Meditation is an ancient practice rooted in Buddhist traditions. While meditating, practitioners focus on a single aspect - such as breathing - without judgment. Cognitive neuroscientists have found, for novice meditators, meditation can increase activation in the prefrontal cortex: a brain area involved in higher-level functions like planning, working memory, and inhibitory control. However, experienced meditators tend to show decreased activation in this region. This hints at the long-held belief that mediation could help people meet some of their challenges from anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues and more openly accept their thoughts and experiences over time and practice.
This is a video from the 2023 Brain Awareness Video Contest.
Created by Xuran Fu.