Vemuri Ramesam, Wednesday, August 19, 2015 6:12 am
Does Meditation Change the Brain? — Part 2
We find these days that many well-known Institiutions in developed countries are investigating the Eastern systems of philosophy with regard to brain development because of the increasing popularity of alternate medicine for healing not only the mind but also the body. I maintain a database of the research publications in peer reviewed scientific Journals in select areas of interest to Advaita. A quick search on this database showed that nearly 70 odd research papers were published on Meditation during the last three years (2009 – 2012). Truly an impressive out put rate of about two papers per month! The enormous data being accumulated as a result of these studies is leading Psychologists, Psychiatrists and Clinicians in some areas of medicine to recommend a course of meditation supplementing the medicines for the patients for quick healing of their ailments.
We also discern another trend in the research work being carried out in this area by the experts. We find that the research is now focused more on different types of Meditational practices and the specific effects they bring about on the human brain. Compassion meditation, Mindfulness meditation, Insightfulness meditation and a variety of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies which are akin to the ancient Eastern meditational practices are now being explored in the Lab under controlled conditions. Scientists are not any more hesitant to examine even claims of physical healing said to have resulted from meditation as can be seen from a recent report described below.
Tibetan Lama Phakyab Rinpoche immigrated to the United States about a decade ago. He was a diabetic and had been suffering from serious extrapulmonary tuberculosis affecting the spine. Adding to his problems, his right foot and leg had developed gangrene. Doctors who examined him in New York City recommended immediate amputation of his leg to save his life.
“But Rinpoche is no average person. He was ordained at the age of 13 and named the Eighth Incarnation of the Phakyab Rinpoche by the Dalai Lama himself when he was working toward the highest level of Tibetan Buddhist study, the Geshe degree, in 1993. A deeply spiritual man who has devoted his life to the teachings of Buddhism, it was only natural that he should reach out to his mentor, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, when deciding whether to allow his leg to be cut off.”
Contrary to the caution the Dalai Lama generally gives about meditation being more helpful for pshychological issues than physical problems, he did not hesitate in asking Rinpoche not to get his leg amputated. The Dalai Lama advised “his protégé to utilize his virtuoso skills at Tsa Lung meditation to heal himself, and then teach others the value of the ancient tradition!“
Lama Rinpoche recalls “the putrid ooze from his leg ran black; a few months later it turned cloudy. Bruises started to appear. The swelling increased and it was more painful. The odor was sickening.” But he stuck to the routine of his meditation techniques withstanding the discomfort and extreme pain. ”After nine months, the liquid leaking from his disabled leg began to run clear. The swelling went down. Soon he could put some weight on it. At ten months, he could walk again, first with crutches. A short time later he was down to one crutch, and then, before even a year had passed, he was walking on his own. The progression of the degradation wasn’t simply halted—his leg was back from the dead. His diabetes and complicating Tuberculosis are gone today as well.”
Doctors at New York University are now studying Rinpoche—specifically, his brain. The Neuroscientist and himself a monk, Dr. Josipovic says that “it is possible to optimize one’s life experience through cultivation of subtle cognitive states generated through meditation, and that these are accompanied by changes in the anatomical structure of the brain, or neuroplasticity. But what soon became evident was that a great variety of meditation techniques and states of consciousness they engender, pose a considerable challenge for understanding them in terms of the established constructs of Western science.”
Dr. Josipovic adds that “On a global level, the brain appears to be organized into two large-scale networks: extrinsic, or the task-positive network, composed of the brain areas that are active when we are focused on some task or external environment, and the intrinsic, or ‘default’ network, composed of the areas that are active when we reflect on ourselves and own experience. These networks are usually anti-correlated in their activity—that is, when one is “up” the other is “down,” While this antagonism serves some healthy functions, for example, of allowing us to focus on a task and refrain from being distracted by daydreaming or irrelevant concerns, we suspect it may also underlie some unhealthy aspects of our everyday experience, such as excessive fragmentation between self/other and internal/external—in other words the ‘dualistic mind’ that many contemplative traditions see as the root of our suffering.”
The rhythm of music too has significant influence on the brain. As the sounds thump to a specific beat our heads begin to swing and feet tap in synchrony. Recent investigations have shown that “the rhythmic sound grabs control of the brains of everyone forcing them to operate simultaneously and perform the same behaviors. Rhythmic sound not only coordinates the behavior of people in a group, it also coordinates their thinking.” As a result the mental processes of individuals in the group become synchronized. It is also found that “our perception of the external world entering our mind through our eyes is affected by the rhythm of what we hear. This gating of visual input by auditory rhythm does not require a prolonged meditation on the rhythm to cause the person to enter into some sort of a trance-like state; the effects are nearly instantaneous.” This research clearly establishes the rationale behind group bhajans and samkirtans popular amongst many religious followers.
(To Continue: Part 3)
