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Mindfulness meditation is widely adopted by business professionals, and it became a topic of discussion when Apple founder Steve Jobs and Microsoft founder Bill Gates were reported to practice it. This article explains the effects of mindfulness meditation on the brain and its benefits from a neuroscientific perspective in an easy-to-understand manner. If you are interested in learning more about the effects of mindfulness meditation and its mechanisms, please read on to the end. |
What is Mindfulness Meditation?
Many people might wonder, "What is mindfulness meditation?" or "What does mindfulness mean?"
Here, we will explain what mindfulness is and its different types.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is defined by the Japanese Association for Mindfulness as "intentionally directing one's awareness to the present moment experience, observing it without judgment and without attachment[1]."
"Just observing" means also observing the mental processes that arise from stimuli received through the five senses: seeing (sight), hearing (sound), smelling (smell), tasting (taste), and touching (touch)[2].
When people are caught up in emotions like anxiety or impatience, their minds are often focused on the past or future, rather than the "here and now."
Repeatedly thinking about past events with anger or future anxieties is called "rumination."
Rumination further amplifies anger and anxiety, causing us distress.
Continuously experiencing strong emotions like anger or anxiety consumes a vast amount of energy, leading to exhaustion and ultimately mental health issues such as depression.
By "focusing on the here and now" and "just observing," we can accept emotions like future anxieties, impatience, anger over past events, and dejection as they are, which helps prevent mental health issues such as depression.
Types of Mindfulness
Mindfulness includes the following types:
● Mindfulness meditation
● Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
● Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn based on mindfulness meditation.
MBSR is an eight-week program, and its scientifically proven effectiveness has led to its use in various medical institutions for stress reduction, chronic physical pain, prevention of depression relapse, and treatment of anxiety and panic disorders.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) combines MBSR with cognitive behavioral therapy and is used as a treatment for people with mental illnesses such as depression.
In 2007, Google developed "Search Inside Yourself (SIY)," which has gained attention in the business world.
In the business context, it is used for purposes such as stress management and improving work productivity.
The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on the Brain
What kind of impact does mindfulness meditation have on the human brain?
Here, we will explain the impact of mindfulness meditation on the brain.
Mindfulness Increases Brain Gray Matter
In 2010, research conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, among others, titled "Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density," revealed the impact of mindfulness on the brain.
This study found that participants who practiced Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for eight weeks showed an increase in the volume of brain gray matter.
The neuroscientific effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction were thus proven.
Increased Gray Matter in the Hippocampus Leads to Stress Reduction and Emotional Stability
Brain gray matter refers to the region in the central nervous system, including the brain, where nerve cells are densely concentrated.
It has been observed that people with depression or PTSD often experience a reduction in the volume of a brain region called the hippocampus.
Since the hippocampus is involved not only in memory but also in emotional regulation, an increase in the volume of hippocampal gray matter is said to reduce stress and stabilize emotions.
Thus, the previously mentioned study demonstrating an increase in brain gray matter volume scientifically proves that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction can reduce stress and stabilize emotions.
Decreased Gray Matter in the Amygdala Reduces Overreaction to Stress
Furthermore, a research report titled "Stress reduction correlates with structural changes in the amygdala" revealed that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction also reduces gray matter in the amygdala of the brain.
It was also reported that the greater the decrease in stress levels, the greater the reduction in amygdala volume.
The amygdala in the brain is the center of emotion and is particularly deeply involved in anxiety and fear.
It is said that individuals with mental illnesses such as depression or PTSD, who experience intense anxiety and fear, have an overactive amygdala, making them more prone to overreacting to stress.
By practicing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, the amygdala's volume decreases, which in turn reduces amygdala activity, leading to a diminished degree of anxiety and fear in response to stress.
In other words, practicing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction means that amygdala activity decreases, making one less prone to overreacting to stress.
Mindfulness Meditation Also Affects the Default Mode Network (DMN)
Mindfulness is said to also affect the brain's activity called the Default Mode Network (DMN).
The Default Mode Network is a brain activity deeply linked to ruminative thinking.
There are reports suggesting that mindfulness meditation has the effect of calming the Default Mode Network, which is associated with ruminative thinking. Therefore, this section will explain what the Default Mode Network is and the impact of mindfulness meditation on it.
DMN is like a car idling
The Default Mode Network is a neural circuit in the brain that becomes active when we are vaguely resting.
To use a car analogy, it's like an idling engine.
Just like a car, if the brain completely shuts down its activity, it takes time to restart and engage in focused tasks.
The function of the Default Mode Network allows us to maintain a state where we can react instantly to unexpected events.
Anxiety and other emotions intensify.
The state of "spacing out" or "mind-wandering" when the default mode network is active is called "mind-wandering."
During mind-wandering, people often amplify emotions like anxiety and fear by repeatedly engaging in thoughts that trigger them (rumination).
To prevent rumination from intensifying emotions such as anxiety and fear, it is effective to reduce the activity of the default mode network and make mind-wandering less likely.
A 2011 study conducted at Yale University, titled "Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity," revealed that practicing mindfulness meditation can suppress the activity of the posterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex, which are brain regions associated with the default mode network.
This suggests that mindfulness meditation can weaken the function of the default mode network, making rumination less likely and thus positively contributing to emotional stability.
The brain becomes easily fatigued
A paper (Raichle, Marcus E. “The Brain’s Dark Energy” Scientific American 302.3(2010): 44-49.) reported that the energy consumption of the default mode network accounts for 60-80% of the brain's total energy consumption, indicating it is a major cause of brain fatigue.
In contrast, the brain's energy consumption during conscious work is about 5%, which illustrates how much energy the default mode network consumes.
By practicing mindfulness meditation, one can prevent the default mode network from becoming overactive, thereby also expecting a reduction in brain fatigue.
Information is organized and creativity is enhanced
The default mode network also plays a role in organizing information within the brain.
When information in the brain is disorganized, it cannot be effectively input and utilized in appropriate situations.
It's like being in a messy room where you can't find what you need when you need it.
When the default mode network functions normally, information in the brain is organized, allowing for appropriate information to be utilized when needed. This can lead to the connection of accumulated information in the brain, fostering innovative ideas and enhancing creativity.
However, if the default mode network becomes overactive, it can easily lead to being caught up in emotions such as anxiety, fear, and anger, making it difficult to enhance creativity.
Practicing mindfulness meditation to adjust the activity of the default mode network can improve emotional control and is also expected to enhance creativity.
The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation
Here, we will introduce the effects of mindfulness meditation.
Relieves Stress and Anxiety
Mindfulness meditation is said to have the effect of reducing stress and anxiety.
As mentioned earlier, practicing mindfulness meditation and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction calms the activity of the amygdala, which controls emotions such as anxiety and fear, thereby making one less prone to overreacting to stressful situations.
Enhances the ability to control emotions
Practicing mindfulness meditation is believed to increase gray matter in the hippocampus, a brain region that influences memory and emotional regulation. This is expected to enhance the ability to control emotions such as anger and sadness, in addition to anxiety and fear.
There are reports indicating that individuals who practiced mindfulness meditation showed improvement in their ability to control emotions such as anger and sadness, and that their angry reactions to stress were suppressed[3].
Furthermore, it is also said that practicing mindfulness meditation helps one focus on the "here and now," accept arising emotions as they are, and objectively observe one's own feelings, which positively influences the ability to control emotions.
Improves concentration and attention
Mindfulness meditation can also improve concentration and attention.
As mentioned earlier, it has been reported that individuals who practiced Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, which was developed based on mindfulness meditation, showed increased activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.
The prefrontal cortex of the brain is responsible not only for emotional control but also for concentration and attention, so activating the prefrontal cortex can improve concentration and attention.
In the business world, many people use mindfulness meditation to improve concentration and attention.
Furthermore, by maintaining the default mode network in a moderately active state, there is also a possibility of enhancing creativity.
Summary
In this article, we discussed the impact of mindfulness meditation on the brain.
Currently, numerous studies on mindfulness are being conducted, and its effectiveness has been scientifically proven.
Therefore, it is safe to say that mindfulness meditation is a reliable method.
Mindfulness meditation is also characterized by its ease of incorporation into daily life.
Let's practice mindfulness meditation correctly and improve our quality of life.
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https://mindfulness.smoosy.atlas.jp/ja
Mindfulness meditation reduces anger, defensiveness, and Arch, J. J., Eifert, G. H., & Craske, M. G. (2014) arousal in response to provocation: A randomized controlled trial
Behavior Therapy, 45(2), 271-282.
