Re-Molding the Brain
Meditation is one of the least used forms of self-healing known to man. It is also one of the most effective. When it is used correctly under the guidance of a “master” it is extraordinarily effective. When used improperly it can be a method of self-destruction and lead to emotional toxicity.
Like the word “love,” Westerners have emasculated the word “meditation.” We have no concept of what the word technically means in relationship of enlightenment or mental well-being, which are arguably closely related events. The word itself has no real meaning to most people. Neuroscientists do have a definition, or better description, for meditation. For them word meditation describes a variety of directed mental activities. Some define it as a type of concentration, others as a self-study of mental processes, and yet others as a method for transcending ordinary worry and concerns. Overall, meditation can have mental and physiological effects such as relieving pain, anxiety, stress, and high blood pressure.
Interestingly, different types of meditation incite different anatomical changes in the brain, but all have some similar effects. This is yet another example of an activity directed at individual neuroplasticity — the effect of thought on the brain. Because of the effects of meditation on the brain, meditation was recently taken of the list of alternative and auxiliary health care by the Institute for Health in the US. Meditation is now considered mainstream. Unfortunately, the vast number of psychologists have only a vague notion of what they are doing when they introduce meditation to their patients. They also charge for the training, anywhere from $75 to $125 an hour. To make the situation more sad, many of these professionals are ordained Buddhist monks who engage in what we call “Fairy Dust Dharma.” The patient would probably be better served by going to a meditation teacher, hopefully Buddhist, where they will get accurate and authentic teaching at a fraction of the cost.
We’ll specifically talk about three typical forms of meditation. There are more to be sure, but these are examples of the most popular forms today.
1. There is a type of meditation called “compassion meditation” by some in the West. In various parts of Asia it is called metta meditation and in Tibet is is called tonglen (lentong in China). The metta meditation was introduced by the Buddha during his life time. It challenges us to wish well-being and happiness to everyone, first ourselves, then our loved ones, then strangers, enemies, the whole world and all living beings. The meditation can be quite lengthy and time consuming but worth the effort. It changes our focus from self-absorption to loving kindness for all sentience.
Tonglen was introduced to Tibet by the Indian master Atisha (born 982 CE), who learned it in Sumatra. The instructions were first committed to writing by Geshe Langri Tangpa (1054 - 1123 CE). Geshe is the Tibetan equivalent to a Doctorate in Buddhist Studies. Geshe Lagri was a Kadampa Buddhist, not to be confused with the modern version called “New Kadampa Tradition.” Geshe Langr’s Kadampa was somewhat different from the contemporary version. For one, it was not committed to tantra and never referred to itself as Vajrayana and rarely even as Mahayana, even though they were part of that movement. Referring to themselves as Kadam, this school of Buddhism was devoted to sutrayana (study of the sutra) , the Abhidhamma, and very much a lay led movement. Kadampa had more in common with today’s Hongaku school than with contemporary Buddhism.
Geshe Langri Tangpa, who was said to be an emanation of the Buddha Amitabha, took Atisha’s tonglen teaching and expressed them in a poem called Eight Verses on Training the Mind. It reads,
- By thinking of all sentient beings
As more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel
For accomplishing the highest aim,
I will always hold them dear. - Whenever I’m in the company of others,
I will regard myself as the lowest among all,
And from the depths of my heart
Cherish others as supreme. - In my every action, I will watch my mind,
And the moment destructive emotions arise,
I will confront them strongly and avert them,
Since they will hurt both me and others. - Whenever I see ill-natured beings,
Or those overwhelmed by heavy misdeeds or suffering,
I will cherish them as something rare,
As though I’d found a priceless treasure. - Whenever someone out of envy
Does me wrong by attacking or belittling me,
I will take defeat upon myself,
And give the victory to others. - Even when someone I have helped,
Or in whom I have placed great hopes
Mistreats me very unjustly,
I will view that person as a true spiritual teacher. - In brief, directly or indirectly,
I will offer help and happiness to all my mothers,
And secretly take upon myself
All their hurt and suffering. - I will learn to keep all these practices
Untainted by thoughts of the eight worldly concerns.
May I recognize all things as like illusions,
And, without attachment, gain freedom from bondage.
Rigpa Translations. Revised 2012.
The remarkable thing found in this work is the consistent aspiration to be compassionate, as it that were all that there is. The last verse contains the secret as to why such a meditation might steer a person toward enlightenment. “May I recognize all things as like an illusion… without attachment, gain freedom from bondage.” This verse recognizes anatta, “not-self” as a reality. It invites to love and cherish others above ourself because we are not who or what we seem to be. Our identity is fully dependent upon the identity we perceive others to have.
These types of meditation, the metta, and the tonglen, emphasize “loving kindness and compassion towards others. A practitioner moves away from ordinary concerns and mundane worries, stress (dukkha) and concentrates on love and compassion. Ordinary stress declines and sometimes vanishes for a time. Our problems seem less important than the issues facing others. We feel better about our circumstances. We have a greater sense of well-being and it is healthier as well.
Brain imagery done on people engaged in this type of meditation shows a pronounced increase of activity in the frontal lobe area, the conscious decision making area. This area is linked with positive emotion and self-control. There was also noted increased activity in the thalamus that regulates and filters sensory and motor signals from the higher cortical centers. Activity in the parietal region, associated with spatial and visual information correspondingly decreased. Measurements of electrical activity of the brain done with an electroencephalograph (EEG) shows increased frequency ranges related to concentration.
2. Another type of meditation is mindfulness, which involves the release of bodily and sensory attachment by focusing on the present. Practitioners of this meditation shift their attention to their breath, their heartbeat, their inner thoughts, or an object. It is technically, a meditation that allows sensations, including thoughts, to arise, be noted and pass away without engaging them. It is based on total non-judgement, an absolute relinquishment of preconception and an absolute acceptance of what arises.
Meditators experience substantial physical increases in the number of neurons and neuronal connections in sections of their cortex. Those sections are:
- The right frontal cortex, related to concentration;
- The right insula, related to emotions; and
- The right parietal and temporal lobes related to touch and sound.
A recent study also showed that after eight weeks brain imaging showed reduction in the volume of the amygdala, related to anxiety, stress, and the “fight or fight” response while at the same time an increase in the number of neurons in the hippocampus, related to learning and memory. Fear and apprehension decrease. Learning and memory become heightened.
3. A third type of meditation, called ‘Transcendental Meditation,” has the mind play a specific sound in the background which is chosen from the ancient tradition of meditation. At first the sound buzzes in the mental background like a song stuck in our head. Gradually, this breaks attachments to other thoughts and experiences. In this type of meditation, the frontal and parietal regions, associated with attention, grow more active. On the other hand, regions of the thalamus, related to sensory input, and basal ganglion, to choosing behaviors and actions show decreased activity. Finally, the EEG readings show that many brain regions have increased coherence. That is, brainwaves tend to be more “in phase,” passing through the brain in a more rhythmic and orderly manner.
In February 2012 a study of a variety of meditation techniques showed increased connectivity in the areas related to memory, learning and emotion, including centers in cortex, spinal cord, and cerebellum. Another demonstrated all the techniques discussed so far there is increased folding of the cortex, that is increased “gyrification.” Increased gyrus formation is thought to increase processing of information. Also significant in this study is that the longer people had practiced the various forms of meditation, the more this effect of increased cortical surface area was noted.
The default mode network (DMN) is the circuit in the brain that seems to correlate with daydreaming, and non-focused internal thought. It includes memories, thinking of the future, thinking about other’s thoughts and reliving experiences. When in the DMN, the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex dominates brain activity with a correspondingly slow brain wave. With experienced meditators of all the types there was decreased activity in the DMN. This implies that the mind wanders less during meditation—we just notice it more.
Science is showing us that meditators have a different default mode than people who do not meditate. They are less stressed about day-to-day matters, self-regulate more proficiently, daydream less and are more focused. There is also a tendency towards more compassion and less fear in their lives. There are now medical studies that show meditators tend to have lower blood pressure, greater awareness of their physical bodies and even heightened healing and more effective immune systems. There is no reason not to meditate but every reason why you should.
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