Meditation is definitely beneficial for mental and physical health. Some of the clinically proven effects of meditation include:
- weakening of the heartbeat
- lowering blood pressure
- decrease in oxygen consumption
- slowing down metabolism
- decrease in the content of lactic (a-hydroxypropionic) acid in the blood
- increased blood flow in the forearms and increased temperature of the palms
- increase in the electrical resistance of the skin
- increased alpha brain waves.
- secretion of the hormone endorphin by the pituitary gland, due to which the so-called «pleasure center» is turned on
- relaxation of muscles under the influence of the hormone endorphin
- decrease in emotional activity.
- strengthening immunity
- reduction of headache and back pain
- sleep improvement
- marked reduction in consumption of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes
- slow heart rate
- decrease in systolic pressure
- drop in diastolic pressure.
- increase in creative and intellectual abilities
- heart health
- stress reduction
- deepening of calm
- improving concentration
- deepening self-understanding (self-awareness)
- reduction and complete disappearance (replacement) of drug addiction
- reduction in heart disease
- diabetes reduction
- vitality improvement
- increase in the content of lactic acid salts
- improving brain function
Recent studies on magnetic resonance imaging show that in a state of meditative trance in a person, the temporal lobes of the brain and areas of the brain associated with attention are strongly activated. The activity of the parietal lobes, on the contrary, decreases. Experienced meditation masters (from 10 to 40 years of practice) also show an increase in gamma waves on the electroencephalogram. Modern neurophysiology claims that the effect of meditative trance is achieved in the brain due to the interaction of the cerebellar amygdala and the neocortex.