In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, psychologist Peter Sedlmeier talks about the long-term effects of meditation on the brain. His conclusion: “The brain ages more slowly in meditators.”
Peter Sedlmeier is a psychology professor at Chemnitz University of Technology and has been researching the topic of meditation for years. In 2016 he published the book “The Power of Meditation: What Science Knows About It”. In a recent interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung magazine, he once again discusses the numerous health benefits of mindfulness practice. “Thousands of studies have found that meditation, at least on average, has an almost universally positive effect in all areas that are studied in psychology,” explains Sedlmeier.
The SZ Magazine also asked very specifically how meditation demonstrably changes the brain. Sedlmeier replied that the brains of meditators are “almost certainly” different from those of non-meditators. This was discovered using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Sedlmeier: Meditation slows brain ageing
A change has been proven in one respect in particular: “The brains of meditators age more slowly,” says Seidlmeier. Some of the studies that proved this used AI to determine the age of brains. Other studies have shown that white and gray brain tissue deteriorates more slowly in meditators. Both brain substances are essential components of the human nervous system and determine how long people remain mentally fit.
However, Seidlmeier admits that it is not yet known exactly how the positive effect on the brain comes about. Further research is needed, including to find out how different meditative practices may have different effects on the brain, says the psychology professor.
Meditation also has dark sides
Although Sedlmeier mentions numerous benefits of meditation in an interview with SZ Magazin, he points out that mindfulness practices can backfire on certain people. He specifically mentions “people with low levels of empathy or narcissistic traits”. In these people, problematic personality traits could even be strengthened by meditation. Utopia has already reported on this effect and other possible negative consequences of meditation in the following article:
Source used: SZ Magazin
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