'Much of what scientists have found so far isn't so surprising, but it doesn't confirm long-held associations about what parts of the brain fire up during meditation,' writes Alex Tzelnic
, it has been understood that one’s mind is directly impacted by the physical make-up of the brain. Yet Lazar’s research revealed the reverse: One’s brain can be directly impacted by the mind and the way one chooses to direct one’s attention. For the first time, researchers could correlate the self-reported reduced stress and anxiety of meditators with a shrunken amygdala, underscoring the fact that shifting our mental state can have a physical impact on our brain state.
“People want a quick fix—for the gadgets or the drugs to do all the work for us,” Lazar said. “In some circumstances they can help a person get a feel for what an advanced state is like, though neither the machines nor the drugs accurately mimic the real thing.” Her point is that mindfulness is an enduring practice, whereas a machine- or drug-induced brain state is reliant upon that intervention.
“Ultimately, for mindfulness to do its thing, we have to apply it to everyday life, to see with our own eyes when we think, say, or do something unskillful and then endeavor to learn from that and change our behavior going forward,” said Lazar. “There is no machine or drug that can help us do that, we need to do that ourselves.”
“The Buddhist view is that mind and brain are interdependent and co-arising,” said Olendzki. “Neither is the primary cause of the other, but they arise together.” Mapping out this co-arising can help us further understand the human condition, so long as we don’t place a primacy on the physical realm.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mikaela Shiffrin’s historic Olympic medal chase starts with giant slalomMikaela Shiffrin’s quest for more Olympic medals, and possibly U.S. history, will begin on defense.
Read more »
A $320 Million Crypto Hack Sends the DeFi World ReelingPlus: News Corp gets hacked, UK snacks ransomware, and more of the week's top security news.
Read more »
New Findings Show Dietary Supplement May Mimic the Benefits of ExerciseA recent study shows the benefits of selenium supplements on brain health.
Read more »
Pamela Anderson Didn't Sign Off On Pam & Tommy. Should the Show Even Have Been Made?The story of her sex tape theft is a murky combination personal nightmare and public cultural history.
Read more »
DeChambeau says injury due to fall not a quest for distanceBig-hitting Bryson DeChambeau on Saturday shot down any notion that his withdrawal from this week's Saudi International with injury was a byproduct of his quest for even greater distance off the tee and instead blamed it on a recent fall.
Read more »
News Corp. says China likely behind hack of emails and documentsA cybersecurity expert suspects China in a breach of email accounts and documents that affected Dow Jones, News UK and the New York Post.
Read more »