In the human waking state, the mind is usually engaged in an endless internal dialogue of thoughts, where both opinions and feelings about these thoughts provoke the next thought. For example, we watch a movie or listen to a song, which leads our thoughts to a particular experience we have had, perhaps with a former friend. And suddenly we start thinking about how that friendship ended, and if we are still emotionally affected by the ending, the feelings may well up again, and our mind may shift to criticism, self-pity, and/or worries about the future. Like the snowball effect, where the mind rolls along with our thoughts. Often with ourselves as the “thin beer,” instead of the opposite, where we are more conscious and action-oriented about which thoughts should have “free passage.”

 

The snowball effect also greatly applies to thoughts related to our work, health, finances, family, and future. Like a personal soundtrack that plays daily without us noticing it, but which is immediately the greatest source of stress. And although we can easily think positive thoughts, the mind unfortunately has a tendency to focus on the negative. A mental inheritance that dates back to when our ancestors focused more on potential threats, like attacks from predators, than on rewards like the sight of a beautiful sunset. An extreme vigilance to danger, which means that the inheritance from our ancestors is a brain that is primed to focus on negative experiences to ensure survival.

 

Meditation is one of the best tools we have to counter the brain’s tendency to focus on the negative and at the same time promote positive experiences and intentions, among other things.

If we do not process our stress, it can eventually make us ill and accelerate aging. Several scientific studies support that prolonged stress can contribute to, among other things, high blood pressure, heart diseases, stomach ulcers, anxiety, cancer, insomnia, and a range of other stress-related illnesses.

 

In meditation, your body releases stress, and it also has a positive influence on our built-in fight/flight response. An instinct that is meant to be a short-term protection mechanism. But when this response is triggered, it causes a faster heart rate, suppression of our immune system, reduced insulin production, increased release of stress hormones, and impaired blood flow to our digestive organs. A primal “initiative” that sharpens focus on either fleeing or fighting. Fortunately, very few people face serious threats daily that require us to either fight or flee. Nevertheless, many live in a prolonged stress state of fight/flight, generated by, for example, chaotic traffic, criticism, disagreements, or deep-seated traumas that can be triggered at any time. Convincing studies indicate that a regular meditation practice can promote a calm and relaxed state, influencing our fight/flight response.

For many years, scientists believed that once we reached a certain age, our brains could no longer change. Researchers have now found that the brain has plasticity, which enables it to grow new neurons and transform throughout life. Meditation is a powerful tool for awakening new neural connections and transformative areas in the brain, allowing us to harness the brain’s deepest potential to focus, learn, and adapt.

 

A study has shown that after just eight weeks of meditation, the participants experienced beneficial growth in brain areas associated with memory, learning, empathy, self-awareness, and stress regulation. Many of the participants also reported experiencing less anxiety and a greater inner peace.

 

Other research projects suggest that meditation is a tool that also improves the ability to focus. This is a valuable asset in a world with increasing activities and distractions that demand our attention. Finally, it is worth noting that teenagers and adults with ADHD, through a study conducted by the UCLA Mindful Awareness Center, showed that by practicing various forms of meditation for eight weeks, these individuals experienced an improvement in their concentration abilities.

As humans, we find it easier to react positively and consciously when we are in balance. Similarly, when we are out of balance, we often react in ways that are inappropriate for both ourselves and others. Meditation cultivates presence, as well as calm and compassion, which give us the capacity for genuine presence with other people. We are able to observe situations and sense when we are triggered, after which we consciously choose a more appropriate reaction. Meditation helps us foster more harmonious relationships, not least with ourselves, where we also address the so-called “pleaser gene,” allowing us to better say yes and no in accordance with our inner self.

Most of the thousands of thoughts we have every day are the same ones we’ve had for days, weeks, months, and years. Our mind tends to get stuck in thought patterns, which unfortunately can hinder new ideas. Meditation is the tool that helps you move beyond these habitual thoughts and into a state of deeper awareness. Your intuition is enhanced, and you will experience new insights and ideas. Some have described it as a state of being in “flow.” To experience synchronicity in our experiences, or to be in the right place at the right time. This is where we are no longer driven by our past, fear, or worries. A state where we don’t have to force things to happen, but know that everything we need comes naturally to us.

 

In the deep state of meditation, the brain releases neurotransmitters. All of these are natural brain chemicals associated with different aspects of happiness:

 

These neurotransmitters are known for their relevance to well-being, as they help reduce the feeling of pain and the side effects of stress. In meditation, the various neurotransmitters are released simultaneously.

 

Additionally, there have been positive results in medical research studies where meditation has been used to alleviate depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mood-related disorders. It can also benefit people with chronic pain.

It is not only the benefits for body and mind, as already described, that meditation is good for. One of the greatest rewards is the feeling of inner peace. When we meditate and quiet the mind from activity, we reach the source of happiness, inspiration, and feelings such as empathy and love. These are the feelings that can be easily drowned out by the inner noise of daily life, which demands unnecessary attention in the form of worries, anger, and pain. With regular meditation, we bring the peace from the silence “back” with us, making it easier over time to feel the softer emotions such as gratitude, appreciation, and love, as well as a deeper awareness of our own existence.