Monk Brains

I think we are all too aware that our culture is fascinated, and let's be honest, inundated with the concept of happiness. From 'O' magazine frequently delivering tidbits on the topic to Gretchen Rubin's bestselling book, The Happiness Project, there always seems to be a fresh, new approach for us to try to be happy.

Just for the record, I am not downing 'O' magazine or Gretchen Rubin's book, but I am suggesting that perhaps the truth lies in something much simpler.

For some, it won't be surprising to learn that neuroplasticity (the brain's ability to change its neurons and networks via new experiences and training), holds the key to answering one of the most allusive questions of our time, "What is happiness (and how do I get some)?"

In 2002, Richard Davidson, a professor at University of Wisconsin -Madison set out to answer this question by researching the brains of Buddhist monks.  A personal invite from the Dalai Lama allowed Richardson to work with monks who had clocked over 10,000 hours in meditation.  The control group was a bunch of college students inexperienced in meditation.

The monks were asked to meditate on "unconditional loving-kindness and compassion."  Davidson found enhanced gamma activity with brain waves oscillating at approximately 40 cycles per second.  This boils down to extremely focused thought.  In all previous studies, most human brains have weak and difficult-to-see gamma waves.  Also observed was synchronization among other areas of the cortex, a phenomenon previously seen with patients under anesthesia.  Perhaps most notable was the increase in activity in the monks' prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for positive emotions.

Davidson's results provide important information in the field of neuroplasticity.  In the last twenty years researchers like Davidson have been confronting traditional science's credo that the brain becomes frozen once it hits adulthood and is unable of forming new connections.

Davidson's monk study shows that the emotional centers of our brain are not static, another great reminder that it's never too late to experience happiness and extend compassion to others.

Davidson calls the monks in his study "the Olympic athletes of meditation" for good reason.  It's difficult for most of us to conceive of meditating eight hours a day, three years in a row   as these monks did.  However, I don't believe the message is that attaining happiness and compassion is not available to the rest of us.  In fact, studies show that even just a few minutes of meditation a day can alter our brain waves and result in a more positive outlook.

Again, it's about the simple things.  Richardson's study is just one more reminder that we don't need to go out and buy another product or spend a year trying miscellaneous things to be happy.  All we need is to get to know what is already inside.

Happy meditating!