Just Eight Weeks of Mindfulness Meditation Changes the Brain!

Just 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation produces measurable effects in the brain!

Man meditating on grass, city and sunrise sky in distance

There is a growing body of evidence that long term meditation alters brain structure and improves or enhances various aspects of brain activation and connection. Fewer studies have been done investigating the effects of short term meditation, but this is beginning to change. In October of 2016 a new analysis was published in a highly respected journal, Cognition and Brain, presenting a systematic review of neurological changes associated with just eight weeks of mindfulness meditation.

The Study

The research is a meta analysis of thirty, very carefully selected MRI and (f) MRI (brain imaging) studies drawn from a pool of 1156 articles on the effects of meditation. The selected studies met rigorous criteria. For example, the thirty studies used MRI rather than EEG, which has lower resolution, they were published in peer reviewed journals, and they used MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) or MBCT (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) training.

Findings

Results show measurable changes in several specific areas of the brain after just 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation. These are highlights.

Prefrontal cortex – This area has enhanced connections to other regions of the brain, even after short term meditation. The P F C is the center of executive control including planning, decision making, attention, and moderating social behavior. Connections to other brain regions would allow the Prefrontal cortex to better integrate information and regulate behavior.

Insula – Activity changes in this area, deep in the cortex, may reflect heightened emotional awareness.

Cingulate Cortex – Research found a variety of changes in connectivity depending on subjects. A particularly interesting finding was a decrease in Post-traumatic stress symptoms among veterans.

Hippocampus – Both more actively and more volume were reported across studies. The hippocampus is vital for both long-term memory and emotional regulation. It also works with the Prefrontal Cortex in decision making.

Amygdala – Changes in activity are observed, including decreases in activity, as well as small changes in volume. Interestingly, Mindfulness training decreases activity associated with rumination (repetitive worrying thoughts) and compassion meditation, such as LovingKindness, enhances activity associated with altruism.

The amygdala is related to stress and to our “fight or flight” response. Mindfulness meditation seems to improve the ability of the Prefrontal Cortex to inhibit this amygdala based response resulting in better emotional regulation and decreased stress.

Take away

This report indicates that brain responses to eight weeks of meditation are similar to changes seen in long-term meditation. A simple meditation practice done for a brief period each day clearly enhances experiences of well being and decreases stress. This research provides clear evidence for underlying neurological changes that can account for these subjective experiences.

Final comment

Brain research is still very new and the precise meaning and effects of changes observed through imaging are open to interpretation. What these studies show is that changes in the brain do coincide of changes in subjective experiences. Moreover, these appear after just eight weeks and simple practice.

Reference

Golink, R. A., Meijboom, R., Vernooij, M. W., & Hunink, M. (2016). 8-Week mindfulness based stress reduction induces brain changes similar to traditional long-term meditation practice – A systematic overview.   Brain and Cognition, 108, 32-41.