded that "meditating may improve the integrity and efficiency of certain connections in the brain" through an increase in their number and robustness [ 23 ] Brain scans showed strong white matter changes in the anterior cingulate cortex . [ 24 ] Dr. James Austin, a neurophysiologist at the University of Colorado , reported that meditation in Zen "rewires the circuitry" of the brain in his book Zen and the Brain (Austin, 1999). This has been confirmed using functional MRI imaging, a brain scanning technique that measures blood flow in the brain. [ citation needed ] Theoria Fifteen Carmelite nuns came from the monastery to the laboratory to enter a fMRI machine whilst meditating, allowing scientists there to scan theirbrains using fMRI while they were in a state known as Unio Mystica (and also Theoria ). [ 25 ] The results showed that far-flung parts of the brain were recruited in the sustaining of this mystical union with God. [ 25 ] During a meditation test, using fMRI two states were compared. Activity during the last 6 minutes of meditation and activity during 6 minutes of controlled meditation. As a result, in the controlled analysis increases were found in putamen, midbrain, pregenual anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampal/parahippocampal formation. However, in the last 6 minutes multiple foci of activation within prefrontal, parietal and temporal cortices as well as in the precentral and postcentral gyri, and hippocampal/parahippocampal formation were identified. The article [ 26 ] shows activation during meditation. The prompt values were analyzed at the Mind-Body Medical Institute. Meditation and EEG Electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings of skilledmeditators showed a significant rise in gamma wave activity in the 80 to 120 Hz range during meditation. There was also a rise in the range of 25 to 42 Hz. These meditators had 10 to 40 years of training in Buddhist-based mental [ clarification needed ] training. EEG done on meditators who had received recent training demonstrated considerably less rise. [ 27 ] The experienced meditators also showed increased gamma activity while at rest and not meditating. [ 27 ] During meditation there is a modest increase in slow alpha or theta wave EEG activity. [ 27 ] [ 28 ] Chang and Lo found different results, explicable perhaps by