People who practice meditation for many years strengthen the connections in their brain and have a greater number of folds in the cortex of the brain, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience . These characteristics are related to greater memory and the ability to process information and make decisions. In addition, the work demonstrates the plasticity of the brain, that is, its ability to adapt to environmental changes.
The study included both people who had been practicing meditation for more than 20 years and others who had not. The researchers, from the University of California (UCLA), compared MRI images of the brains of the volunteers and measured the folds of the cortex. In addition to finding differences between the groups, the scientists found that the longer the participants had been meditating, the greater the folding of an area of the brain called the "insular cortex." This area is related to the limbic system and emotions, and is related to affective processes and consciousness.
"Meditators are considered masters of introspection and consciousness, so the data obtained is logical", indicates Eileen Luders, one of the authors, who nevertheless states that it is also necessary to take into account that genetic aspects and other environmental factors can contribute to the observed results.
