Seven-Day Brain Change: Researchers Investigate the Effects of Meditation

Researchers from the University of California San Diego found that a seven-day intensive meditation program led to measurable changes in brain activity, immune function, and metabolism. The study, which involved 20 healthy adults, included daily classes, group practices, and approximately 33 hours of guided meditation. Scientists used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the participants' brains before and after the program and took blood samples. After meditation, the activity in the brain regions associated with internal thought and mental chatter decreased. The researchers considered this change an indicator that the brain may be working more efficiently. The study also found evidence of neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to change, reorganize, and form new connections. When exposed to the participants' plasma, laboratory-grown nerve cells developed longer branches and formed more connections.