Can Mindfulness Have Long-Lasting Effects on Your Brain?

Have a question about science, health, fitness, or diet? Get cited, evidence-based insights: Consensus is an AI-Powered Academic Search Engine.

Try for free
Written by Consensus AI
5 min read

Check out this answer from Consensus:

The evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation can have long-lasting effects on the brain, including structural and functional changes, enhanced cognitive abilities, emotional benefits, and improved immune function. These findings underscore the potential of mindfulness as a valuable practice for promoting brain health and overall well-being.

 

Mindfulness meditation has gained significant attention in recent years for its potential benefits on mental and physical health. This article explores whether mindfulness can have long-lasting effects on the brain, drawing on findings from various research studies.

Changes in Brain Structure and Function

Several studies have demonstrated that mindfulness meditation can lead to structural and functional changes in the brain. For instance, a study on older adults found that an 8-week mindfulness training program resulted in significant improvements in behavioral and electrophysiological measures related to task performance, particularly in the right angular gyrus and other areas of the dorsal attention network1. Another study using functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) revealed that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training altered intrinsic connectivity networks, enhancing sensory processing and reflective awareness of sensory experience2.

Neuroplasticity and Cognitive Improvements

Mindfulness meditation has also been shown to promote neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. A 9-month randomized control trial found that mindfulness-based interventions led to attention-related improvements and neuroplastic changes, such as increased cortical thickness in specific brain regions5. Additionally, brief mindfulness training has been found to improve visuo-spatial processing, working memory, and executive functioning, suggesting that even short-term practice can enhance cognitive abilities7.

Emotional and Immune System Benefits

Mindfulness meditation not only affects cognitive functions but also has emotional and immune system benefits. A study reported significant increases in left-sided anterior activation, a pattern associated with positive affect, and higher antibody titers to influenza vaccine among participants who underwent an 8-week mindfulness meditation program3. These findings indicate that mindfulness can positively influence both brain and immune function.

Long-Term Effects on White Matter

Research has also explored the long-term effects of mindfulness on the brain’s white matter. A study using diffusion tensor imaging found that mindfulness meditation might result in changes in white matter connectivity, potentially helping to diminish age-related degeneration in key brain regions associated with mindfulness6.

Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Systematic reviews have further supported the positive impact of mindfulness on brain activity. One review highlighted increased insular cortex activity following mindfulness-based interventions, which may enhance awareness of internal reactions4. Another review summarized that mindfulness practice is associated with less emotional distress, more positive states of mind, and better quality of life, influencing various aspects of brain and body function8.

 


Can mindfulness have long-lasting effects on your brain?

Michael Posner has answered Uncertain

An expert from University of Oregon in Neuropsychology

This is difficult to answer with certainty. One can instruct the person not to meditate, but if trained it may be that they spontaneously lapse into the meditative state. So while one can find changes that last over months or longer it is not aknown whether these may depend in part of lapsing into the meditative state.

 

Can mindfulness have long-lasting effects on your brain?

David Cregg has answered Uncertain

An expert from Ohio State University in Psychology

If done consistently over time, meditation will cause physical changes in the connections of neurons in the brain. However, it’s uncertain if these changes are permanent if one stops meditating altogether

 

Can mindfulness have long-lasting effects on your brain?

Alessio Matiz has answered Likely

An expert from University of Udine in Psychology, Religion, Electronics

Repeated practice of mindfulness meditation can affect practitioners’ brains on two levels: in the functioning of brain structures (during or outside meditation) and in the structure of the brain structures (in terms of cortical thickness or of grey-matter volume, density). The structures most associated with the practice of mindfulness meditation are some parts of the frontal lobe, the anterior cingulate and the insula (structures linked to attention, interoception and emotion regulation). In general, the magnitude of the these effects is directly related to the amount of experience in practicing mindfulness meditation.

 

Can mindfulness have long-lasting effects on your brain?

Shogo Kajimura has answered Uncertain

An expert from Kyoto Institute of Technology in Cognitive Science

There are several researches that show structural changes in the brain associated with mindfulness meditation (Tang et al., 2015). However, it is not sure whether these changes are only temporary or last a long time.

 

Can mindfulness have long-lasting effects on your brain?

Yi-Yuan Tang has answered Uncertain

An expert from Texas Tech University in Cognitive Science, Neurobiology, Mindfulness

It depends on how long you refer to. Some studies showed 2 months of mindfulness could last positive effects on behavior for several months or longer, but inconsistent results were reported in the literature. Lasting effects on brain plasticity are also related to the dosage of mindfulness.  

 

Can mindfulness have long-lasting effects on your brain?

Carisa Parrish has answered Likely

An expert from Johns Hopkins University in Mindfulness, Child Development, Psychology

We think so!

 

Can mindfulness have long-lasting effects on your brain?

Marcelo Bigliassi has answered Uncertain

An expert from Florida International University in Psychophysiology, Sports Science, Neuroscience

It is possible but longitudinal studies are still required to elucidate the complex relationship between mindfulness and structural changes in the brain.

Have a question about science, health, fitness, or diet? Get cited, evidence-based insights: Consensus is an AI-Powered Academic Search Engine.

Try for free