#### [[notes_Science of Meditation ]] **Creator**:: [[Dr. K]] **Source**:: [[course_Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health]] **Previous**:: [[notes_Different Meditative Styles]] **Next**:: [[notes_Metaphysics of Meditation]] ## Notes #### [[Meditation regulates your hormones and stress physiology]] - Studies have found [[meditation|meditating]] for at least 20 minutes every day or every other it will affect you - This is because of [[Stress]] physiology - [[Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) Axis]] - stress starts in [[hypothalamus]] which travels to [[Pituitary Gland]] - [[Pituitary Gland]] produces [[Cortisol]] - [[Cortisol]] affects [[adrenal]] glands - 20 minutes is what is needed to turn off [[Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) Axis]] - A [[hormone]] is a body wide affect - [[Cortisol]] gets your entire body ready for a stressful environment ^574aea - [[Our brains are built around survival]] [[Cortisol]] is what helps us keep us alive - [[Cortisol]] will make [[ADHD]] worse [[ADHD is not a lack of attention it is a misplacement of attention]] - [[Cortisol]] also affects our [[immune system]] (it wants to get ready to heal) - high stress worsen auto-immune diseases - [[Eustress]] is the perfect amount of [[stress]] to bring out our best stress - Moderate or normal [[Psychology|psychological]] stress interpreted as being beneficial for the experiencer. - [[flow state]] is the state of optimal activity (good [[hormone|hormonal]] balance) #### [[Meditation helps us regulate our nervous system]] - [[ANS]] - Yin and yang is an ancient study of the body - there are times when our body is prepped and ready to go and times when our body is relaxed - [[Sympathetic Nervous System]] - mode of activity where you are prepped for [[fight-or-flight response]] - increases [[heart rate]], [[blood pressure]] - [[Parasympathetic Nervous System]] - Blood goes away from limbs to our stomach - decreases [[blood flow]] to certain parts of our brain - causes food coma - [[meditation]] can regulate the [[ANS]] be activating the [[Sympathetic Nervous System]] or [[Parasympathetic Nervous System]] - [[Dual Nostril Breathing Meditation]] either nostril will affect either the [[Sympathetic Nervous System]] or [[Parasympathetic Nervous System]] #### [[Meditation helps us gain control over our emotions]] - Maturity is governed by the [[Frontal Lobe]] - Part of your brain responsible for [[maturity]], [[impulse]] control, & [[executive function]] - [[Limbic System]] is where [[emotions]] come from - sometimes there is a war between your [[Frontal Lobe]] and [[Limbic System]] or your emotions or logic - As you meditate, your [[Frontal Lobe|Frontal Lobes]] gain control over your [[Limbic System]] to help you control and regulate your [[emotions]] - [[Meditation helps us develop empathy]] - there is cursory evidence for this #### [[Meditation helps us detach negative attachments]] - [[Association Cortices]] attach meaning to certain events - as we meditate we separate out from our [[Association Cortices]] ### References - Kasala, E. R., Bodduluru, L. N., Maneti, Y., & Thipparaboina, R. (2014). Effect of meditation on neurophysiological changes in stress mediated depression. _Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 20_(1), 74-80. - Lazar, S. W., Kerr, C. E., Wasserman, R. H., Gray, J. R., Greve, D. N., Treadway, M. T., ... & Fischl, B. (2005). Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. _Neuroreport, 16_(17), 1893. - Mitchell, J. T., Zylowska, L., & Kollins, S. H. (2015). Mindfulness meditation training for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adulthood: Current empirical support, treatment overview, and future directions. _Cognitive and behavioral practice, 22_(2), 172-191. - Morgan, N., Irwin, M. R., Chung, M., & Wang, C. (2014). The effects of mind-body therapies on the immune system: meta-analysis. _PloS one, 9_(7), e100903. - Sinha, A. N., Deepak, D., & Gusain, V. S. (2013). Assessment of the effects of pranayama/alternate nostril breathing on the parasympathetic nervous system in young adults. _Journal of clinical and diagnostic research: JCDR, 7_(5), 821.