Bob Chugani: How meditation rewires your brain

Some people may think that meditation is only for hippies or very spiritual persons, but studies in neuroscience suggest meditation is beneficial to everyone, at a cellular level. 

Here is an article by Bob Chugani, "a humble student of neurobiology, psychology, philosophy, Emotional Intelligence, and all things esoteric", who shares his research on meditation and its effect on brain physiology.

The brain is one of the most powerful tools in our toolbox. 

From early childhood through late adulthood, it develops, grows, evolves, as the proportion of gray matter shifts, neurons come in and out of play, and neural networks appear and disappear. This is known as Neuroplasticity. 

Research in the latter half of the twentieth century has shown that the structure and function of the brain can be altered. It is ‘plastic’. The brains of children, however, exhibit much more Neuroplasticity than adults. For adults who wish to increase their capacity for neuroplasticity, a copious amount of research shows that meditation is the key. 

In this article, we will examine some of the regions of the brain that are enhanced by meditation practices.

The Amygdala is a part of the brain concerned with fear, anxiety, and aggression. 

It triggers ‘fight or flight’ Mode in response to perceived dangers or stressors in our environment. When our amygdala triggers this response, our body releases a lot of adrenaline and cortisol. These two hormones send our body into ‘panic mode’, our prefrontal cortex (the thinking, logical, rational part of our brain) stops responding. We say things we don't mean and we do things we instantly regret. Our gut stops digesting food and assimilating nutrients, and our immune system becomes weak and crippled.

In a study conducted in 2011, fMRI brain scans of people before and after 8 weeks of mindful meditation training demonstrated reduced electrical activity in the amygdala. In a fact, the participants had fewer “fear anxiety and aggression signals” bouncing around their brains. in addition, the participants dramatically decreased the size/volume of their amygdalae and it didn't take years either, they accomplished this in less than two months.

The Prefrontal Cortex is the part of the brain associated with language, calculation, cognition, and abstraction. 

It’s the part of us that is able to solve problems and understand intricacies. When we are not stressed, we can carefully consider consequences before making decisions, we do not respond In a rash, careless manner. 

A 2005 study by Harvard scientist Dr. Sara Lazar found that experienced meditators had more neural density, thickness, folds, and electrical activity within their prefrontal cortex. This is turn allows for better control of the Amygdala and leads to less fearful, anxious, and aggressive responses.

Many people believe that "achieving and receiving" makes for the happiest life but research turns up contrary findings. True happiness comes from practicing compassion. It is when we help others when we feel connected to the world, when we give expecting nothing in return, when we are kind just to be kind, and when we can see ourselves in others that life takes on meaning and purpose. 

A study conducted by UCLA School of Medicine found that this part of the brain was highly active while subjects were in meditation sessions.

The Parietal Lobe is the part of the brain that lights up when we feel lonely, isolated, and disconnected. Most of us know that we need to sleep well, eat right, and exercise, but very few of us realize just how important "human connectedness" is to our overall mental, emotional, and physical well-being. We are social animals. 

According to a study referenced in PLOS Medicine Journal, people with the most social relationships (both quantity and quality) are not only much happier, but live 50%+ longer than lonely, socially disconnected people. 

Brain scans done at the University of Pennsylvania show that not only do seasoned meditators’ frontal lobes activate (as has been demonstrated by many other studies) but their parietal lobes simultaneously become inactive. 

When people lose their sense of self during meditation, feeling a sense of oneness, this results in a blurring of the boundary between self and others with no sense of space or time. By making us feel connected to everyone and everything, meditation cancels out the detrimental mental, emotional, and physical effects of loneliness.

The Corpus Callosum is the network of nerves that cross-link the brain’s left and right hemispheres. 

Each hemisphere is a conscious system in its own right, perceiving, thinking, remembering, reasoning, willing, and emoting. Like a dominant hand, most of us heavily favor one side of our brain. Studies suggest that left-brained people are generally more logical, practical, and analytical, often better at math and science. Right-brained people are generally more imaginative, intuitive, and sensual, often excelling at philosophy and the arts. 

Other research suggests that highly creative people are actually "whole brain" thinkers rather than just "right-brain" thinkers. Brain imaging studies have shown that highly successful, massively creative people use both brain halves in a much more balanced and integrated way than the rest of us. 

A UCLA School of Medicine study, conducted in 2012, found that the corpus callosum, the cables of nerves bridging the brain hemispheres, was remarkably stronger, thicker, and more well connected in meditation practitioners. Meditation harmonizes and integrates both hemispheres for greater creativity, better focus, and excellent mental health.

In the next article, Bob will introduce meditation's effect on the Hippocampus, the Temporoparietal Junction, and also the meaning of Heart-Brain Coherence.

Stay tuned!

Bob Chugani is a certified Heart Math coach/mentor, public speaker, teacher, and humble student of neurobiology, psychology, philosophy, Emotional Intelligence, and all things esoteric. He is the CEO of Epic Heart Math, a company dedicated to helping people manage their stress and optimize their sleep. He has lived in China for over 10 years and considers the county his home.

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