Meditation Promotes Mindfulness

The Default Mode Network (DMN) involves regions of the brain associated with mind-wandering – namely, the medial prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate corticies, that may cause lapses in attention and anxiety.   To assess whether mindfulness-based meditation can reduce activity along this brain axis, Judson Brewer, from Yale University School of Medicine (Connecticut, USA), and colleagues analyzed 12 experienced mindfulness meditation practitioners, and a group of 13 control subjects who never practiced the technique. The researchers used functional MRI to assess brain activation during both a resting state and a meditation period in each subject.  Compared with novice meditators, experienced study participants had significant deactivation in parts of the brain associated with the DMN.  As well, the team found that practiced meditators reported less mind-wandering during meditation than did their less experienced counterparts.  The study authors conclude that: “Our findings demonstrate differences in the default-mode network that are consistent with decreased mind-wandering. As such, these provide a unique understanding of possible neural mechanisms of meditation.”