A discussion of Neuroplasticity

Today's discussion topic: "Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation"

 Living Beautifully: with Uncertainty and Change was originally scheduled to be our topic of tonight's meeting, but some members were unable to attend the so we have decided to push the book discussion to March 15, 2016 which is the Tuesday after spring break here at Waynesburg University.

Tonight we discussed Richard Davidson and Antione Lutz's research on neuroplasticity and meditation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

According to Davidson and Lutz, neuroplasticity simply means alterations which occur in the brain as a result of experiences (Davidson & Lutz 2008).

This article discusses two different types of meditation:

1. Focused Attention Meditation: "voluntary focusing attention on a chosen object in a sustained fashion" (Davidson & Lutz 2008).
2. Open Monitoring Meditation: "non-reactively monitoring the content of experience from moment to moment as a means to recognize the nature of emotional and cognitive patterns" (Davidson & Lutz 2008). 

These two meditation techniques are often combined by meditation practitioners.

Brain regions activated as a result of meditation:

1. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex -associated with monitoring
2. Visual cortex - associated with engaging attention
3. Superior frontal sulcus, supplementary motor area, & intraparietal sulcus - associated with attentional orienting

Other effects of meditation on the brain:

• people who study and practice meditation extensively require less effort than non-meditatiors to maintain attention and focus.
• people who practice meditation extensively show less activation in the brain region called the amygdala, (which is associated with negative emotions and anxiety) indicating that "advanced concentration can decrease emotionally reactive behaviors which are incompatible with stability of concentration" (Davidson & Lutz 2008).  In other words, meditation can help those who practice it to react less strongly to emotional stimuli which reduces distraction and supports concentration.  
• attention is teachable and can be learned through the practice of Focused Attention Meditation.
• meditation might help in reducing neural noise (random neural activity not associated with behavior).
• meditation training might make for faster learning (Davidson & Lutz 2008).

References

Davidson, R., & Lutz, A. (2008). Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation [In the Spotlight]. IEEE Signal Process. Mag. IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, 25(1), 176-174. doi:10.1109/msp.2008.4431873 

Next Meeting: Tuesday March 15, 2016 9:00pm

At our next meeting (after break) be prepared to discuss Living Beautifully: with Uncertainty and Change 

We will also be voting on our next book and picking an article for the following meeting - you won't want to miss it!  

 Leave book suggestions here!

Tell me what you think! leave a comment or email me