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The more they talk about meditation, the less is known about it. It has come to the point where it is considered a method of relaxation and stress relief. The editor and host of the “Nastiglio” channel, Nastya Trafkina, finds out what Buddha actually meant and how much his statements agree with scientific data. Richard Davidson, a neurobiologist, psychiatrist and psychologist who wrote the most comprehensive book on the neuroscientific research of meditative practices, agreed to comment on some of the fundamental principles of Buddhism from the perspective of brain sciences.
The Neurophysiological Nature of Buddhist
Suffering In Buddhism, the delirium begins with the realization that life is suffering. This fact is called the First Noble Truth, and it is the first of four insights of Gautama, who decided to hack reality.
If we translate this truth into a more understandable language for us today, we will see that the loud word “suffering” refers to the property of our brain to constantly react to stimuli from the surrounding world.
Although the word “suffering” is traditionally used here, dissatisfaction or discomfort is more appropriate in meaning: a mixture of vague anxiety, lack of something, a desire to have something, fear of losing what you have, or failing to achieve what you strive for. Buddha, it seems, was right.
Richard Davidson: “Even if we satisfied all our desires, we would still not show any lasting increase in happiness or well-being. Scientific research confirms this, as well as Eastern contemplative traditions.”
Not only does the brain change its activity under the influence of external stimuli, but the entire organism’s function depends on it. For example, depending on the balance of activity in the brain hemispheres, you will be more prone to experiencing positive (with more activity in the left prefrontal cortex) or negative emotions (with more activation in the right prefrontal cortex).
People prone to getting stuck in negative emotions often have not only a more active right side of the cortex but also insufficient connections between the left prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, which is responsible for negative experiences.
The “happy” prefrontal cortex simply cannot control the activation of the amygdala. And it is the amygdala that is responsible for experiencing stress, cortisol secretion, adrenaline – in short, for making us nervous, angry, sweating, and wanting to hit our interlocutor or run and cry in the corner. And the worse the “happy” cortex is connected to the amygdala, the longer after a stress event it will remain active, making you crazy.
Why Buddhists say everything is illusory
Emotional processes in our body do not just exist for the sake of us feeling them. It is not a divine gift or a demonic curse, but a complex of biochemical and neurological processes that control our behavior. The brain system responsible for emotions is older, deeper and developed in a time when human survival was in question more than today. That’s why this system reacts faster than the cortex (more “reasonable”) and loves basic survival-related stimuli more.
The main task of emotional reactions is to orient us in the external world, indicating quickly and without long reflection what is good and what is bad for the organism, survival, and continuation of the species.
At the basic level, everything is very simple: food, suitable partners, safety — this is joy; enemies, competition for benefits — this is anger, etc. That’s why we are always curiously turning our heads, want to eat something, try something new, pull someone into bed, and all that we already discussed in the article about “dopaminomy” and the impact of pornography on the brain.
The cortex of the large hemispheres, forming more complex mental processes, also actively reacts to external stimuli. Selective attention, which we intentionally direct to something, is controlled by the prefrontal cortex. In response to attention-catching events, a so-called phase synchronization occurs in it — a burst of activity synchronized with the moment of attention being paid to the object. The image of the external world is created in our consciousness through the variety of waves of activity in different areas of the brain.
Everything – from images and sounds to subjective feelings of the atmosphere of a place and self-perception in it – does not exist for us in and of itself, but only in the process of perception by the senses, processing of information by the brain, and the work of neurotransmitters and hormones.
It can be assumed that this is what Buddha means when he describes the world as an illusion. This statement seems meaningless until we go crazy or at least fall asleep: after all, both the crazy person and the sleeping person experience absolutely real sensations – and we understand that their worlds are illusory only because they differ from what most people see. But the principle by which the image of the world is assembled in the consciousness of a sleeping, insane, or any other person is the same: it is the result of complex work by the organism, including the brain. Speaking of the illusory nature of the world from a neurophysiological point of view, it is necessary to understand that the matter is not so much that the whole world is a fraud, but rather that the nature of our perception is determined by the way we perceive. That is, the meaning is not only what we perceive, but also how and what we perceive.
“The Dhammapada,” a collection of early Buddhist teachings, begins with the line, “Everything we represent is the fruit of our thoughts.” We are increasingly convinced that this is not a parable, but a precise observation about the workings of our brain.
Richard Davidson: “I think this deep intuitive insight of Buddhism has at least an indirect relationship with contemporary neuroscience. In our experience, the meaning comes not from the environment but rather from our perception of the environment. A whole spectrum of studies shows that the level of “subjective stress” predicts various physical stress reactions better than “objective stress” measurements. From this perspective, thoughts and mental activity determine our reality. One could say that the data of contemporary neuroscience agrees with the Buddhist concept of emptiness and that objects are devoid of real existence.”
“Conquering the mind, they are free from the bonds of illusion,” says the Buddha simply and without any tricks. So simple that it’s hard to believe.
Why suffering is caused by desire
In the life of each of us, a dramatic conflict can be observed between the characteristics of our brain’s work and conscious attitudes. Usually in such situations we tell ourselves: “I really want, but I can’t” or “Don’t know why I did it again”. Do you want to make balanced decisions, but impulsively make unthinking actions when the time comes? Do you want to concentrate on writing a book, but can’t make yourself write a single line? Do you know you are safe, but can’t suppress anxiety? There may be hundreds of examples – all about how our brain works optimally for our distant ancestor’s survival, but not perfectly for modern conditions with complex social demands, often conflicting with our natural desires. Not to mention ethical tasks, incomprehensible to our organism.
The main problem of this conflict is that it is extremely difficult for us to resist impulses that are formed by the work of our organism.
All basic drives can be divided into two major types: the desire for something (bringing pleasant experiences) and the desire to avoid something (bringing unpleasant experiences). Many of our actions are driven by one of these two basic drives that are common to all living beings, and most of them we do not even realize. It’s not surprising that sometimes we suddenly find ourselves in a situation where, in a clear-minded reflection, we would not want to be, or even living a completely different life than the one we envisioned. But usually, this realization quickly disappears into the whirlwind of new sensations and reactions of our body.
Richard Davidson: “At the neurophysiological level, the activity of our brain is constantly modulated by feelings of attachment and aversion. We want what we can’t have and avoid what can cause us pain. These are the basic principles of brain function. Training is needed to develop the ability to change our relationship with attachment and aversion. It can change the brain.
If we had given this awareness a little time, then following Prince Gautama, we would have understood the second fundamental truth of Buddhism: that the cause of suffering from the First Noble Truth is an insatiable craving. These drives lie at the root of most of our actions. Our life consists of a desire for pleasure and avoidance of pain at all levels: from the most basic needs such as food, shelter and a desire to stop physical pain, to complex desires such as recognition by society, a devoted partner and avoiding the pain of separation or loneliness.
What does “to be freed from attachments” mean
The Third Noble Truth, which Buddha realized two and a half thousand years ago, is that it is possible to end this constant discomfort that constantly forces us to act just by stopping feeling it. And today we can agree with this by pointing to scientific evidence.
The task of “freedom from attachment” is often understood as the complete cessation of all desires and aspirations or, more so, as a rejection of family and everything that can be defined by attachment relationships – love, friendship, care. This seems not only impossible: the task itself obviously contradicts our values and any meaning in life. What’s the point of turning into a piece of wood that wants nothing and strives for nothing?
Such an understanding of the task of liberation is incorrect: we do not want to get rid of desires, but at the same time we want to be free in our decision-making from them (especially since they are often simply caused by the non-optimal operation of our brain or its inadaptability to modern conditions surrounding us).
Liberation is possible under two conditions. If we are able to, first, recognize the reasons for our experiences and desires. Then we can separate the stimuli from the subjective reaction they have caused and from the action that can logically follow it. For example, we can separate the stress caused by the submission of a project at work, from the annoyance of the scattered items around the apartment of our weekend partner – and from the seemingly logical argument with accusations of all mortal sins.
In a situation when we don’t recognize the reasons for our emotions, the triad of “stress — irritation — scandal” seems natural and inseparable. When we learn to distinguish the wheat from the chaff, we can work with each part of the triad separately: take a bath and relax to relieve stress; leave the partner’s things on his conscience, remembering that he is resting today; establish communication, sharing experiences with each other, including talking about stress and irritation (and laughing at how a warm bath can dissipate the desire to destroy someone).
Secondly, we need to optimize the work of our brain. Reduce excessive activity, increase insufficient activity, and establish connections between different parts of the brain. Amazingly, we can do this by analyzing our main problems and using the principle of neuroplasticity.
Richard Davidson: “Freedom from attachments” does not imply deprivation of all emotions as if we were zombies. On the contrary. The greatest of the living Buddhist masters – for example, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Mingyur Rinpoche – both live a very rich emotional life. They experience emotions all the time and it’s visible. However, they don’t persist unnecessarily long because there is little or no attachment in them. It is attachment that makes emotions persist even when they are already useless – and it is this property that turns out to be a trap, not the experiences themselves. In the neuropsychological literature, there are many vague hints that reduced attachment is associated with changes in the connections of certain parts of the brain, so that emotions can no longer “break into” key structures of the brain. But this is not related to the suppression of emotional centers.
What is the practice
Currently it is known that the brain is plastic. It responds to new experiences by changing its structure and functioning. Every new impression, effort, acquisition of a new skill or change in familiar patterns of behavior – all of this physically affects what our brain represents.
Let’s assume that now it is clear to us that all this time we were experiencing constant discomfort of our uncontrollable mind, not living a rich spiritual life – and want to understand and make our brain work for us. The first thing that comes to mind is pharmacology: we can finally treat “mental illnesses” with the help of psychiatrists, perhaps we can optimize brain function with drugs?
Pharmacology may be the future, but today everything doesn’t look so bright. Just think, most psychiatrists, when prescribing drugs, do not even study the brain, like doctors of other specialties examine the organs within their competence.
In rare cases, developed countries’ psychiatrists send people for brain scans. We are still picking pills by trial and error, unable to say exactly what is wrong with the brain we are treating. Sometimes, medication may be prescribed incorrectly and bring no benefit, or even harm. This is in cases where the psychiatrist is treating someone who is obviously unwell and whose symptoms may directly indicate the area of the brain where the malfunction has occurred. What to say about trying to optimize a healthy brain in this way! But the main problem with medications is temporality: their effect exists as long as the active ingredient of the drug is working. Then – fut – and there is no effect. The same is true for drug experiments. The only effect that may not evaporate after amateur use is disruptions in brain function.
One of the important methods of enlightenment Buddha called “middle path” – moderate life in which joy and pleasure are balanced with asceticism and restraint. This basic condition is reflected in physiological and psychological aspects of life.
To correct any disorder, you will be prescribed a special regimen: to get enough sleep, go to bed at the same time, avoid psychoactive substances and be extremely careful with legal stimulants such as alcohol, coffee and cigarettes, eat well and avoid starvation, walk in fresh air, and communicate with significant people—this is moderation. When you control the intensity of external stimuli, you indirectly control the activity of your brain. Compare your emotional state on a weekend with two consecutive parties, psychoactive substances and lack of sleep to weekends where you get enough sleep, engage in moderate exercise, eat baked broccoli, and meet with your creative colleagues to come up with a plan for your projects next year.
Mandatory practice for achieving freedom is meditation. There is a wealth of literature on meditation methods, and this topic cannot be covered in this overview.
Meditation techniques and schools may differ, but the ultimate goal of practice is to help us realize that all phenomena of our mind (emotions, thoughts, beliefs, etc.) are not permanent and can be changed. By meditating regularly, we become more aware of our mental and emotional states, which helps us maintain balance, reduce stress and anxiety, increase focus, creativity, and resilience.
By observing this, we learn to understand what external stimulus caused a particular event in our “inner world”, and then not to react to that change automatically, but to observe how it disappears on its own without our help: the organism always strives for homeostasis. It is this ability that brings us freedom to choose what to strive for and how to act. The “Dhammapada” states: “Awareness is the path to freedom”, and the idea of the necessity of tracking, guarding, and protecting one’s mind is repeatedly emphasized so that nothing enters it without our knowledge. Because, after all, it is indeed capable of blowing up a whole dinosaur from a tiny fly.
Psychiatrist and addiction specialist Jadson Bruyer developed a system to work with nicotine addiction based on observing the emergence and development of the desire to smoke. Participants in his program dissolve the discomfort of nicotine addiction with themselves. His method showed twice the effectiveness of an American pulmonologist program that assumes relaxation and distraction from thoughts of smoking. This is largely due to the fact that Bruyer does not suggest avoiding these feelings until they take hold, but rather to become aware of them.
In the Eastern tradition, there is a beautiful image that describes the “true nature” of human consciousness: it is likened to a dusty mirror or the rippled surface of a lake. Dust and ripples are impressions. Dust can be wiped away and the wind can die down. And then it becomes clear that the true nature of consciousness is a smooth, calm surface that precisely reflects the world. This image also has a neurophysiological interpretation.
Richard Davidson: “Yes, this picture makes complete sense from a scientific perspective. We can think of the dust and waves as emotions that break, color, and distort our perceptions and thoughts. Scientific data shows that when people feel threatened, the amygdala is activated, which in turn modulates or distorts the early stages of sensory information processing in the cortex of the brain. This is how the process of transforming emotions into ripples and dust that obscure our mind occurs.”
Meditation Changes the Brain
Meditation has been poorly studied so far, although there has been recent interest from the scientific community. The main problem with previous research was that the researchers themselves did not understand the types, techniques, and goals of meditation, did not take into account the professionalism of practitioners and the number of years they spent on it: five or forty-five. In their book “Altered Traits,” Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson compiled all the research on meditation, exposing many as incorrect and telling of rare convincing experiments, including their own research on the brains of experienced monks.
The most interesting studies show that during meditation by an experienced practitioner (e.g., Mingyur Rinpoche has been practicing for 62,000 hours in his life), there is a high level of activity on the EEG chart; functional MRI demonstrates an increase in activity in some brain regions by up to 800%; and high-resolution MRI scans show that the brain of a 40-year-old monk is equivalent in volume to that of a 33-year-old in terms of gray matter.
However, what is surprising is not that during the meditation process the brain activity changes, but that experienced meditators show dramatically different gamma wave brain activity compared to non-meditating control groups and outside of the meditation state. There are four main types of EEG waves. Slow delta waves mainly occur during deep sleep. Slightly faster teta waves occur when we drowse. Alpha waves – when we are practically not thinking and relaxed. Beta waves, fast waves, reflect active thinking or concentration.
Gamma waves are the fastest of all, they occur when different areas of the brain are activated simultaneously. This occurs during moments of insight, when various elements come together into a single picture.
A gamma burst occurs when you solve a riddle, puzzle, or suddenly come up with a periodic table. The same gamma burst occurs with Marcel Proust when he tries a cookie that reminds him of childhood and memories flood his mind about the scent of home, the color of his lover’s hair, and the sensation of wind on his cheeks that troubled him so much in those years.
The amplitude of gamma waves in the brain of yogis was 25 times higher even in a calm state compared to normal people. This explains little but shows the neurophysiological correspondence to the state described by practitioners: open awareness of all phenomena of the external and internal world simultaneously, without attachment and rejection, powerless, relaxed, and alert at the same time. It was found that this brain state could be observed even during the sleep of practitioners, although the presence of gamma oscillations during deep sleep from the perspective of a normal brain is unprecedented.
Furthermore, experienced meditators demonstrated an unprecedented ability to “switch” their brain activity on command by the experimenters and showed a difference in activity and connections in the “default system,” responsible for our self-referential thinking.
The fact that the effects of meditation persist in a resting state, everyday activity, and even sleep, suggests that it can truly transform the human brain – this property was named “altered traits” by researchers from the Davidson team. After accumulating a certain amount of hours of practice, its effects remain with us forever, changing our brain, personality, and way of life.
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