Research on meditation

Scenes of Inner Taksang, temple hall, built just above the cave where Padmasambhava meditated

 

Research on the processes and effects of meditation is a growing subfield of neurological research. Modern scientific techniques and instruments, such as fMRI and EEG, have been used to see what happens in the body of people when they meditate, as well as its long term effects. Meditation changes the brain. These studies have shown substantial bodily changes as a consequence of regular meditative practice, including growth in regions of the brain activated according to the style of meditation, regions involved with compassion and understanding others, being mindfully aware, sustaining focus on a single object for a long period, and others. Meditation is similar to learning other skills like how to ride a bike or play the piano.

Since the 1950s, 3,000 studies on meditation have been performed and yet many of the early studies had multiple flaws and thus yielded less conclusive data. More recent reviews have pointed out many of these flaws with the hope of guiding current research into a more fruitful path. One report assessed that the therapeutic effects of meditation practices cannot be established based on the current literature. It concluded that further research needs to be directed toward the definition of meditation – a clear conceptual definition of meditation being required.

Meditation has been practiced within religious traditions since ancient times, especially within monastic centers. These days there also exist many secular programs in the West including mindfulness-based programs. Today mindfulness-based meditative practices have become popular within the Western medical and psychological community.