Meditators have a lower pain sensitivity
Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at 9:53PMI just attended a conference put on by Harvard Medical School on “Meditation and Visualization: Practice for Everyday Living and Well-Being and to Enhance Peak Performance.” As I was traveling back from the conference I happened to read an article on a related topic of pain and meditation.
The journal Pain reports in its January 2011 issue that Zen meditators have a lower pain sensitivity. While many allopathically oriented physicians or other naysayers may protest, this study looked at 13 Zen meditators and compared them with non-meditators in their response to painful stimuli.[1]
"Using functional magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], we demonstrated that although the meditators were aware of the pain, this sensation wasn't processed in the part of their brains responsible for appraisal, reasoning or memory formation," Pierre Rainville a researcher at the University of Montreal noted. "We think that they feel the sensations, but cut the process short, refraining from interpretation or labeling of the stimuli as painful."[2]
“Compared with an equal number of non-meditating study participants, the researchers found that highly experienced meditators reported lower pain responses, as well as less activity in those parts of the brain (the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampus) that are linked to cognitive processes, emotion and memory.” [3]
"Our findings lead to new insights into mind/brain function," study first author Joshua Grant, a doctoral student at the university, said in the same news release. "These results challenge current concepts of mental control, which is thought to be achieved by increasing cognitive activity or effort. Instead, we suggest it is possible to self-regulate in a more passive manner, by turning off certain areas of the brain, which in this case are normally involved in processing pain." [4]
"The results suggest that Zen meditators may have a training-related ability to disengage some higher-order brain processes, while still experiencing the stimulus," added Rainville. "Such an ability could have widespread and profound implications for pain and emotion regulation and cognitive control. This behavior is consistent with the mindset of Zen and with the notion of mindfulness."
Related research has demonstrated the potential for slow breathing affective responses to painful stimuli.[5]
So whether you are aiming for “peak performance” or pain control, breathing and meditation exercises may be helpful. Even if people (like my friends) think you’re weird.
[1] Pain. 2011 Jan;152(1):150-6
[2] www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/647215.html
[3] www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/647215.html
[4] www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/647215.html
[5] Pain. 2010 Apr;149(1):12-8
Reader Comments (1)
Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment, and for taking the trouble to post it