The term "mindfulness" is about focusing on the moment. It is about embracing every moment of the day. 
While being in the moment can be transformative, scientists still don't fully understand what happens in the brain when we practice mindfulness. What is known is just the tip of the iceberg.

Neuroscience and mindfulness

Health

Many studies have been done on mindfulness. The most widely recognised are:
<ul>
<li>Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). This program is designed to assist people with pain and a range of conditions that may be difficult to treat in a hospital setting.</li>
<li>Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). The goal is to help people change unproductive thoughts. MBCT uses psychological techniques that help people understand the relationship between various emotions and mood disorders.</li>
<li>Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is used to treat various mental problems like anxiety, phobias, and even pain.</li>
</ul>

The field of mindfulness research

Research indicates that mindfulness can help with the following:
<ul>
<li>It impacts human functioning.</li>
<li>It improves the quality of attention.</li>
<li>It affects interpersonal behaviour.</li>
<li>It provides greater empathy and compassion.</li>
<li>Optimization of mental health.</li>
<li>Positive impact on the brain and immune system.</li>
<li>It assists with chronic pain.</li>
<li>It helps overcome insomnia.</li>
<li>It helps with caregiver burnout.</li>
</ul>

Mindfulness benefits

Neuroplasticity means the brain is malleable and able to restructure itself by forming new neural connections.
<ul>
<li>Meditation might slow down or prevent forgetfulness related to age. Research found people who meditated in their 40s and 50's had the same amount of grey matter as those in their 20's and 30's.</li>
<li>Following 8 weeks of mindfulness exercises, brain volume increased in 4 regions of the brain, including the hippocampus (responsible for the regulation of emotions, learning and memory) and the temporoparietal junction (responsible for empathy and compassion.)</li>
</ul>

The neuroscience of mindfulness

One meta-analysis found 8 unique regions of the brain consistently changed in people experienced in meditation. These are:
<ul>
<li>Rostrolateral prefrontal cortex</li>
<li>Sensory cortices</li>
<li>Insular cortex</li>
<li>Hippocampus</li>
<li>Anterior cingulate cortex</li>
<li>Mid-cingulate cortex</li>
<li>Superior longitudinal fasciculus</li>
<li>Corpus callosum</li>
</ul>
Consistent changes were noticed as follows:
<ul>
<li>Changes in brain density</li>
<li>Changes in thickness of brain tissue</li>
<li>Increase in neurons, fibres, and glia</li>
<li>Changes in cortical surface area</li>
<li>Changes in white matter fibre density</li>
</ul>

How mindfulness affects and changes the brain

Some studies compared mindfulness therapies to medication.
<ul>
<li>One study found no difference between participants of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and anti-depressant medication. This suggests that MBCT is a reasonable alternative to standard medicine.</li>
<li>Research also showed that combining medication and psychotherapy often results in better outcomes than focusing on one alone.</li>
</ul>

Mindfulness or medication

<ul>
<li>Research done on mindfulness parenting can be helpful with persons with autism, where parents apply the skills of mindfulness to the child-parent interaction, including attentive listening, non-judgmental acceptance of the self and the child, and self-regulation.</li>
<li>Studies found mindfulness interventions can minimize the struggles related to behaviour and mood regulation.</li>
<li>Using mindfulness, people with autism can learn to find a balance between sensing and feeling that allows for a calmer response.</li>
</ul>

Research on Autism and Mindfulness

While medication is often used to treat ADHD, its effects are usually short-term. The medicine also has side effects.
In a randomised controlled trial, researchers found that mindfulness instruction is a good choice for young people with ADHD. The study is focused on measures of attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Mindfulness and ADHD

<ol>
<li>Lutz, Dunne & Davidson (2008) found mindfulness impacts the amygdala.</li>
<li>Goldin & Gross (2010) found that the hippocampus was more active after mindfulness training.</li>
<li>Carson, J. et al. (2004) found a correlation between mindfulness and healthier relationships.</li>
<li>Chiesa & Serretti (2010) found the prefrontal cortex became more active following mindfulness training.</li>
<li>A 2005 study found thicker cortical regions related to attention and sensory processing in meditation practitioners.</li>
<li>Lazar et al. (2005) found meditation prevents cortical thinning.</li>
<li>Beddoe & Murphy (2004). Mindfulness encourages empathy.</li>
</ol>

7 Mindfulness studies you need to know about

<ul><li><a href="https://positivepsychology.com/">Home </a> </li><li><a href="https://positivepsychology.com/blog/">Blog </a> </li><li><a href="https://pro.positivepsychology.com/store">Store </a> </li><li><a href="https://positivepsychology.com/team/">Team </a> </li><li><a href="https://positivepsychology.com/contact/">Contact </a> </li><li><a href="https://pro.positivepsychology.com/">Log In </a> </li> </ul>

<ol><li><a href="https://positivepsychology.com">Home </a> </li><li><a href="https://positivepsychology.com/category/mindfulness/">Mindfulness </a> </li> </ol>

Mindfulness and the Brain: What Does Research and Neuroscience Say?

<ul><li> <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/team/leslie-riopel/">Leslie Riopel, MSc. </a><a href="https://positivepsychology.com/team/leslie-riopel/"> </a> <script>jQuery( document ).ready(function() { if (jQuery('.authortooltip').length >0) { jQuery('.authortooltip').popover({ trigger: 'hover', placement: 'bottom', preventOverflow: { padding: 10 } }); jQuery( '.authortooltiptoggle' ).hover(function() { jQuery('.authortooltip').popover('toggle'); }, function() { jQuery('.authortooltip').popover('toggle'); }); } }); </script> </li><li><a href="#comments"> 11 </a> </li><li> 11-09-2020 </li> </ul>

We have all heard the term “mindfulness” but what does it really mean in terms of the brain and in terms of neuroscience?

Being present in the moment is very empowering. It means focusing your awareness on the here and now. It’s about embracing each moment of the day and not worrying about what tomorrow may bring.

Living in the present moment can be transformative, but what does it do to the brain?

The human brain contains hundreds of trillions of synapses that help the brain cells communicate with each other. The brain contains anywhere from 80 to 100 billion neurons, which help form these connections.

Despite all of this, scientists still don’t have a full understanding of what actually happens in the brain when we practice mindfulness or meditate.

Our knowledge of the brain is really the tip of the iceberg because there is still so much more we need to learn.

In this article, we will take a look at the field of mindfulness research, examine certain studies, and look at how mindfulness affects and changes the brain.

Researchers are even looking into how mindfulness can help with things like ADHD and autism, which is very exciting.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to <a href="https://tools.positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-exercises-pack">download our 3 Mindfulness Exercises for free </a>. These science-based, comprehensive exercises will not only help you cultivate a sense of inner peace throughout your daily life but will also give you the tools to enhance the mindfulness of your clients, students, or employees.

You can download the free PDF <a href="https://tools.positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-exercises-pack">here </a>.

<ul><li><a href="#research">A Look at the Field of Mindfulness Research </a> </li><li><a href="#studies">7 Studies You Need to Know About </a> </li><li><a href="#benefits">9 Benefits Research has Shown </a> </li><li><a href="#neuroscience">The Neuroscience of Mindfulness: A Look Inside </a> </li><li><a href="#changes">How Mindfulness Affects and Changes The Brain </a> </li><li><a href="#medication">Mindfulness Versus Medication: What Can We Prove? </a> </li><li><a href="#autism">The Research On Autism and Mindfulness </a> </li><li><a href="#adhd">Can Mindfulness Help ADHD? </a> </li><li><a href="#home">A Take-Home Message </a> </li><li><a href="#references">References </a> </li> </ul>

A Look at the Field of Mindfulness Research

There are many studies, which have been done on mindfulness. Some of the most widely recognized include Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

<ul><li>Jon Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program. </li><li>The Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy program was developed by Segal, Williams and, Teasdale. </li> </ul>

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (<a href="https://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/mindfulness-based-programs/">MBSR </a>) is a mindfulness-based program designed to assist people with pain and a range of conditions and life issues. These issues may also be issues that are difficult to treat in a hospital setting.

The MBSR course has been proven to help alleviate stress, anxiety, depression and chronic pain. It combines <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/meditation-techniques-beginners/">meditation techniques </a>with cognitive behavioral skills and mindful movement and is taught in a way that is practical and relevant for everyday living.

The MBSR course is a wonderful example of how being mindful can help with many things beyond merely relaxing the mind and body and being present in the moment.

The goal of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (<a href="http://mbct.com/">MBCT </a>) is to help people change thoughts that are unproductive. This might include patterns of thought that aren’t serving you well, or other types of behaviors and emotional responses.

MBCT uses psychological techniques that help patients better understand the correlation between various modes of the mind and mood disorders. When you recognize the connection, you can then work toward an appropriate answer.

You can use the strong connection between the mind and pain to change the way that you think. The therapy is also thought to be helpful in the recovery from the stress and depression associated with pain.

MBCT draws on the structure of MBSR integrating some approaches from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and it is typically taught in an eight-week format for up to twelve participants.

An MCBT program typically contains:

<ul><li>The cultivation of awareness through a mindfulness practice. </li><li>A framework characterized by non-striving, acceptance, and a genuine interest in experience, which is incorporated into the teaching process. </li><li>A process of linking the learning to an understanding of working with the idea of vulnerability. </li> </ul>

Personal experiential learning is integrated into a wider framework of understanding. This understanding relates both to the nature of general human vulnerability and suffering and to the particular nature of vulnerability and to depressive relapse.

Typically the MBCT sessions are facilitated through dialogue, reflection, group exercises and teaching.

Although the term mindfulness-based cognitive therapy may be somewhat imposing, its meaning is very straightforward.

<ul><li>M stands for Mindfulness, or bringing your awareness to the present moment without judgment or expectation. </li><li>B stands for Based, as in derived from or connected to. </li><li>C stands for Cognitive, which refers to the thinking, planning, and measuring parts of the brain. </li><li>T stands for Therapy or the treatment of illnesses and disease. </li> </ul>

Cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT is one of the most highly recommended and well-respected talk therapies of the 21st century.

<a href="https://positivepsychology.com/what-is-cbt-definition-meaning/">CBT </a> is defined as an active, directive, time-limited, structured approach that is used to treat a variety of mental problems like anxiety, phobias, depression, stress, and even pain. It is a client-driven therapy where you choose your own goals.

CBT focuses on the here and now much like MBCT.

In the academic community, there are also many good mindfulness researchers to be aware of including Judson Brewer, MD, Ph.D., David Creswell, Ph.D., Larissa Duncan, Ph.D. and Elissa Epel, Ph.D.

Judson Brewer MD, Ph.D. – Psychiatrist and Chief, Division of Mindfulness

Judson Brewer is a psychiatrist and an associate professor at the Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry as well as a research director at the Center for Mindfulness, UMASS Medical School.

Brewer is known for his work with mindfulness and addictions. In his work with neuroimaging technologies, he is developing mindfulness techniques that help people stop smoking, overcome food cravings as well as examining how mindfulness affects the brain.

Brewer is also looking into the future and researching the effects of mindfulness delivered digitally.

According to Brewer, this is the future of mindfulness and it’s important to study it. Brewer’s team is also developing an <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-apps/">app </a> , “Unwinding Anxiety,” which they plan to study in future clinical trials.

David Creswell, Ph.D. – Associate professor of psychology, Carnegie Mellon University

David Creswell, an associate professor of psychology, is researching stress and resiliency. His work is examining what really makes people resilient when they come upon stressful situations in life. His work combines health psychology and neuroscience.

Creswell has also begun clinical trials examining how Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction may help improve <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/positive-psychology-relationships/">social relationships </a>as well as promote <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/positive-aging/">healthy aging </a> for older adults.

Larissa Duncan is currently the Elizabeth C. Davies Chair in Child &amp; Family Well-Being. She is also an associate professor of human development and family studies at the School of Human Ecology and the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Duncan is currently working on finding ways to explore <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/positive-parenting/">mindful parenting </a> and helping to bring mindfulness training to pregnant women, as well as children, adolescents, and family members.

Duncan is looking toward the future and studying how Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting might affect a mothers’ mental health, stress physiology, and well-being.

As part of this research, she is also examining infants’ behavioral and neurological development.

Elissa Epel is a Professor at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine.

Epel is known for her work which links severe stress with shortened telomeres, which are cellular structures that play a key role in both disease and aging. Epel’s mindfulness research has also focused on <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-meditation/">examining the benefits of meditation </a>as a tool for people who are under severe stress or experiencing ongoing stress.

Epel’s work is focused on helping those who have no previous meditation experience.

For the future, Epel is looking at how a practice like meditation might affect people who have suffered adversity in childhood. According to Epel, these types of individuals tend to have certain patterns of thought that are ideal targets for meditation training.

Mindfulness changes the brain, according to <a href="https://www.mindfulschools.org/about-mindfulness/research/#mindfulness-changes-the-brain">one study </a>. Lutz, Dunne &amp; Davidson (2008) examined how mindfulness impacts the amygdala, which is a region of the brain that is primarily associated with emotional processes.

In the study, it was determined that this area of the brain tended to be less active and have less gray matter density following mindfulness sessions.

The hippocampus also plays a role in mindfulness. The hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with memory, helps regulate the amygdala. Following mindfulness training, this part of the brain was also found to be more active according to Goldin &amp; Gross (2010).

Mindfulness can help us nurture healthier relationships as well, according to a study done at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Carson, J. et al. (2004).

The study demonstrated a correlation between the practice of mindfulness and improved relationships. The couples in the study reported more closeness and more relationship satisfaction amongst other things.

Other studies examined the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain associated with both impulse control and maturity. This part of the brain tended to become more active following mindfulness training. (Chiesa &amp; Serretti, 2010).

In a study published in NeuroReport in 2005, results showed thicker cortical regions related to attention and sensory processing in long-term meditation practitioners, when compared with those who did not meditate.

These findings also suggest that simple meditation practice may offset cortical thinning brought about by aging. (Lazar et al. 2005)

A study of the 8-week MBSR course for nurses showed that their mindfulness practice facilitated empathetic attitudes while decreasing their tendency to take on other people’s negative emotions. (Beddoe &amp; Murphy, 2004)

Results of <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160310141455.htm">research </a>indicate that mindfulness can help you in more ways than you think, especially in the workplace.

Christopher Liddy, an organizational behavior doctoral candidate at Case Western Reserve’s Weatherhead School of Management conducted research with Darren Good, an assistant professor at Pepperdine University.

The research examined over 4,000 scientific papers on varying degrees of mindfulness. The researchers looked at the impact of mindfulness in terms of how people think, feel and <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-at-work/">perform at work </a> as well as how they relate.

The results of the study, Contemplating Mindfulness at Work, were then published in the Journal of Management.

<ol><li>Mindfulness positively impacts human functioning. </li><li>Mindfulness can help improve the quality of attention. </li><li>Mindfulness, even though it is an internal quality, can impact interpersonal behavior. </li><li>Mindfulness can help provide greater empathy and compassion. </li> </ol>

In the research it was discovered that mindfulness cannot only positively impact attention, it can also help improve cognition, emotions, physiology and even behavior.

The researchers also found that mindfulness can help keep attention stable and help one remain focused on the present. Those who completed mindfulness training were better able to remain vigilant and focused, especially on visual and listening tasks.

Mindfulness has also been shown to help improve 3 unique qualities of attention, stability, control, and efficacy.

In terms of relationships, mindfulness can also give us a boost, helping to provide us with greater empathy and compassion.

According to Sara Davin, PsyD, MPH, mindfulness is not only a powerful tool for patients but also for doctors and medical care providers.

According to the <a href="https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/evidence-based-mindfulness-what-science-tells-us-about-mindfulness-meditation-and-its-benefits/">Cleveland Clinic </a>, there is ample evidence in support of the many benefits of mindfulness.

<ol><li>Optimization of mental health. </li><li>Positive impact on the brain and immune system. </li><li>Help with chronic pain. </li><li>Help overcome insomnia. </li><li>Help with caregiver burnout healthcare providers may face. </li> </ol>

In a review of more than 20 randomized controlled trials in 2011, it was shown that mindfulness can help improve overall mental health.

Mindfulness can also help reduce the risk of relapse from depression, while also helping with anxiety disorders like PTSD.

Mindfulness not only helps boost the immune system, but it can also help improve our neural processing in as little as a 10 to 15-minute session.

Mindfulness can also help with chronic pain. With chronic pain being an epidemic, it’s important to find alternative tools that are drug-free.

Mindfulness is one of those tools. In the study, those who meditated showed a decrease in pain and pain-related limitations. The benefits were comparable with cognitive behavioral therapy.

Insomnia and poor sleeping patterns can also lead to many other health problems. In randomized controlled trials, it was shown that mindfulness could help reduce insomnia, according to the Insomnia Severity Index.

Mindfulness can also be very beneficial to healthcare providers as well. Burnout is a big problem in the healthcare industry, and trials indicate that mindfulness can help boost resilience and create positive changes while reducing stress, anxiety, and burnout amongst healthcare workers.

The Neuroscience of Mindfulness: A Look Inside

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Mindfulness and the Brain: What Does Research and Neuroscience Say?

Neuroscience and mindfulness

The field of mindfulness research

Mindfulness benefits

The neuroscience of mindfulness

How mindfulness affects and changes the brain

Mindfulness or medication

Research on Autism and Mindfulness

Mindfulness and ADHD

7 Mindfulness studies you need to know about

IDEAS ABOUT

MORE LIKE THIS

What to Do When You Feel Stuck in Negative Emotions - Mindful

Can’t Stop Procrastinating? Here’s How to Break the Cycle - Mindful

What Is Minimalism? | The Minimalists

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

Mindfulness and the Brain: What Does Research and Neuroscience Say?

Neuroscience and mindfulness

The field of mindfulness research

Mindfulness benefits

The neuroscience of mindfulness

How mindfulness affects and changes the brain

Mindfulness or medication

Research on Autism and Mindfulness

Mindfulness and ADHD

7 Mindfulness studies you need to know about

IDEAS ABOUT

MORE LIKE THIS

What to Do When You Feel Stuck in Negative Emotions - Mindful

Can’t Stop Procrastinating? Here’s How to Break the Cycle - Mindful

What Is Minimalism? | The Minimalists

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career