What Happens to these Four Brain Parts When Meditating?

Numerous studies have pointed out that meditation has contributed to a lot of benefits in our body’s functionalities. The common ones include decreasing anxiety and stress levels. But is that all that there is to meditation? How does it affect the operations of other body organs like the brain? In this article, we are going to dig deeper into how meditation helps the brain produce certain signals that alert us about our unhealthy practices and mechanisms and encourage us to change them.

Nowadays, exercises and activities that focus on the improvement of the physiological and psychological aspects of our bodies have spread quickly among adults and children alike. These have also become part of their daily routine. The positive effects it generates were visible to the point that even workplaces have adapted specific meditation practices into the schedules of employees and schools with their students. Large companies and enterprises have begun incorporating methods to help their workers combat the stress they’re experiencing from their workloads which is basically why they’ve allotted a particular period for their meditation.

The effect meditation has on the brain is seemingly clear to everyone, most especially to psychologists. Indeed, it is good for a person’s health. There are hundreds and thousands of pieces of evidence coming from medical professionals all over the world to support such a claim. But for clarification purposes, meditation itself does not only affect one part of the brain. Several changes in the brain happen all at the same time while the person undergoes meditation. Let’s dissect which parts are mainly affected and what specific processes happen.

Amygdala

The amygdala is a major part of the brain that is responsible for producing decisions, responses, reactions, and memories especially during situations that trigger emotional responses. It is a pair of almond-shaped clusters of cells situated within the temporal lobes of the cerebrum. Each one is located in the brain’s hemispheres. It decides which emotions are expressed by the person based on what’s happening in their surroundings. What’s amazing about the amygdala is that during meditation, it appears to decrease in size. If you are to undergo a month-long seminar about meditation, you will discover that you are no longer into giving almost every matter a reaction or a response. This is because it suppresses the amygdala from generating immediate emotional responses such as anxiety, worry, and fear as well as other emotions that could inhibit negative outlooks.

Pons

The pons belongs to the section where the brainstem is located. It is the largest part in that section and is just between the midbrain and the medulla oblongata. It looks like a horseshoe and similar to the amygdala, it is also home to a collection of nuclei and nerve fibers that act as a bridge connecting the cerebrum and cerebellum. It functions as a center for control and regulation of numerous important functions. It’s a very busy hive of operations because of the nerves that are gathered. These nerves are responsible for brain activities like respiratory processes, equilibrium, facial and eye movements, sensory and motor functions as well as the regulation of sleep. If the person applies meditation into their daily routine, the pons’ several functions will operate to their optimal capacity.

Hippocampus

The hippocampi are parts located deep inside the temporal lobe which is why they cannot just be seen from the outside of the brain. It is commonly associated with memory and knowledge. It is said to help individuals retrieve two main kinds of memories: declarative and spatial relationship memories. The former refers to the facts, knowledge, and information. This is where specific information that is useful for everyday life is stored. On the other hand, the latter is concentrated on the more specific details like the route of a particular destination, the venue where an event happened or the objects were placed. The hippocampus is divided into two parts wherein the left is on taking into account the words being said or the declarative memory while the right is focused on the retrieval and storage of visual-spatial memories. When meditation is practiced, there is an increase in the cortical thickness of the hippocampus which would increase grey matter density. This would also then improve the ability to process newer information and strengthen values of compassion and awareness.   

Temporo Parietal Junction (TPJ)

The temporoparietal junction is not a part of the brain that is commonly talked about but when locating it in the brain, it is found on the brain’s surface where the temporal and parietal lobes meet. Its major function is gathering information from all other parts of the brain even on the outside of the body and the environment. This collected information would then be processed on how we perceive our surroundings. This part of the brain helps us on how we view the world around us and this is where the signals releasing the emotions of sympathy and empathy are transmitted. Meditation helps in regulating the condition of the junction by increasing the person’s sensitivity towards other people or becoming more understanding of situations that are happening.

Conclusion

Meditation encourages individuals to adapt to a healthier lifestyle and conditions the function of the organs, and inside the body, most especially the brain. Given its complexity, a lot of changes are happening in the brain when we start adopting meditative practices. For instance, certain sections of the brain decrease or increase in size depending on their functions. You can start learning meditation by searching online on how to learn to meditate Maryland and have a consultation with meditation experts.