In the last couple of years the relatively new field of neuroplasticity has provided us with evidence that our brains are not hard-wired after the age of six, as was previously supposed, but are capable of changing throughout our lives. The New York Times best-seller, The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge gives a fascinating insight into the new scientific thinking which provides evidence of this.
Yogis and Buddhist monks have known for centuries that the mind can be trained, and that certain states of mind, such as happiness and kindness, can be cultivated. Now science is confirming that talk therapies, as well as yoga and meditation, among other disciplines, have a direct therapeutic effect on our level of happiness and well-being, actually creating new neural pathways in the brain. Consequently, the eastern wisdom traditions have much to offer, along with western psychology. What used to be considered by many scientists and sceptics to be “alternative” thinking and consequently dismissed, is now gaining more and more legitimacy in medical, psychological and even corporate circles.
If we so choose, each of us, individually, has the power and means to take active responsibility for cultivating our own happiness and well-being throughout our lives, by learning and applying this life skill.
If you are interested in some of the science, here are a couple of fascinating examples of recent research:
A pilot program was conducted by The University of Queensland in 2010, in which young people who have a history of severe self-harm undertook an eight week ‘mindfulness’ meditation program. In undertaking the course they made a commitment to practice 40 minutes daily and keep a video journal. A moving SBS documentary, ‘The Silent Epidemic’ followed some of the participants and showed how one young woman underwent an EEG to measure her brain activity before doing the 8 week ‘mindfulness’ meditation course. At the end of the eight weeks, another EEG was then taken revealing astonishing results. Comparison of the 1st and 2nd EEG’s clearly showed signifcantly changed electrical activity in the brain. The centres in the brain which govern difficult emotions such as anxiety, fear, sadness had previously been very active, but after the ‘mindfulness’ course there was a significant reduction in that activity. Additionally, the centres in the brain which correspond to happiness, joy, pleasure which had previously not been very active at all, were now significantly more active. The participants of the study reported an improvement not only in their sense of well-being, but there was also a reduction, and in some cases, a cessation, of self-harming activity.
A 2012 study in Boston, tested if 8 weeks training in meditation affected amygdala responses (the ‘reptilian’ centre in the brain for emotions like fear) to emotional stimuli in subjects when in a non-meditative state. Healthy adults with no prior meditation experience took part in Mindfulness training, or Cognitively-based Tibetan Buddhist Compassion training, or were part of a control group. Participants underwent an MRI before and after the training where they were shown stimuli with positive, negative and neutral images while in an ordinary non-meditative state. There was a decrease in activity in negative emotions, and an increase in positive emotions in both groups who had undertaken either meditation of compassion training, which was not present in the control group.