How Does Meditation Physiologically Change the Body? Essay

Submitted By Preciosa760
Words: 360
Pages: 2

How does meditation physiologically change the body? There has to be a reason why so many therapists suggest meditation as a solution to some physical dilemmas. Experiments were performed demonstrating that meditation does better the health and well being of an individual by altering the autonomic system of the brain. Instead of the fight or flight mechanism, which causes blood pressure to rise, the rate of the heart beat to speed up and etc., meditation aims to replace the sympathetic panicked feelings. Rather, meditation calms the nervous system. Among the various physiological changes experienced by subjects practicing meditation are lower blood pressure, slower heartbeat, rate of respiration, and rate of metabolism, and skin (stimuli) resistance. This particular article stresses the presence of changes in neurophysiology with meditation, concluding that neurotransmitters and neuro-modulators, chemical substances released at the synapse, are modified when meditation is a constant stimulus. The article further explains how neurotransmitters and neuro-modulators create new brain connections and activate undeveloped neurons. This hypothesis along with the experiments investigating the effects of meditation on the body may elucidate the question of how meditation alters the physiological state. Meditation effects both physiological and psychological changes of the mind and the body. It forces an individual to put the conscious mind aside and unleash the hidden truths about one's inner self. The conscious