Changes In Brain

[Craigxt22]

Hi all,

 

Can someone expand on the changes in the brain after doing mindful work?  Are we re-wiring our brains for the better even during short moments of being mindful? 

 

I've been practicing mindfulness during my day to day activities for the last few months and find it easier to do it this way, rather than sitting still for 20 minutes and meditating.

 

Over the last few weeks I've noticed subtle changes in myself (for the better) and am wondering if it's because of the short amount of time I am being mindful has made changes in my brain?

 

Thanks

[Dodo]

5 minutes ago, Craigxt22 said:

Hi all,

 

Can someone expand on the changes in the brain after doing mindful work?  Are we re-wiring our brains for the better even during short moments of being mindful? 

 

I've been practicing mindfulness during my day to day activities for the last few months and find it easier to do it this way, rather than sitting still for 20 minutes and meditating.

 

Over the last few weeks I've noticed subtle changes in myself (for the better) and am wondering if it's because of the short amount of time I am being mindful has made changes in my brain?

 

Thanks

As far as I know, if we are to believe in existence of brain, it changes with every action,  so definitely in my mind, mindfulness is probably doing some pretty good changes over there

[beaucoup]

Congratulations on those subtle changes in yourself. Mindfulness can really be miraculous. 

Now to your question: The brain is a very, very complex system of interactions and barely understood. Also, bear in mind that especially in the field of neuroscience, we are dealing with a lot of very hypothetical constructs, causalities that have not been or cannot be proven. However though, let me outline what I have come across as some major changes in the brain that seem to go along with mindfulness work. 

• Mindfulness meditation is thought to decrease the activity of the so-called Default-Mode-Network. As the name says, it is a network of roughly 12 seperate brain regions that is most active in our default-mode of being, hence when we think, daydream or do mundane activities. Gary Weber (you might wanna check out his videos on youtube) has also said that there are two regions within the Default-Mode-Network that are particularily interesting in the context of spirituality and mindfulness. One is a region that seems to be involved with the differentiation of Self and Other, the other is a region that is responsible for our sense of time, and our sense of Self within time. This would explain why a reduction in the activity of the Default-Mode-Network through meditation could lead to experiences of presence and unity. So, to sum it up, the Default-Mode-Network seems to be the neurocorrelate of monkey mind and ego. 
• Yoga, and some types of meditation, have been shown to increase the concentration of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, which is related to relaxation. 
• It has been shown that mindfulness meditation increases gray matter volume (in the prefrontal cortex, as far as i know). High gray matter volume in the PFC has also been associated to high scores on psychological measurements of subjective happiness. 

And one thing on the concept or re-wiring. Basically, your brain is constantly re-wiring, whenever you experience just about anything. The ability of the brain to re-wire, neuroplasticity, is basically the fundamental precondition to learning in general. So, according to that, your brain is also chaning it's structure during meditation or mindfulness work - for the better though. 

Furthermore, it would not surprise me, if meditation effected the serotonergic system. It might do something to 5HT2A-receptors, but anyways, keep it up with mindfulness and have fun

[Erlend K]

@Dodo "if we are to believe in existence of brain". Why would anyone not believe in the existence of the brain? 

@Craigxt22 there are a lot of research demonstrating neuroplastical effects of various meditation/mindfulness practices. Just google mindfulness + neuroplacticity or something like that. 

[Dodo]

44 minutes ago, Erlend K said:

@Dodo "if we are to believe in existence of brain". Why would anyone not believe in the existence of the brain? 

 

It depends on the paradigm of your reality. If you live in the matter paradigm, brain exists.

[Nahm]

What are you?

 

 

then, if you still want to, contemplate a brain

 

[MiracleMan]

Daily mindfulness and concentration is what I'm doing as well.  It works very rapidly over a period of weeks.  It's very strange, I'm still in a tug of war with my emotions at times but I've felt an alarming sense of calm, I say alarming in a good way because it's just come out of no where.  Other strange things are happening.  Another thing I'm doing is walking meditation 30 minutes everyday and about 20 min of straight vipasanna in addition to mindfulness hardmode.  What other results have you noticed?  

[Craigxt22]

Thanks, 

 

I suffer with anxiety, particularly social anxiety. I was wondering if mindfulness will  help eliminate it?

 

I've felt myself feeling slightly more comfortable in social situations over the last few weeks, but far from perfect.