21–30 of 98 posts
Is reducing beta waves actually a good thing? It might allow for focus and relaxation, but I wonder if that might do something like clear your working memory and make you less able to make connections between things. Could anyone that has a good grasp on this comment on whether this might be true?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The descriptions are generally accurate, although very broad. The reticular formation is part of the brain stem, responsible for supporting breathing, cardiac function, and other somatic functions. The most relevant function is it's control of alertness and circadian rhythms. The thalamus does function as a 'gatekeeper', although that's a bad term, the level to which the thalamus processes sensory input isn't fully u…
>The logical conclusion is not that meditation specifically reduces brain activity, it's more that any lack of sensory stimulation will cause brain activity to slow down because less neurons are firing, this can be achieved with other techniques as well, simply staring at a wall will do the same thing. This is gross misunderstanding of what happens when people meditate. Of course, the whole word meditation is very ge…
So the aim is to stop thinking random thoughts not for the sake of "no brain activity" but for a SPECIAL form of brain activity, which some traditions call "revelations"
> More grey matter Well as study shows [1] meditation not only thickens cortex in some parts of the brain but also makes it thinner in other parts. Just saying. [1] http://scan.oxfordjournals.org/content/8/1/27.long
> More grey matter Well as study shows [1] meditation not only thickens cortex in some parts of the brain but also makes it thinner in other parts. Just saying. [1] http://scan.oxfordjournals.org/content/8/1/27.long
Interesting because this is a rarely reported consequence. It seems no one would object to have denser grey matter, but if it is thinner somewhere, it feels like you lost something.
As a side note, I was raised Roman Catholic. Although I have not gone to church since college I hear interesting sciency things now and then. One, which I don't have a citation for, is that nuns who are experienced at prayer exhibit similar fMRI results when they pray.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The descriptions are generally accurate, although very broad. The reticular formation is part of the brain stem, responsible for supporting breathing, cardiac function, and other somatic functions. The most relevant function is it's control of alertness and circadian rhythms. The thalamus does function as a 'gatekeeper', although that's a bad term, the level to which the thalamus processes sensory input isn't fully u…
Also, surely the presence of beta waves (12-30Hz) needs to be detected by an electroencephalogram (EEG), not fMRI? I thought fMRI has a much lower temporal resolution (~1Hz).
Perhaps the authour isn't really that familiar with the material?
This very true. All meditating people that I know always falls for appeal to emotion while dismissing any facts or reason. I am starting to think that meditation was created to control and make people docile.
Oh, I am hell baned already... nvm
The studies about meditation are mostly of dubious quality and origin, and people draw unwarranted conclusions from them.
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/08/21/quacks-eve...
In my experience, I have seen a sea change in people who have started meditating. They are much more calmer and happy. There is a flip side as well. Many people get into a happy mode and start giving up in life.