“The amygdala, a key node in the brain’s stress circuitry, shows dampened activity from a mere thirty or so hours of MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) practice.” —Altered Traits by Goleman and Davidson
This books is a fascinating collection of all the science studies of meditation, including a historical look at how far Western understanding has come. There are measurable brain changes at 30 hrs (approx the 8 weeks I just finished)—and I can *feel* it. In fact, I felt the effects (not just temporary, but changing my baseline) much sooner—it’s part of why I’m continuing to pursue the practice with enthusiasm. Everything I’ve heard says the cumulative effect continues to grow, and the science is backing that up:
“But when Richie’s group divided the seasoned meditators into those with the least hours of practice (lifetime average 1,849 hours) and the most (lifetime average 7,118), the results showed that the more hours of practice, the more quickly the amygdala recovered from distress.”
This is literal brain hacking.
My husband recently asked “What’s something new you’ve learned in the last six months?” (it’s a thing he’s doing), and my response was “I learned that I can alter my state of consciousness and the structure of my brain with just my thoughts.” Which is a heck of a thing. #Mindjack
I’m off this morning to do some back exercises and meditation, then I’ll be ready to do that other thing I use my mind for: writing.
(Original post here.)