Science
Wiring the brain for life’s more challenging moments.
The notion of ‘Being’ is not a new idea. It’s an ancient concept articulated and practiced in many philosophies throughout history and shaped by a myriad of mysterious forces; our enigmatic consciousness, the acuity of insight we have into our own thoughts, values and behaviours, our perceptions and experiences, as well as the integrity of the connection we have with each other and the places we live.
Revolutionary neuroscientific research over the past few decades provides some insight into how mindfulness affects our mind, brain and body:
The potential positive benefits of mindfulness are associated with better emotional regulation, improved social interactions1, more emotionally nourishing relationships2, enhanced immunity as well as better quality sleep.
“Some of these beneficial effects are associated with increased neurogenesis; the creation of new brain cells and pathways that enable different parts of the brain to communicate with each other. This is evident in the parts of the brain associated with emotional awareness, decision making, impulse control and logical thinking (frontal cortex). It is also evident in the areas of the brain associated with sensing, feeling and noticing (sensory cortices) as well as memory (hippocampal formation).”3
Mindfulness also slows the brain’s natural tendency to thin as we get older, especially in the areas associated with attention (anterior cingulate) which is linked to dementia and our sense of self and our ‘gut-feelings’ (insula).4
Importantly mindfulness reduces the activity in the part of the brain associated with emotional regulation, fear and anxiety (amygdala) and may reduce post traumatic stress and depression.5
In a world where we are constantly outsmarted by algorithms and monitored through mass data, choosing ‘how to be’ is possibly the closest we may ever get to free will. It has the potential to impact our happiness, behaviour, health, our relationships with others, and the world around us.
"Longer term, Being offers a portable cue for reshaping our plastic brains through creating the habit of pausing and taking a breath before we react.”, whether we are automatically fed our daily words, or stop to decide how we want to be in the moment”.
– Dr Fiona Kerr, The NeuroTech Institute
This is for informational purposes only and should not substitute professional advice.
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“Being offers a portable cue for reshaping our plastic brains through creating the habit of pausing, and taking a breath before we react.”
- Dr Fiona Kerr, The NeuroTech Institute
References
1. Siegel, D. J. (2007). Mindfulness training and neural integration: Differentiation of distinct streams of awareness and the cultivation of well-being. Social Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience, 2, 259 –263.
2. Atkinson, B. J. (2013). "Mindfulness training and the cultivation of secure, satisfying couple relationships." Couple And Family Psychology: Research And Practice2, no. 2: 73-94.
3. Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., & Ott, U. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective. Perspectives on psychological science, 6(6), 537-559.
4. Treadway, M. T., & Lazar, S. W. (2009). The neurobiology of mindfulness. In Clinical handbook of mindfulness (pp. 45-57). Springer New York.
5. Bernstein, A., Tanay, G., & Vujanovic, A. A. (2011). Concurrent relations between mindful attention and awareness and psychopathology among trauma-exposed adults: Preliminary evidence of transdiagnostic resilience. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 25(2), 99-113.