The word “meditation” comes from Latin and means as much as: to think, to ponder, to reflect. Today more than ever, meditation is used as a method of relaxation and is also sometimes used in psychotherapy.
Basically, meditation is a simple exercise of attentiveness and concentration: You sit upright but comfortably in a quiet place and concentrate on your own breath. Thoughts are registered but are not allowed to come closer to you. Simple and uncomplicated. And yet so effective…
But what exactly does this mean for you, me, and our everyday life? What does it bring to us?
There are more than 3,000 scientific studies on the benefits of this practice. Numerous studies in recent years have shown a whole range of benefits that meditation has for the physical and mental health of the human being.
Scientists have identified four main areas of the effects of it:
- body-consciousness;
- the self-awareness;
- the regulation of emotions;
- the regulation of attention.
Here are the top conclusions of scientific researches about meditation effect on the human body. Learn why you should start meditating immediately!
Frees you from stress
Stress has extremely negative effects on overall health. It is often very difficult, especially then, to find peace and really relax. Meditation can help a lot in this respect. It helps your health by improving your ability to relax.
Research published in the journal “Health Psychology” in 2013 has shown that meditation reduces the release of the stress hormone cortisol.
Another great feature of meditation is that it does not take a lot of time and yet is very effective. With proper meditation, just five minutes are enough to significantly reduce stress. This means that meditation can be used at regular intervals as well as according to need. Of course, many people meditate not only to get rid of stress but for many other reasons, which is why meditation is regularly recommended by many doctors and health advisors.
Strengthens the brain
A good way to better understand the concept of meditation is to consider it as an exercise for the brain. A study from 2005 showed that people who meditated for 40 minutes a day had a thicker cortical wall (cerebral cortex) than people who did not meditate. Meditation keeps your brain healthy, through mental training. This means that meditating brains age more slowly because they are better trained. In addition, the ability to make decisions, attention and memory performance is strengthened.
Meditation promotes awareness, which leads to a greater focus on emotions and thoughts and makes you less judgmental about things. A lot of stress is caused by holding on to the past coupled with worries about the future and therefore consciousness-enhancing meditation can help one to look at life in a more logical and rational way.
Brain research has discovered that people who meditate regularly, compared to those who do not, not only have different processing of brain processes but even physiological differences. Overall, meditation improves thought processes and promotes the handling of emotions. Therefore, dealing with one’s consciousness can have great effects on all areas of life.
Boosts creativity
When we are emotionally out of balance or unhappy, our brain is busy processing the emotions that arise. Thinking, creativity, and ideas are then changed in such a way that all creativity, and thus decision-making and problem-solving ability is paralyzed.
Meditation helps to control emotions and frees you from idea blockades, that makes you creative. Meditating people open their neurological pathways to creative thinking because they can dissolve blocking emotions.
Is an effective remedy for depression
Depression can be a completely debilitating illness, as it often affects every area of life. Usually, emotional stress and exhaustion are so big that everyday life seems impossible to cope with. Dealing with and overcoming depression is difficult, but with the right treatment, it is possible. Meditation is an aspect of this process that has been scientifically proven to be able to noticeably alleviate the symptoms. It is as effective for depression and anxiety as cognitive behavioral therapy. It strengthens the ability for self-control through improved attentiveness. After all, most causes of depression can be traced back to stress, and meditation helps to combat it.
In view of the challenge posed by depression, it is, therefore, advisable to try several forms of meditation at once, not only to leave the current depression behind but also to prevent future episodes. Even doctors who are critical of meditation as a treatment method agree that just by believing in it, a certain improvement can be achieved.
Those who practice meditation systematically, and in the right way, will be able to observe thought and action from a higher perspective. This increased attentiveness helps tremendously to keep the overview.
Can relieve pain
There are many skeptics who do not believe in the benefits of meditation – especially the physical benefits. What is true is that meditation doesn’t work for everyone and it has different effects on different people. Nevertheless, studies show that meditation can reduce the perceived intensity of pain by up to 40 percent and can be combined with other forms of pain therapy to form a well-rounded treatment plan. It is an effective painkiller because the perception of pain is changed.
Morphine and other chemical analgesics generally reduce pain by up to 25 percent. Brain scans showed that the brain regions that process pain can become almost inactive during meditation. The brain is “readjusted” so that the perception of pain can change.
Anyone who has ever needed painkillers knows how stressful it can be to deal with pain, especially chronic pain. In addition, more and more people do not want to be pumped full of drugs to rule out side effects and dependencies. And even though meditation certainly should not eliminate all pain and should not be considered as the sole method of treatment, it is scientifically proven that it can help reduce chronic pain and even eliminate minor contractions completely.
Improves sleep
As far as sleep is concerned, scientific studies by the University of Utah proves that meditators can sleep better. Meditation empowers the brain owner to consciously control his thinking, stop unwanted thought flows or to direct it towards a specific goal. During meditation, the mind is systematically freed from all thoughts and distractions which, for example, repeatedly prevent us from falling asleep.
Studies also show that insomnia can be reduced by consciously concentrating on one’s own mental activity. Healthy and regular sleep is important for both physical and mental health. Meditation can not only improve the quality of sleep but also help with stress-related sleep problems and improve concentration. Meditation is also good for the health of the heart vessels and reduces the risk of related diseases.
If you are often tired and want to counteract insomnia, meditation may at first seem out of place. After all, lack of sleep causes difficulties in concentration and that is what meditation is all about. It can help you clear your head, sharpen your focus and reduce tension – all factors that improve the quality of sleep.
Makes everyone a happier person
Happiness affects your whole life and all those who surround you every day. However, most people are not just so happy and therefore look for ways to feel more contentment – one of them is meditation. Studies have shown that controlling emotions through meditation leads to positive feelings. The scientific aspect here is that the part of the brain responsible for feelings of happiness (the prefrontal cortex) sends out more positive signals. At the same time, fewer negative feelings are produced in the right hemisphere of the brain.
The researchers at Harvard University have shown meditators are perceived as more cheerful and relaxed. They are more compassionate too. Meditation frees you from impulse-directed action, allowing you to remain calm in case of conflict.
Meditation has a holistic effect on your health and generally makes you see almost everything in a better light. At the same time, reduced stress, better sleep and greater ability to concentrate also ensure greater well-being. In order to be as happy as possible, you have to pay attention to your health as a whole. Since this practice influences all areas of the body, it is highly recommended as an addition to a healthy lifestyle.
Those who learn to consciously control their thoughts and feelings also learn to leave their actions unaffected by negative emotions. Meditators do not transfer their emotions to other people. This transmission – called “projection” in psychology – is one of the main causes of conflicts of all kinds. Those who recognize this in themselves can turn it off and live happier lives.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130315095916.htm
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1809754
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3090218/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10943-013-9679-0
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00116/full
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