(27-11-10) Meditation reverses aging in brains

by Celeste Smucker, citizen journalist


(NaturalNews) Studies of meditation have shown that its regular practice that
helps individuals cope with issues such as anxiety, stress, chronic pain and
high blood pressure. In addition, more recent studies facilitated by brain scan
technology have found that regular meditation practice helps prevent or delay
age related cognitive decline including memory loss. In fact, it appears that
regular meditation practice can change the brain in a variety of profound and
healthful ways.

If you spend any time with elderly people you know that cognitive decline is
common. It is so common in fact, that we often make light of age associated
memory loss referring it to "senior moments." Brain researchers are now
studying whether these declines are inevitable or whether they can be reversed.
Many scientists now believe that the brain can change and even grow; that it
responds to use much as our muscles respond to exercise. There are many
examples of people who have recovered functions lost during stroke or other
events.

Andrew Newberg, M.D., who specializes in the study of the brain and
spirituality, reported on some of his meditation research in a recent book
entitled How God Changes Your Brain. One of his studies was designed to
determine if meditation could help slow or reverse certain age related declines
in brain function including memory loss.

To conduct his study he taught non-meditators a technique that involved breath
work, chanting, and repetition of simple hand movements called mudras in
Eastern religious practice. He took baseline brain scans of his subjects and
administered a test of cognitive skills. Study subjects were asked to practice
this meditation technique twelve minutes a day for eight weeks, a relatively
short period of time. This was followed by another brain scan and a new
cognitive test. While the results varied, all subjects showed improvement in
memory recall, concentration and verbal fluency. Overall improvement averaged
between 10% and 20%. Brain scans confirmed that indeed changes occurred in the
parts of the brain associated with these different functions.

Other research also supports the value of meditation in keeping brains young.
For example, we know that ordinarily the gray matter in our brains thins as we
age. However, brain scans show that meditation actually helps preserve and add
to the thickness of the gray matter especially in areas of the brain associated
with learning and motor skills. This suggests that a meditator's brain may be
healthier and more youthful than that of their non-meditating peers. Further,
the growth of gray cells in the motor skills part of the brain may have
implications for balance and movement, also problem areas for elderly people.

With all of these benefits, why don't more people meditate? In a recent
interview, Dr. Newberg suggested that it is because meditation requires a
commitment of time and attention. He suggests that some forms of meditation
such as mindfulness also require a facilitator. His advice to someone
considering meditation is to evaluate your time and your lifestyle. Then select
a form of meditation that fits so that you stick with it long enough to enjoy
the benefits.

Sources:

How God Changes Your Brain, by Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman.
Random House Publishing Group, 2009.

AARP Bulletin. http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-he...

Dr. Newberg Interview. http://www.henochjournal.org/the-po...

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