The Latest Research on Meditation

A great deal of new research into our emotions has become possible with the advent of functional MRI scans (fMRIs). Huge advances in the understanding of human psychology have spawned an industry of books, ebooks and Internet self help resources as a result of the findings unearthed by this technology. fMRIs work by imaging the brain dynamically, so you can get a live view of what parts of the brain are more active than others at any one time. Professor Richard Davidson, psychiatrist and director of the Heath Emotions Research Institute, led a team that studied a group of Tibetan monks. The monks agreed to undergo fMRI scanning whilst meditating. What Davidson found was that they tended to demonstrate increased activity in the right tempero-parietal junction of the brain. This is the part of the brain that enables us to discern the feelings of others – i.e. to possess empathy. Meditation also helps to regulate ones feelings and emotions and so develop a sense of self compassion – a pre-requisite to the presence of compassion for others.

The many benefits of meditation have been experienced and explored by ever broadening circles of people for millennia now from spiritual scriptures to Internet self help sites. It is well known that moments of stillness are a powerful way to balance the various pressures within and without us – almost facilitating the flow of traffic in our daily lives in a more manageable and less chaotic way. Compassion, of course, is something that experienced meditators – Buddhist and otherwise – have been highlighting as the ultimate goal of meditation for centuries. The actual experience of meditation is often described as one of “connectedness”. The act of meditation leads to a melding of boundaries between the person and the outside world so that emotions and sensations are felt more acutely both within and without; this is made possible by the awareness of a deeper layer of peace and tranquillity underlying all.