Should I meditate? To understand the benefits of the most controversial technology

The only problem meditation lies in the fact that from it is difficult to see the real benefits. On the other healthy habits, everything is much easier. I began to eat less - thin, Became engaged in gym - to gain muscle mass. I began to meditate - and what? The lack of visible results is the reason that we throw meditation. Although this habit is virtually no time-consuming enough even 10-15 minutes a day.

We decided to look into the benefits of meditation and how it affects the human brain and body as a whole.

Who is Elizabeth Blackburn

The word "meditation" was first mentioned in the XII century by the monk Gigo II. Of course, meditation as a spiritual practice appeared much earlier, but the word meditatio It was first called it then. Technology has become popularized only in the 1950s, starting with India to the United States and Europe.

This interest was clear: meditation guru talked about the almost magical Transfiguration thinking, memory improvement, rejuvenation and aging termination. Of course, many prettified, but to recognize the lie was not so easy because of the placebo effect and the inability to see the real benefits of the process.

One of the first meditation and science are connected Nobel laureate Elizabeth Blackburn. In the 1980s, Blackburn I found in the human telomeres - repeating sequences of the genetic code, which protect it (the genetic code - Approx. Ed.) from information loss. Telomeres can change the size, and the smaller they are, the greater the risk of various diseases: diabetes, obesity, stroke, Alzheimer's disease.

Returning to his the study only in the 2000s,Blackburn decided to look at the telomeres from a different perspective and found that their size is proportional to the amount of stress a person receives. The more stress in my life we ​​are, the less are the telomeres.

Blackburn and her colleagues examined the DNA of children victims of violence, people with Alzheimer's disease and who have fallen into depression. Comparing the length of their telomeres with telomeres of ordinary people, they have confirmed their case again.

The length of telomeres people under stress was lower than normal.

This study shocked the scientific world, as well as other scientists rushed to study telomeres and their impact on our health. Later it was found that telomere length is reduced not only because of the stress and hard life, but also increases due to physical exercise, proper nutrition, and social support.

However, beyond all Blackburn moved again. In 2011 came another studyWhich connected telomeres and meditation. Previously, no one tried to combine these two concepts.

It was found that the most effective meditation exercise, slowing down the destruction of telomeres and facilitates their increase.

In the study, a group of participants went on a three-month meditation course. The level of telomerase in their DNA after closure rate was 30% higher than that of the second group, which is only expected to travel.

How does the brain after meditation

It's amazing how many new and invert everything upside down, you can see just a little bit you want. In 2003, American scientist, a psychology professor Richard Davidson spent studyI am trying to figure out whether meditation affects the brain in the physical plane.

The study was the long-term, and participation in it took 25 people. The researchers measured three times the level of electromagnetic activity in the test:

• before the eight-week course of meditation;
• immediately after the course;
• four months after graduation.

Participants were divided into two groups, one of which took an eight-week course, and the second is not. After the course of both groups was injected with a small amount of influenza virus.

The amplitude of alpha waves in the meditating group was higher. Moreover, the body of this group, a large amount of antibody to influenza virus.

In addition to the amplitude of the waves in the test also examined the physical condition of the brain. It turned out that the meditating group of areas of the brain responsible for learning, memory and emotions become denser.

How not to sleep 40 years

Examining the impact on the brain and DNA, you can move to a more down to earth subject - dream. Sleep is an integral part of our lives, and we pay for it is a great price - just over a third of the time lived through. But in another way it is impossible. Or can you?

Paul Kern was a Hungarian soldier who participated in the First World War. In 1915, in one of the battles he was wounded Russian soldier in the temple. He was shot in the frontal lobe and the separated part of it. After such an injury to the brain the person can not survive, but Paul did. With only one odd consequence: he could not sleep.

Since the injury in 1915 and until his death in 1955, Kern was awake and in his own words, not experienced in this regard, any difficulties. Kern brain investigated many times, but the cause of the anomaly has never been found.

Scientists have not been able to figure out what to do to not sleep for so long (to shoot yourself in the head not It considered), but had a number of other studies showing that reduce need for sleep is still possible.

In the experiment, 30 test subjects were divided into two groups. In the first group were novices in meditation, in the second - those who are engaged in meditation for a long time. All participants measured the reaction rate in the PVT for 40 minutes to meditation after meditation, and after a short sleep.

PVT (psychomotor vigilance task) - special task, which measures the speed of human response to visual stimulation.

The results showed that the reaction rate was accelerated after meditation (even for beginners) and slowed down in both groups after a short sleep. In the study, also found that participants in the second group required less sleep for a rest.

Output

Now that the benefits of meditation is proved, we still have another problem. Despite the popularity of meditation in the West, we still consider it silly sitting in the lotus position. And just try not to mumble "Om", then meditation is not considered successful.

However, the long-term benefit of meditation is still there, and how did you realize this is proved not only by words of people who practice it, but also the numerous studies on this topic. It is scientifically proven that meditation:

1. Increases the length of telomeres, decreasing the amount of stress, bad mood and depression.
2. Increases the amplitude of alpha wave.
3. Promotes sealing lobes of the brain responsible for learning, memory and emotions.
4. It reduces the number of hours of sleep required by the body to relax.

I hope you had time to read to the end before starting to meditate.