Meditation and Memory

Surprisingly, meditation and memory are linked. New research shows that regular meditation changes the physical structure of your brain in powerful ways - including ways that improve memory. So what is the connection between meditation and memory?

Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have shown that regular meditation causes the brain's cerebral cortex to thicken. This happens through an increase in the size of blood vessels and the amount of blood flow to the region.

The cortex is the area of the brain responsible for the higher mental functions, so this is an amazing discovery. (I suppose long-time devotees of meditation are saying "I told you so" right about now.)

Before you skeptics tune out, read this Time Magazine article about meditation and brain improvement. Walter Zimmermann is paid up to $3,000 per month by his 200+ clients to analyze energy futures. Zimmermann claims that his secret weapon to staying sharp is, you guessed it, meditation.

From the Time article,

...meditation directly affects the function and structure of the brain, changing it in ways that appear to increase attention span, sharpen focus, and improve memory.

Meditation sharpens your focus and memory

You don't need to be a monk on a mountaintop to experience for yourself the link between meditation and memory improvement. The basic type of meditation practiced in many Western countries was shown in the research to be very effective in causing the cortex to thicken. This type of meditation is called mindfulness meditation (also known as "awareness" or "insight" meditation).

If you want to read more about the discovery that the brain can be remolded (a new science called "neuroplasticity", concerning how the brain can change itself), check out the book Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, by Sharon Begley, science writer for the Wall Street Journal.

From Begley's book:

But as we learn from studies performed on Buddhist monks, an important component in changing the brain is to tap the power of mind and, in particular, focused attention. This is the classic Buddhist practice of mindfulness, a technique that has become popular in the West and that is immediately available to everyone.

I find this new brain, meditation and memory research very exciting. It is becoming clear that personal transformation - especially transformation that makes your brain more powerful and focused - is really possible.

Not sure how to meditate using the mindfulness technique? Here's a quick, free tutorial by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the spiritual leader of Shambhala International. His entire website provides useful tools and information about meditation.

If you want to go further, meditation teacher Andrew Weiss has published a 10-week course in paperback book form titled Beginning Mindfulness: Learning the Way of Awareness that I recommend.

Sara Lazar, a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital who was a lead investigator in the meditation studies, has this to say about the significance of the cortical thickening that occurs through regular meditation (excerpted from New Scientist.com) :

“You are exercising the cerebral cortex while you meditate, and it gets bigger,” she says. The finding is in line with studies showing that accomplished musicians, athletes and linguists all have thickening in relevant areas of the cortex. It is further evidence, says Lazar, that yogis “aren’t just sitting there doing nothing".

Walter Zimmermann mediates 40 minutes in the morning and evening. I have started 20 minutes of mindfulness meditation in the mornings to see if I can feel any effects.

While I haven't tried it long enough to benefit from the long-term effects, I can say that I definitely feel more focused during the day. Meditation leaves you feeling refreshed, and your mind is clearer - even after your very first session. I recommend it!

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