There have literally been many hundreds of rigorous, scientific studies investigating the benefits of MINDFULNESS. All of them seem to come to similar conclusions – that MINDFULNESS can result in great benefits. Keep in mind that almost all of the studies have been based on an 8 week intervention like the MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION (MBSR) program. Also keep in mind, that MBSR programs are generic. In other words, the two skills associated with MINDFULNESS – awareness and equanimity – are the same skills that help with physical pain, depression, healing, immunity, performance, happiness and well-bring. The same program results in all the benefits.
Below is a small sampling of some of those studies. Do your own research on the internet. I think you’ll agree that the results are nothing short of amazing!
Dr. Richard Davidson, neuro-scientist at the University of Wisconsin has been using Functional MRI scanners to investigate how people’s brains work. He found that sadness and depression show up with increased activity on the right side of the brain, and happiness, on the left. In investigating the brains of monks who had undergone thousands of hours of meditation practice, he found their brain activity to be so far to the left that it was off the curve! In one study, it was found that the activity in brains of ordinary people shifted to the positive, left side as a result of an 8 week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction MBSR program. Further more, the immune systems in the meditators also became stronger. In fact, those individuals in the meditation group, who showed the biggest change in brain activity, also had the biggest change in immunity, suggesting that the two were closely linked.
There is a lot of information about Dr. Davidson and his work with meditation available on the internet.
Following are two articles (among many to be found), that might be of interest:
Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density
How Meditation May Change the Brain
Consider this – the brain is the main computer that governs everything that goes on in our minds and our bodies. It affects our state of health, immunity, healing, moods, emotions, creativity, ability to think, reason, plan, etc., etc. It has been shown that Mindfulness Meditation brings about positive changes in the brain. If works better, it stands to reason that it will result in positive changes to everything else that the brain is involved in. Isn’t this is all you need to know? One can easily get lost in the wealth of information regarding the benefits of Mindfulness. It’s not good to know too much as it’s easy to get confused – to lose sight of the forest by getting lost in the trees, so to speak. It’s enough to know that through Mindfulness you can change your brain. By improving your brain, you will improve your life.
• REDUCING STRESS
• IMPROVING PERFORMANCE
• INCREASED CREATIVITY
• GREATER HAPPINESS AND OVERALL WELL-BEING
• STRONGER IMMUNE SYSTEM
• OVERCOMING ADDICTIONS
• ADD AND ADHD
• POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)
• LOWERING BLOOD PRESSURE
• CANCER
• FIBROMYALGIA
• PARKINSONS
• PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS (Digestion problems, sleep difficulties, headaches, pain, ETC.)
• REDUCED EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS (Anger, anxiety, depression, etc.)
• AND MORE