How Does Meditation Change the Brain? - Instant Egghead #54

Meditation can sharpen attention, strengthen memory and improve other mental abilities. Scientific American editor Ferris Jabr examines the changes in brain structure behind some of these benefits.

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More to explore:

Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain, UCLA researchers say (UCLA)

Mental Training Affects Distribution of Limited Brain Resources (PLOS Biology)

The American Psychological Association on the benefits of mindfulness

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Credits:
Written & presented by Ferris Jabr
Line art by Scott Brundage & Eric R. Olson
Production assistant: Joss Fong
Produced & edted by Eric R. Olson

[kcdtran]

I started practicing meditation on a daily basis about six months ago and I have recently come to realize that most of the people around me are often times hasty, hurried, reactive, distracted, agitated, and impatient. I used to be very much like them.

[LJP]

Meditation has changed me 💯 %. My faves are the body scan meditations

[jorgezavala]

Meditation changed my life guys!!! you should try it! after 2 months i've seen changes that amaze me... before meditation i though i couldn't change but after man.. im a new person

[yamasyc]

I feel so energetic after I meditate. I also more positive and happy after a session (even a short one)

[kennytheripper]

I'm 15 now and I've been doing this meditation since lockdown period. I did this almost 3 hours a day, and the results are ground breaking and life changing. Ive received enlightment. Now I know what really my mind and my body is.


edit :- I left all these things, and am now a devoted INTJ working towards my goal. Though what i knew will always be true, but that stopped me from my responsibilities and role in this life. I'm now focusing on my career, indeed, with my continual meditative ecstacy.

[ihavevisionfearme]

Meditation is basically training the mind, and what we are is the basically the brain, the brain controls everything we do so... Best to make it better.

[tomd]

I’m 42 and just started meditating trying to keep my attention on my breath. So far I have to say it’s not hard, but not as easy as it may sound. Right now I do on average probably 10 minute sessions. My stress response in many ways is poor so I’m hoping meditation can help me manage stress and perhaps increase my stress threshold. My favorite part so far is when I slowly open my eyes and the feeling of relaxation I feel. I’m from the US and our culture as a whole doesn’t seem to value slowing down. I think we could all benefit from slowing down. In some ways I think Covid introduced the idea here because we had too slow down. It gave us time to think and value some things that we weren’t before. Just my thoughts. Peace

[bunny]

Hi, I am from India.
Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda are the gifts of our forefathers to the present generation....
We must include these in our day to day life especially in such a world full of stress.

[priyanka]

I started practicing meditation because I have morning anxiety and sometimes it gets extremely hard to survive the rest of the day because of it. I really got some amazing results after a few days only.. Like throughout the day I feel full of energy and there's a sense of positivity everyday, I feel happy. Also there is one thing I noticed that earlier my head used to feel heavy as if there's some load up there but now it feels like that load is gone.... Consistency is the key to get maximum results from meditation and yoga. I'm gonna make them part of my lifestyle.

[dannybarr-qkly]

It changed my life 15 years of antidepressants gone! It’s underestimated I’m glad people can’t be bothered because people that can hold the power 😊

[freeguidedmeditationsstefan]

Meditation will influence your level of stress and will decrease it in many ways. In other words, it is a very good practice for managing your stress.

[lotusluciditysrdrealm]

I truly believe that, through sustained meditation, it can "awaken" us to fully experience our subconscious plane and introduce us to our other unexplainable extra-sensory gifts. Thus, allowing ourselves to evolve into a heightened state of being.

[derzuschauer]

Right after meditating when I open my eyes, the world looks much more colorful for a brief moment..!

[XyzEtc..]

Thanks for sharing these awesome facts! Awesome video!

[masonschwenzer]

Thank the consciousness that ive been meditating heavily and reading a dictionary since 15

[nikhat]

As I am moving forward in my mediation journey, I have realised how flawed I am. I have become more compassionate so I judge myself and others less and less every day. Although I do have rainy days when my meditation isn’t deep: I remind myself that it’s a journey, not a destination.

[TheVirtualTourist]

I'v been meditating.. on and off for almost 50 years.. My experience with meditation.. over the years is.. it never fails to surprise me.. but I have no control whatsoever on how it effects me.. I just let it happen.. Lucid dreams and visions.. Out of the body experiences.. Glimpses of the future.. Intuitive insights.. Creativity.. Wisdom.. Feeling completely intoxicated while out walking.. comparable to being on drugs. Seeing a strange pure light.. that does not originate from the sun.. but comes from somewhere deep inside me.. Levels of consciousness that I didn’t know existed.. that overwhelm me with their beauty and feelings of bliss.. etc.

This is not something that the human-race should ignore.. IT’S A HIDDEN TREASURE.. inside us all. Just like the iceberg.. there is so much more to every one of us.. than what meets the eye.. what Jung referred to as – THE UNDISCOVERED SELF .

"That which the dream shows is the shadow of such wisdom as exists in man, even if during his waking state he may know nothing about it... We do not know it because we are fooling away our time with outward and perishing things, and are asleep in regard to that which is real within ourself."

- Philipus Aureolus Paracelsus

[learnerlearns]

Practicing music is a superb meditation too.

[RicoEvans]

Just Completed Day 5 Of My Meditation.. Phase

[FreeMeditations]

Great Video! Thank you for creating and sharing! :)