What are the effects of mindfulness in the brain? What are its health benefits. View these slides to find out more

1. NEUROSCIENCE OF MINDFULNESS
AND ITS IMPACT ON WORKPLACE
PERFORMANCE
Dr Shanida Nataraja
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja,
Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

2. INTRODUCTION

3. BRAIN IS BIOSUPERCOMPUTER THAT ALLOWS US
TO RUN ON “AUTO-PILOT”
 The brain:
 Weighs 1½ lbs
 Has the consistency of jelly
 Contains 100 billion brain cells
 Is highly interconnected
 It controls behavior so efficiently that we can
run on “auto-pilot”
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

4. STRUCTURE OF BRAIN IS HIGHLY COMPLEX AND
DISTINCT STRUCTURES HAVE SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS

5. HUMANS HAVE A HIGHLY DEVELOPED FOREBRAIN
WITH TWO SIDES WITH DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS
Humans have two sides to their forebrain, each with a
different functions
Left brain Right brain
• Rational • Abstract
• Analytical • Intuitive
• Reductionist • Holistic
• Language • Creativity
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

6. ARE YOU RIGHT-BRAINED OR LEFT-BRAINED?
WHICH WAY DOES THE DANCER SPIN?

7. MINDFULNESS AND HEALTH

8. MINDFULNESS HAS POSITIVE EFFECT ON
PHYSICAL HEALTH
Improves Reduces stress,
Improved skin
acceptance, anxiety & Improved
clearing in
coping depression, glycaemic
psoriasis and
strategies and and improved control in
symptom relief
well-being symptoms in diabetes
in IBS
chronic pain heart disease
1982 1998 2003 2007
1992 2003 2004 2007
Improved well- Improved
Reduces blood
being, symptom immune Reduced levels
pressure
control in function in of cortisol and
(normotensive,
patients with healthy and stress
cancer)
fibromyalgia HIV patients
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

9. MINDFULNESS HAS POSITIVE EFFECT ON MENTAL
HEALTH
Improved Improves
Reduced risk
anxiety & sleep time
Reduces of relapse or
depression in and efficiency
anxiety recurrence in
bipolar in chronic
depression
disorder insomnia
1992 2000 2008 2008
1999 2006 2008 2010
Improved Improves well-
Weight loss in
decision being, QoL and Reduced
women with
making & coping anxiety and
binge eating
abstinence in strategies in stress in
disorders
substance cancer schizophrenia
and/or obesity
abuse patients
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

10. MINDFULNESS PRACTICE HAS MULTITUDE OF
EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION
Promotes
insightful
problem-solving
Enhances Cultivates
curiosity and positive attitude
receptiveness to to perceived
new experiences stress
Promotes Facilitates
emotional sustained
stability attention
Cultivates Decreases
observing tendency to
attitude self-reference
Reduces
Enhances
negative
emotional
emotions and
intelligence
worrying Increases
openness and
extroversion
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

11. BRAIN IMAGING RESEARCH

12. OBSERVING MEDITATORS IN LABORATORY REVEALS
BRAIN REGIONS INVOLVED IN MEDITATION
 Newberg and D’Aquili observed experienced
meditators in controlled laboratory conditions
 Radioactive tracer was released into blood at peak
moment of meditation
 These methods allow visualisation of blood flow in
specific brain regions
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

13. MINDFULNESS MEDITATION INVOLVES CHANGES
IN FRONTAL AND PARIETAL LOBES
 Frontal lobe
 Increased activity in
attentional networks
 Decreased activity in
surrounding areas
 Parietal lobe
 Decreased activity in
orientation area
 Decreased activity in
networks involved in
relaying experiences
through language
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

14. FOCUSED ATTENTION PROMPTS SHIFT FROM
LEFT TO RIGHT BRAIN
Left-brain Right-brain
Rational Abstract
Analytical Holistic
Logical Intuitive
Meditation elicits shift
to different mode of
perceiving and thinking
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

15. MINDFULNESS MEDITATION INVOLVES CHANGES
IN LIMBIC SYSTEM AND MIDBRAIN STRUCTURES
 Limbic system
 Increased activity in
amygdala and hippocampus
 Autonomic nervous system
 Increased activity in
hypothalamus and midbrain
 Sequential activation of
parasympathetic and
sympathetic nervous
systems
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

16. LONG-TERM MEDITATION ELICITS DISTINCT
CHANGES IN NUMEROUS AREAS OF BRAIN
Attention
Increased activity in attention networks in
frontal cortex
Perception
Increased/assymetrical activity in thalamus
Emotional regulation
Increased activity in limbic system
Autonomic function
Increased activity in midbrain
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

17. MINDFULNESS HAS FOUR KEY EFFECTS ON
BRAIN AND BEHAVIOUR
Subjective
Subjective
• Focused attention for extended
• Enhanced awareness of bodily
periods of time
states and subtle bodily sensations
• Distractions disturb focus less
Objective
frequently (executive attention)
• Increased activity in insula
Objective
(interoreceptive awareness)
• Increased activity in and cortical
• Increased cortical thickness and
thickness of anterior cingulate
grey matter density of insula
cortex (ACC)
Subjective Subjective
• Less prone to emotional or • Improved and expanded sense of
behavioural outbursts identity (‘self’)
Objective Objective
• Increased activity in prefrontal • Decrease activity in default mode
cortex (PFC) network (DMN; self-referential
• Greater control of PFC over processing), including mPFC and
amygdala posterior cingulate gyrus
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

18. ELECTRICAL BRAIN WAVE RESEARCH

19. RECORDINGS IDENTIFY FOUR MAJOR TYPES
OF BRAIN WAVES
Delta Theta Alpha Beta
Unconscious Creative subconscious Relaxed alertness Active thought
Painting Relaxing Strategising
Writing Playing sport Problem-solving
Composing Listening to music Communicating
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

20. MEDITATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH DISTINCT
BRAIN WAVE PATTERN
Delta Theta
Theta Alpha
Alpha Beta
Beta
Unconscious Creative subconscious
Creative subconscious Relaxed alertness
Relaxed alertness Active thought
Active thought
Increase in activity Decrease in activity
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

21. DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS LINKED
WITH DIFFERENT BRAIN WAVE PATTERNS
Meditative High alpha/theta
Panic states High beta
Dreaming sleep High theta
Hypnogogic/
High alpha
hypnopompic
Deep sleep High delta
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

22. „AWAKENED‟ OR „HIGH-PERFORMANCE‟ STATE
ASSOCIATED WITH DISTINCT BRAIN WAVE CHANGES
Delta Theta
Theta Alpha
Alpha Beta
Beta
Unconscious Creative subconscious
Creative subconscious Relaxed alertness
Relaxed alertness Active thought
Active thought
Increase in activity Decrease in activity
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

23. „HIGH PERFORMANCE‟ MIND ASSOCIATED WITH
DISTINCT BRAIN WAVE CHANGES
 Observed in healers, spiritual
masters and meditators
(permanent state)
 Observed in
artists, composers, dancers, i
nventors, mathematicians, sci
entists (transient insight)
 Associated with high
performance and creativity
Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

24. ANY QUESTIONS?

25. NEUROSCIENCE OF MINDFULNESS
AND ITS IMPACT ON WORKPLACE
PERFORMANCE
Dr Shanida Nataraja