welcome to mindfulness neuroscience animated sponsored by the integrative
health convention. What if you could know how to mind worked
so that you could make it work even better with a simple brain training
exercise. The exercise is mindfulness meditation, and the following video will
explain simply, the current neuroscience research on how the brain works normally
and how you can have the power to change it with mindfulness meditation. There is
emerging evidence that mindfulness meditation causes changes in the
structure and function of brain regions involved in the regulation of attention,
emotion, and self-awareness. Functional MRI studies of the brain show that when
someone is daydreaming or just not doing anything,
our brains show consistent activity in certain regions. Some studies suggest as
much as 45 percent of our time is spent day-dreaming. These areas together are
called the Default Mode Network or DMN, the interesting thing about the Default
Mode Network is that it involves parts of the brain responsible for thinking about
yourself and rumination - areas which are correlated with some mental illnesses
such as depression and anxiety.
One of the interesting brain areas making up
the default mode network is the amygdala the region of the brain largely
responsible for the fight-or-flight response and is seen to be more active
when people are stressed. Just as the brain has a Default Mode
Network when we are daydreaming or not thinking about anything in particular, it
has an opposite network of brain activity known as the Task Positive
Network or TPN that is active during attention demanding tasks. Only one
network can be active at any one time. So in summary, the Default Mode Network
can be said to be a ruminative network - it directs our awareness to the past and
future while largely ignoring the present and while the DMN can be used
responsibly for planning and organizing, we must be wary of the negative aspects of it
The Task Positive Network can be said to be responsible for present
moment awareness, being in the here and now. It is the Action Network. When the
TPN is activated and we are in the present, there is no rumination, there is
no worry, there is no past, there is no future because the DMN is inactivated
And again, only one system can be active at any one time. By activating the TPN we
deactivate the DMN. So the next time you feel down or ruminating on the events of
the past, or worrying about the future, remind yourself of the power of the Task
Positive Network (the TPN). All you have to do is bring attention
for example to your breath, or a sound, or a sensation such as the warmth of the
Sun on your skin. Then if you find that your mind wanders as the DMN begins to
take over, Activate your TPN again by bringing your attention back to your
breath or sound, or sensation.
Experienced meditators have been found to have
smaller amygdalas (responsible for stress). And so, this change in structure of their
brains means that they are able to react
differently to the stresses and strains of everyday life. Research also shows
that the more you practice mindfulness meditation, the easier it is for you to
activate your TPN and deactivate your DMN .With what you've learned now, you can
begin to enjoy being in the present, and begin changing your brain, and your life
for the better.
Welcome to inner peace
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