Introduction
A large body of science reveals that consistent daily meditation strengthens the middle pre-frontal cortex. The middle pre-frontal cortex is located right behind the middle part of the forehead and is the part of the cortex that integrates all the various parts of the brain. The location of this part of the cortex is right next to the limbic system and the brain stem which brings information up from the body, and is ideally located to be where information is integrated. Studies show that the actual neural fibers of the middle prefrontal cortex become larger in those who consistently meditate. 2,500 years of Buddhist meditative practice has established the value of meditation (such as developing wisdom and guru status), but the mechanisms in the brain have not been understood until recently. Scientific inquiry has revealed that consistent practice of meditation actually thickens the the fibers of the middle part of the pre-frontal cortex.
The reason this is so important is that this part of the brain is responsible for the following functions according to Daniel Siegel in "The Mindful Brain":
1. body regulation (starting and stopping excitement in the body)
2. attuned communication with others (the ability to resonate with others; the ability to have compassion)
3. emotional balance (the monitoring and regulation of the old brain; keeping us balanced between chaos and rigidity; balancing our fight/flight/freeze reactions)
4. response flexibility (the ability to pause before you act)
5. insight (the tying together of the past, present, and the future; self-knowing awareness; this is the best predictor for good attachment parenting)
6. empathy (the ability to see the mind of another. The combination of “insight” and “empathy”, Siegal calls “mindsight”.)
7. fear modulation
8. intuition (being in touch with the experiencing of the body - the wisdom of the body. It includes awareness of body sensations, which is called interoception.)
9. morality (thinking and acting for the larger social good)
The middle pre-frontal cortex is activated during meditation, mindful awareness, or any contemplative practice and becomes thicker in proportion to months/years of meditation. Brain scan studies have been done with those who have practiced the following:
- Insight meditation / Mindfulness meditation
- Theravada Buddhism – practicing Vipassana: Aim and Sustain
- Mindful Meditation Practice
- Yoga
- Tai Chi movement meditation
- Chi Kung
- Centering prayer in the Christian tradition
- Other contemplative practices
