Journal Article

The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation

Posner, Michael I., Hölzel, Britta K., Tang, Yi-Yuan

2015

Overview

Key Points It is proposed that the mechanism through which mindfulness meditation exerts its effects is a process of enhanced self-regulation, including attention control, emotion regulation and self-awareness. Research on mindfulness meditation faces a number of important challenges in study design that limit the interpretation of existing studies. A number of changes in brain structure have been related to mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness practice enhances attention. The anterior cingulate cortex is the region associated with attention in which changes in activity and/or structure in response to mindfulness meditation are most consistently reported. Mindfulness practice improves emotion regulation and reduces stress. Fronto-limbic networks involved in these processes show various patterns of engagement by mindfulness meditation. Meditation practice has the potential to affect self-referential processing and improve present-moment awareness. The default mode networks — including the midline prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, which support self-awareness — could be altered following mindfulness training. Mindfulness meditation has potential for the treatment of clinical disorders and might facilitate the cultivation of a healthy mind and increased well-being. Future research into mindfulness meditation should use randomized and actively controlled longitudinal studies with large sample sizes to validate previous findings. The effects of mindfulness practice on neural structure and function need to be linked to behavioural performance, such as cognitive, affective and social functioning, in future research. The complex mental state of mindfulness is likely to be supported by the large-scale brain networks; future work should take this into account rather than being restricted to activations in single brain areas. Positive effects of mindfulness-based practices on health and cognitive performance have been reported; however, we know little about the underlying mechanisms. Tang and colleagues outline the challenges of meditation research and consider emerging information about the effects of mindfulness meditation on brain structure and function. Research over the past two decades broadly supports the claim that mindfulness meditation — practiced widely for the reduction of stress and promotion of health — exerts beneficial effects on physical and mental health, and cognitive performance. Recent neuroimaging studies have begun to uncover the brain areas and networks that mediate these positive effects. However, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear, and it is apparent that more methodologically rigorous studies are required if we are to gain a full understanding of the neuronal and molecular bases of the changes in the brain that accompany mindfulness meditation.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 631/378/2649 / Animal Genetics and Genomics / Behavioral Sciences / Biological Techniques / Biomedicine / Brain - physiology / Brain research / Buddhism / Cross-sectional studies / Emotional regulation / Humans / Laws, regulations and rules / Longitudinal studies / Meditation / Meditation - methods / Meditation - psychology / Mindfulness / Mindfulness - methods / Neural circuitry / Neurobiology / Neurosciences / Physiological aspects / Psychological aspects / Regulation B / review-article / Self awareness / Stress, Psychological - psychology