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The beliefs as well as the science behind meditation and the effects it has on you spiritually as well as on your brain
Meditation is used across the world in countless religions and cultures. Some people use meditation to help them deal with stress, clear their minds, become more self-aware as well as help awaken them spiritually.
Today, we are going to share with you some insight into the science between meditation and the brain as well as how it is believed to encourage you to inspire your soul as your sense of spirituality.
Jen Alico is a certified meditation coach and she has said, “With any type of meditation, the more you try the harder it will be to achieve a meditative state.”
Benefits of meditation spiritually
Experts say that you should not force any type of spiritual awakening. You need to be open to the practice and the more you try and force it, the worse your experience will be. It is hard to prove that anything has a spiritual effect however, a small study was done in 2019, and they found that meditation can increase spiritual experiences such as:
Feeling a spiritual presence
A sense of transcendence
A sense of awe
Hearing voices or seeing visions
Other people believe that meditation can include the following benefits but these have not yet been proven:
Less reactivity
A sense of inner bliss
A more balanced sense of being
A strong sense of belonging
An increase in creativity
A sense of clarity in your life purpose
Inner stillness and peace
Benefits of meditation for the brain
A 2011 study was done at the Harvard Medical School. They wanted to examine the effects of mindfulness meditation on the brain and found a connection between mindfulness as well as processing new information.
17 brains were examined before and after the 8-week program and the researchers found that the brain scans showed an increase in gray matter in certain parts of the brain. These areas are responsible for learning, memory as well as emotional regulation.
A study was conducted in 2016 at Carnegie Mellon University. A group of unemployed adults took part in a 3-day relaxation program that did not have mindfulness meditation, and a separate group had the meditation as part of the program. Researchers found that the group who did the meditation had an increase in connectivity among parts of the brain that control attention.
Conclusion
Meditation can be hard at the beginning. Being quiet with your inner thoughts and feelings can be scary for some people. Once you get into the meditation practice, you will see the benefits that the practice has on your mind, body and soul. It is a natural way in which you can physically take time out of your day to listen to your body and hear what your body needs.
Takeaways:
Do not force a meditation
Take your time
Practice meditation daily
You can use self-help videos on the internet to help guide you through your desired meditation
If you would like to improve your focus, reduce your stress and anxiety or help inspire your soul spiritually, then give meditation a try. You can also try a gratitude journal for mindfulness.