Meditation is a way of tapping into a process of manipulating brain activity – Dr Toby Collins, Oxford Centre for the Science of the Mind
Meditating monks are giving clues about how the brain’s basic responses can be overridden, researchers say.
Researchers from the University of Queensland and the University of California, Berkley, studied 76 Tibetan Buddhist monks at mountain retreats in India.
The scientists gave Buddhist monks vision tests, where each eye was concurrently shown a different image. Most people’s attention would automatically fluctuate – but the monks were able to focus on just one image.
Olivia Carter, of the University of Queensland, said: “The monks showed they were able to block out external information. “This is an initial step in understanding how their brains work. It would now be good to carry out further tests using imaging techniques to see exactly what the differences are in the brains of the monks.”
She said that could direct researchers to a broader understanding of how meditation influences what happens in the brain when someone is deciding whether to give something their attention, and what happens when they choose not to dwell on bad news, or to calm down.
Ms Carter added: “Buddhist monks often report that if something negative happens they are able to digest it and move on.
“People who use meditation, including the Dalai Lama have said that the ability to control and direct your thoughts can be very beneficial in terms of mental health.”
Reference – BBC News
