Meditation and Hypnosis change Brain Structures

The 22 January 2011 episode of the Scientific American podcast on the mind reports on a study that shows that even a short term meditation practice can change physical structures in the brain. Obviously, certain hypnosis and self-hypnosis practices would also be effective (particularly experiential mediation which is hypnosis used to enhance mediation practice).

“Recently scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital had 16 participants take an 8-week mindfulness meditation program. This sort of meditation focuses on non-judgmental awareness of sensations and feelings. Subjects practiced for about 30 minutes a day. Brain images were taken of each subject before and after the training. Scientists found increases in grey-matter density in the hippocampus—an area responsible for learning and memory. And they saw decreased density in the amygdala—which is responsible for our anxiety and stress responses.”

This is important as it shows not only that anxiety goes down with mediation and hypnosis, something which we know and have known for some time, but also that the physical structures in the brain that control that response change so that it becomes more difficult to even experience anxiety states if one has practiced mediation or self-hypnosis.

That’s a big deal. Think about applying that to education and teaching kids to meditate regularly . . . as if it is a common practice . . . and create a society where aggression and anxiety become far less usual simply because brain structures have changed.

It is important to note that while the insula – which is associated with self-awareness – was expected to change after the practice, it did not. Since previous studies of brain scans of long-term mediation practitioners have shown definite structural differences in the insula, it is assumed that such changes require much more practice over time than the current study.

Of course, as the SA folks note . . .

“All this reminds us of two things: 1) The brain is much more plastic than scientists thought even just a decade ago and 2) the way we feel—calm or anxious—can be correlated with real structural indicators in our brains.”

Listen to the podcast at http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=mediation-correlated-with-structura-11-01-22.

Want to learn how to perform meaningful experiential self-hypnosis? Check out my webpages at http://www.briandavidphillips.com for mp3s, products, trainings, and so very much more.

All the best,
Brian
http://www.briandavidphillips.com

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