Mindfulness & Neuroplasticity

Question 1

What are the four main neuropathways that mindfulness meditation can transform?

Answer 1

1. Stress
2. Attention and focus
3. Empathy and compassion
4. Sense of self

Question 2

Stress

Answer 2

In the previous module, we learned about stress and how a mindfulness practice helps us in the way we relate and respond to stress. In neuroscience, emotions and feelings are related but different. Emotions are bodily sensations or responses that evolve to get our attention to ensure our survival. Emotions are unconscious and can occur extremelyrapidlyso they do not require cognitive reflection or delay. For example, if we feel fear or stress, it automatically triggers a response in the amygdala; the area of our brain that is responsible for stress reactivity. Feelings on the other hand occur in the mind after emotional arousal. These feelings can be conscious or unconscious.

Question 3

Attention and focus

Answer 3

The second circuitry is attention. It’s no surprise that this is an area of our brain which gets improved through mindfulness since the practice encompasses focus and the directing of our attention. Bringing our attention to the present moment helps manage our emotions and stress,and alsosharpens our focus. Attention is a skill which can be sharpened like any other skill, and mindfulness is a tool which enables us to practice. It also enhances our cognitive functioning. Studies have shown that in the brains of meditators, more gray matter density is seen in the hippocampus, which is a part of the brain associated with learning and memory.

Question 4

Empathy and compassion

Answer 4

The third neuropathway that mindfulness affects is empathy and compassion.

With mindfulness meditation, we see greater activation in the insular cortex; the part of our brain that plays an important role in processing our feelings of compassion and empathy toward others. Increased compassion boosts and promotes positive emotions and lowers our feelings of stress.

Question 5

Sense of self

Answer 5

The fourth neurocircuitry is our relationship to our very sense of self.

When our mind wanders, it often drifts into unpleasant thoughts or feelings toward ourselves. These thoughts and feelings construct the narrative we experience as our self and the more this is activated, the more we might take things personally which can lead to negative behavior. We may compare ourselves with other people or hold onto traits that make us feel superior.