Daily Minder – Page 34

13 Photographs of the Most Inspiring People from the Last 100 Years

Sometimes you need a hero. Sometimes you need to be able to say, “What would [insert your hero’s name] do?” in order to overcome a difficult obstacle. Sometimes just picturing your hero’s face in your mind is enough to keep you going.

I believe that images are very powerful life tools. For this reason I have put together 13 photographs of the people I believe to be the most inspirational figures of the last 100 years or so. I hope that they will motivate you to become the very best person you can be.

13 photographs of the most inspiring people of the last 100 years

There are, undoubtedly, many names that I have missed from this list. Notable ones include Michael Jordan and Elvis Presley. If there are any other inspiration figures that you think I should have included please leave a comment.

13. Nelson Mandela of South Africa

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was the first President of South Africa to be elected in a fully democratic election. He is renowned the world over for being an activist of peace and racial equality and after spending 27 years in prison as a political prisoner he spent his days working for racial equality around the world. His autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, has inspired many people around the world.

12. The Beatles of the United Kingdom

the beatles

The Beatles are widely known as the most popular band of all time. They are credited with the creation of rock and have had more album sales than any other artist in history, including Elvis Presley. Their music reached every corner of the globe and had a major impact on the upbringing of an entire generation of children.

11. Al Gore of the United States

Al Gore

Al Gore is a perfect example of someone who can suffer a crushing defeat and get back up to do something great. As far as changing the world goes, Al Gore has done more than just about anyone else. His famous movie An Inconvenient Truth is going to leave an indelible imprint on the hearts and minds of the next generation and as such he may have positively impacted the environment more than anyone else in history.

10. Thomas Edison of the United States

Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison was one of the most prolific inventors of our time. He is known to have invented the light bulb as well as film projectors and motion pictures. An extremely intelligent man, Edison also had wise words to say about politics, religion and metaphysics. He is an inspiration to inventors and scientists around the world.

9. Muhammad Ali of the United States

Muhaummad Ali

In 2007 Muhammad Ali was names the greatest athlete of all time. This is quite a phenomenal title but reflects the fact that, far from being just a sportsperson, Ali was and is a man who has inspired millions to become better at what they do. He is a celebrity who now works tirelessly for others both within and without of his sport. As an aside fact, the Rumble in the Jungle boxing match in Africa between Ali and George Foreman was, until the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the most popular sporting event of all time.

Originally posted on January 24, 2009 @ 12:44 pm

How to Become More Patient With Friends, Enemies & Circumstances

Inspiration, Life, Mind, Mindfulness, Spirit

photo credit: b_heyer

“He that can have Patience, can have what he will” – Benjamin Franklin

Would you like to become a more patient person? Are you constantly snapping at friends and family for seemingly meaningless issues? What about your enemies? Are you ever patient towards them? Did you get angry the last time someone cut you off in traffic?

In this post I am going to show you how to become a more patient person. Most importantly, however, I am going to show you why patience is one of the most important qualities that a person can develop.

Why is patience so important?

It is said that of all the negative emotions it is anger that is the worst. In fact, the Buddha said that a single moment of anger can destroy the results of a hundred of years of positive deeds. Such is the corrupting and degrading effect that anger has on one’s mind and the people around you. Anger has been the motivating force behind the world’s most heinous acts and crimes. Everyday we hear about angry outbursts leading to:

Murders
Violent acts
Harsh speech
Wars and battles
The destruction of friendships and alliances
Etc.

So, if anger is the worst of all the negative emotions then surely the direct antidote is the king of all qualities? And what is that antidote? Why it is patience, of course! Patience is the way to deal with and destroy your anger. Only by becoming patient will you finally come to live a peaceful and hate free life. If everyone reacted with patience there would be a lot less suffering and hurt in this world. And that is why it is so important.

How to become more patient with friends, enemies and circumstances

photo credit: Hugo Chinaglia

Now I would like to give you some simple suggestions for how you can become a more patient person. These tactics will not work over night. They will take months and years of dedication and committed effort. But, if you can stay focussed and driven you will find that your patience develops quite naturally. After all, I truly believe that we are all patient creatures at heart.

1. Look at the bigger picture
One of the best ways to become a more patient person is to take a step back from your scenario and look at the bigger picture. Sometimes in the heat of the moment this can be extremely hard to do. But, if you can manage to remind yourself of this technique you can be assured that you will see results.

So what do I mean by “look at the bigger picture”? Well, it is quite simple. The next time a friend does something to hurt you and you get angry try taking a look at the cause of their actions. Why did they do it? Did they do it to deliberately hurt you? I don’t think so. It is much more likely that they behaved in that way because there is something going wrong with their life at the moment. They might have just lost their job or been cut off in traffic. Viewing the bigger picture like this can help you get some perspective.

But you can take it even further. You can apply this on a bigger and more societal level. For example, if someone does something to piss you off you might want to think about the tough upbringing that they had or the fact that their weren’t presented with the same opportunties for growth that you were. As a result of missing out on those opportunities they decided, at that last moment with you, to do something nasty. But, instead of getting angry at them you are going to react with patience.

2. Understand that your enemy is your greatest teacher
One of the most significant ideas that the Buddha introduced to his students was the idea that your enemy is your greatest teacher. Why? Because only your enemies can give you the chance to develop true patience. If there was no one around to harm you, there would be no chance to develop real patience.

Let’s think about this logically for a second. We are people who are interested in self development. Some of us may meditate while others might just be interested in being better people. Regardless of what we are trying to do with our lives or which religion we belong to, we can all see the advantage of developing patience. Without it our ethics would be incomplete.

So, the next time someone tries to hurt your feelings I want you to try to remember that this person is the kindest person you know. This person is your teacher, your guru, your master. This person is presenting you with an opportunity to develop the king of all virtues – patience. How could you possibly hate such a person?

3. Use your logic
The next suggestion that I want to give you is the idea that you can use logic to become more patient. In particular we should use the logic of cause and effect.

Let’s pretend that you are a pretty angry sort of a person. You might snap at your parents without much warning, yell at your coworkers or even criticize your friends for their minor faults. Over time you will find that people stop wanting to be around you. People start moving away. No body wants to be associated with an angry person because it just doesn’t feel very good.

So the next time you are presented with an opportunity for anger why not remind yourself of the logical progression of that anger? Why not remind yourself that if you continue to react like this you will soon find yourself alone, bitter and not very happy? This type of logic works.

4. Look inwards, not outwards
A funny thing happens when you start to meditate. You begin to realize that most of the problems that you experience in life are due to your perception of certain events, not the actual events themselves. In line with this I put it to you that one of the most powerful ways to become more patient is to learn to look inwards, no outwards.

Think of the last time you got angry. Think of the last time you lost your cool. Now be truly honest with yourself and ask whether or not the angry response had anything to do with you. I am betting that it did. Now as yourself this question: would everyone have become angry in that situation? If you answer is “no” then you can be certain that it had a lot to do with you.

The next time you feel like getting angry it would be excellent if you could try to become aware of it. Instead of focussing so much on the object of your anger you should look inwards at your own mind and your own reaction. Is it reasonable? Is it helpful? Is the anger really going to make the situation more bearable? I doubt it. Learning to look inwards is a fantastic skill to have in life because you will finally have a solution for all of the problems that the universe throws at you. The solution is you.

5. Understand that patience is the easier option
I don’t know about you but when I get angry it ruins my whole day. If someone did something to me and I allowed myself to become angry I stay angry for a long time. I might spend the whole day cursing that person or the situation that happened. It really is a lot of work.

One way to become more patient is to realize that patience is, in reality, the much easier option. You don’t have to do anything. All you have to do is not do something; get angry! This is quite hard for some people to accept at first but I guarantee that patience is easier than anger. It is easier in the short term and it is easier in the long term.

The next time you want to get angry and some one or some thing try and remember that anger is a lot of work. It stresses you out and it makes you feel lousy. Being patient is so much easier! This is one time when laziness is a good thing!

6. Think about the impact on others
I have several extremely powerful memories from my early childhood. One of these memories has stuck with me my entire life and it pops up all the time. The memory is of my father yelling at my mother and then watching the two get in to a big screaming match. The event left an indelible mark on my mind.

However, one good thing that came from that memory is the awareness that anger really does hurt other people. One single angry outburst can stay with a person their entire life. Take the example of domestic violence – a man may lose his temper and hit his girlfriend and for the rest of that poor woman’s existence she feels fearful and afraid of connecting to men. It really is very sad.

Next time you are thinking that anger is a good idea for the particular scenario that you are in I want you to remember how much it could damage the recipient. Is that something you really want to do? Do you really want to be that person?

Conclusion

Patience is a practice. It takes time and it takes effort. We are so accustomed to anger that we find the natural state of patience to be quite foreign. However, as I mentioned, patience is something that is innate in all of us. The tips I have given you today are just methods that will help you reconnect with it. I hope they are of some benefit to somebody.

If you have any other tips or ideas about patience please leave a comment. Patience is a person favorite quality of mine and I am always interested to learn new ways to work on it.

Originally posted on January 23, 2009 @ 1:43 am

My Four Special Places That Revitalize the Body and Soul

Inspiration

photo credit: ~FreeBirD®~

Ancient cultures from around the world all share something in common: they all understood the important relationship that humankind shares with the Earth. The Tibetans discovered and frequented scared power spots that were known to make the mind more suitable to meditation. The American Indians found mountains and rivers that were sacred spaces for rituals and healing. The Australian Aboriginals knew of deserts and bushland that was the home of the gods.

Whatever the reason, there are certain places that really do revitalize the body and soul. I don’t know why they do – perhaps it is something to do with subtle energies or magnetic rocks below the surface? Perhaps it is just because they have a nice “vibe”. Either way, I truly believe that there are some places you can go and just feel better.

In this post I am going to show you my four special places around the world that make me feel alive, revitalized and happy. I hope that they will inspire you to find your own special spots.

1. Tso Pema, India

Tso Pema

Tso Pema is a small lake in the Indian Himalayas that is sacred to Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs. The word “tso pema” means lotus lake and this name was given to the lake after the great Buddhist master Padmasambaha visited and meditated in the caves above the lakes before moving on to Tibet to give them the Buddhist teachings. I have written about my trips to Tso Pema here.

Every time I go to Tso Pema I am amazed at the “presence” that the area possesses. Everything seems quieter and calmer, even on the busy main street. Most amazing of all, however, is how peaceful your mind becomes. A Buddhist master once told me that Tso Pema was one of the best places in the world to do a meditation retreat because no obstacles arise in your mind. I think he might be right.

Of all the places I have traveled it is the Indian Lotus Lake that inspires me the most. They valleys and mountains surrounding the lake have been home to advanced yogis for centuries and the place exudes a magical and sacred feeling. I wish all of you could experience it.

2. Bodhgaya, India

photo credit: ogglog

Bodhgaya is a small town in the middle of the Indian state of Bihar. Now, this state doesn’t have a lot going for it but people still flock to Bodhgaya in the thousands. Why? Because Bodhgaya is the place where Buddhism first begun – it is the place where the Prince Siddhartha attain enlightenment and became the Buddha.

I first went to Bodhgaya when I was 19 and it left an imprint on my heart and mind that I will never be able to forget. I have returned there several times since and each time marks a turning point in my life. The ancient texts tell us that all the buddhas of this eon will attain enlightenment at Bodhgaya and that it is the heart of the world, the world’s most sacred site. I can’t definitively say whether or not this is true but I can attest to the fact that when you are in Bodhgaya your mind starts doing funny things – you start changing.

Sitting under the tree where the Buddha attained enlightenment is an experience unlike any other. I am not going to try to put words to it but instead leave it to your imagination. Sitting under that tree is indescribable.

3. Port Willunga Beach, Australia

photo credit: huong-lan

Port Willunga is a beach about two hours drive from my home. It is on the south coast of Australia. This might all seem pretty insignificant to you and that is fair enough. But there is something about this place that is truly magic.

I have been to beaches all over the world and none of them rival this place. Port Willunga has a beautiful back drop of cliff faces and water that is so clear you can swim out a mile and still see the white sand on the bottom. I have spent many a day just laying in the water and letting the view and the waves wash over me. This is a place I love to go if I need revitalization or if I need to do some serious thinking.

Beaches are a wonderful place to go to revitalize your body and soul. I think this is for three reasons:

the salt water
the salt water seems to have some relaxing effect that really gets into your muscles and loosens your whole body up.
the waves
the sound and the feeling of the waves crashing over the sand below and your body above relaxes and calms your mind.
the view
there is nothing quite like sitting in the shallows of the salty water and staring out at a view that goes on forever. It opens up your mind to new possibilities.

If you are in need of a bit of revitalization I encourage you to do some research and find a beach near you like Port Willunga. Make sure you give yourself at least a full day to enjoy it. Really let it soak through you.

4. Mount Kinabalu, Borneo

photo credit: ericlbc

For those of you who aren’t sure, Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located just north of Indonesia. The island is covered in a dense forest and is home to a massive variety of animals – most notably the sea turtle and orangutan.

The capital city of Borneo is called Kota Kinabalu and it is situated right next to a giant and majestic mountain – Mount Kinabalu. I have only been to this place once but I remember it being an extremely alive and energetic place. Unlike the other spots I have mentioned, this mountain seemed to make me feel younger and more awake, not more relaxed. I came back after visiting this place feeling five years younger and a lot more joyous.

The locals say that the mountain is haunted by a widow who, before she died, climbed the mountain everyday to see if she could see her husband’s ship coming back from his voyage. Eventually she died up there but she has never left.

Do you have any special places?
I would love to know whether you have your own special places around the world that you go in order to relax, unwind and rejuvenate. Please leave a comment and let us know. Even if it is something really small like the park down the street I would be really interested to hear about it.

Originally posted on January 19, 2009 @ 2:02 pm

Be Strong: How to Deal With Pain and Hardships in Your Life

Inspiration, Spirit

photo credit: _Ganesha_

Every now and then life throws us in the deep end and tells us to swim. We find ourselves in overwhelming situations that we don’t know how to deal with. It might be the death of a loved one, a personal illness or a case of serious depression. In this post I want to give you a few ways to deal with the pain and hardships that you will encounter in your life. I hope it will inspire you just a little bit.

The inevitability of hardships

The first thing I want to talk about is the fact that pain and hardships are inevitable. No one can escape them. Every single one of us, at some point in our life, will experience pain, suffering and hardships of some form or another.

My goal in saying this is not to depress you. Rather my goal is to inspire you. How is this inspiring you might ask? Well it is simple. Being aware of the fact that you WILL experience suffering is a cause for hope because, unlike many other people, you now have a chance to prepare for it. And people who prepare are never as badly affected as those who don’t.

Suffering, pain and hardships are inevitable. Make sure your preparation for them is also just as inevitable. This is the most important step.

How to deal with pain and hardships in your life

photo credit: HAMED MASOUMI

The tips that I am about to give you come from two places, my own personal experience and the experiences of history’s greatest meditation masters. Sometimes it is better to hear some pithy and real tips as opposed to some dry and theoretical ones. I will try, therefore, to keep these as practical as possible.

If you have any other tips to add please leave a comment. The comments are often the best part of this blog and I know that they help a lot of people out there.

Realize that it is your hardships that make you better
Picture this. You are in the center of the Indian desert. You are just out of high school; young, naive and egotistical. You are on a bit of a spiritual journey but at the same time looking for adventure. And then after just arriving in a place miles from anywhere you wake up in the middle of the night vomiting, convulsing and shaking. You are days from a hospital and you are really sick. Things start to look bleak.

That is the situation I found myself in on my first trip to India. I had eaten some poisonous food and for the next three days I lay in bed sick as a dog. It didn’t matter what I did, nothing seemed to help. I started to get quite frightened as I knew I was too sick to travel and there were no doctors around. But then something amazing happened, I was paid a visit by a very lovely Tibetan Lama. He came into my room and said one thing and one thing only. I have never ever forgotten it as it had such a profound impact on my life. He said:

“I am not interested in how much money you have or what family you belong to. I am interested in how you deal with hardships. That is the only thing that matters. That defines your future.”

It is the truest thing anyone has ever said to me about suffering and hardships. It is the hardships that define your character. Everyone is charming and lovely when the birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming but hardly anyone is compassionate, patient and loving when they are sick, ill or under pressure. How you deal with hardships determines your character.

If you want to learn to deal with pain and hardship you need to realize that you have an amazing opportunity to grow as a person. You can prove to yourself that you are strong. You can show yourself that you have strength of character and will-power. The amazing thing about hardships and pain is that they present you with a rare opportunity to grow into a strong and decent human being.

Realize that pain and hardships won’t last
There is a great truth in this universe that applies to everything. There is no corner of the world that it does not touch, no depth of the ocean that it does not find, no planet in space that it cannot reach. That truth applies to everyone and everything. That truth is impermanence. Nothing lasts.

We have heard it all before. What goes up must come down. What comes together must eventually part. What is composite will soon break. What is accumulated will one day be dispersed. Everything in our universe is impermanent. Nothing can escape it.

As depressing as this sounds it also has an upside. The next time you are going through some pain or hardships you can remind yourself that it won’t last. You can look at everything in history and feel secure in knowing that, no matter how bad things seem now, the problems won’t last forever. What a wonderful thing! Like all things, suffering is also impermanent.

Realize that you are not alone
There is something very powerful about knowing that other people are going through what you are going through. Realizing that you are not alone is an extremely good way to deal with pain and hardships.

Let’s take the example of someone with severe depression. Depression can make you feel pretty alone. In fact, 90% of the time depression makes you feel so isolated and self-orientated that you don’t have a thought about other people for long stretches of time. I was a bit like this in my teen years.

But when you open up to the fact that you are not alone you get a boost of some really powerful strength. You get a sense of community, of friendship, of companionship – even if you haven’t met anyone else with the condition. Just knowing that there are other people out there like you can really make you feel good.

The next step in this idea is to realize that thousands of other people have gone through what you are going through and come out the other end. They have made it through and won. They haven’t died, lost hope or given up. They have faced the very same thing as you (whatever it is) and they have come out the other end. Never forget this.

Suggestions from the readers
I don’t want to say anymore on this topic. Here at The Daily Mind we are lucky enough to have some super intelligent and wise readers – much smarter than I am. I would therefore like to open the comments section up to your ideas and suggestions.

Please take two minutes to leave your suggestions and advice on how to deal with pain and hardships. If you have been through some tough times and found something particularly useful then please let us know. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant it might seem – your suggestion could really help someone.

Originally posted on January 14, 2009 @ 12:58 pm

How You Can Defeat Cynicism and Become a Positive Thinker

Inspiration, Mind, Mindfulness, Spirit

photo credit: juicyrai

Do you assume the best or the worst? Are you filled with hope or are you filled with doubt? Do you think kindly of the people around you or do you judge their motivations? At times it seems as if the whole world is absorbed in negative cynicism. In this post I want to show you how you can defeat cynicism and become a positive thinker. It really isn’t that hard.

What is cynicism?

Before you can deal with anything in life you need to know a little bit about it. For example, if you want to know how to lose weight you need to learn what fat is, how you come to gain it and then methods for getting rid of it. The same is true of negative emotions and mental states. You need to learn what it is, where it comes from and then take the necessary steps to defeat it.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines cynicism in a very enlightening way:

“…a disposition to disbelieve in the sincerity or goodness of human motives and actions…”

The main thing to notice about the definition is the presence of negativity. A cynical person will almost always choose to doubt, disbelieve or discredit, even when there is no logical reason to do so.

So why do people think and behave like this? There are many schools of thought on the matter – some regard cynicism as a personal defense mechanism whereby people prevent themselves from opening up to love and friendship for fear of being hurt. Others say it comes about due to a traumatic event that occurred in childhood and caused a person to “close up”.

To be honest, it doesn’t really matter what the “experts” say about the cause. The real task is to look inside yourself and find out why you are a cynic. Why do you think it came about? When did cynicism become a personal trait of yours? Why do you continue to think in a cynical way? You could study 1000 texts on cynicism for 1000 years but a single moment of genuine introspection will teach you so much more. Look into your own mind and find out why you are a cynic.

And don’t be afraid to be honest. Even if it hurts.

How to defeat cynicism and become a positive thinker

photo credit: larryvincent

Let’s jump into the bulk of the article. Here are some super simple things you can do to get yourself on the path of positive thinking and away from those habits of cynicism. If you have anything else to add please do leave a comment as I would love to hear some of your suggestions.

1. Recognize the problem
As with all problems the first step is in the recognizing. Some people go their whole lives not realizing that they are horrible people with miserly outlooks and cynical views of the world. Thank yourself lucky that you have had the good fortune to recognize the problem and do something about it. This is the first step.

It might take a while for you to recognize that you are a negative thinker. It might even take one of your friends or family members to wake you up to it. That’s fine. When you finally see it just sit back and think to yourself, “Wow. I can be cynical sometimes.” That is all you have to do for now.

2. Recognize each cynical thought
Once you have realized that you can be a cynic the task is to start realizing it more often. Think of this as a bit of a mindfulness meditation. The idea is to become attuned to your own mind and thoughts and start to become aware of every cynical thought that you have.

Let’s say, for example, you meet someone at a party and they start telling you about their life. Perhaps they are a real overachiever and are sitting there talking to you about all of their fantastic accomplishments. Now, the cynic in you will probably start to say internal things like “I don’t believe this guy” and “I wish he would shut up”. Try to become aware of those thoughts. Don’t do anything with them just yet. Merely becoming aware of them is enough. This is mindfulness.

3. Use logic to debate the cynicism
Logic is a wonderful thing. Logic allows you to overcome destructive emotions and other negative things in your life. Why? Because 99% of the time the reason for your depression, anxiety, hatred or other negative feeling is illogical. If you debate the negative feeling using logic you will often find that the negative feeling gets weaker.

Cynicism, in my opinion, is usually illogical. People who are cynics seem to think the worst about a certain person or situation not because they have evidence for doing so, but because they are in the habit of thinking cynically. For example, assuming that all Muslims are extremist terrorists is a cynical thought that is not based in any shred of logic. Just because a couple of unstable idiots blew up the World Trade Center in the name of Jihad, it does not mean all Muslims are like that.

So the task is now to use logic to debate your cynicism. When you see a cynical thought arising in your mind I want to to ask yourself where it is coming from, why you are thinking like that and whether it is going to help you be happy. That is the main thing – ask yourself whether this cynical thought is going to make you happy. Ask yourself whether living a cynical life has made you happy so far. Ask yourself whether being cynic causes other people to like and respect you.

When you use logic in this way you will almost always find that cynicism doesn’t pay. It isn’t helping you or anyone else to by cynical. Try it and see how you go. [Read more…] about How You Can Defeat Cynicism and Become a Positive Thinker

Originally posted on January 10, 2009 @ 2:57 am

Matters of the Mind: A Look into the Psychology of Meditation

Meditation

This is a guest post by Psychology student Brittany Miller from Rose Tinted Glass.

You’ve heard the popular mantra, you’ve seen the forms and know the behavior. It’s even prominent in the popular movie series Star Wars. Meditation is a mental discipline in which one “thinks” his or her way to a deep, relaxed state of awareness. How do we generate inner-peace through use of our own mind? Every day, your mind processes a barrage of emotions, visual images, memories, and more. Overcoming that internal chatter is hard, but when you meditate, you teach your mind to narrow its concentration to one thing, limiting the stimulation to your nervous system.

There are many ways to meditate, but they all strive for the same goal: Relaxation.

Since mediation is a mental discipline, one has to wonder: what exactly changes in the brain of a long-time meditator? Psychology is the study of mental processes and behavior, and by applying a psychological perspective, I want to find out why meditation works so well as a simple stress reducer.

Physiological Psychology: What changes in the brain?

This subdivision of psychology studies the mechanisms of the brain and their relation to one’s behaviors and perception. I’ve done some research and listed a few important findings on what meditation accomplishes within the brain of a meditator.

Though your mind is focused, some activities inside your brain go unchecked. In EEG (electroencephalograph) studies, brainwaves of different frequencies are measured, and many found an increase in these following brainwaves:

Alpha Waves: Healthy alpha wave production supports mental resourcefulness, better mental coordination, and improves the general sense of relaxation and weariness. Many believe alpha waves are the bridges between consciousness and unconsciousness. Meditation synchronizes alpha activity between the four regions of the brain: left, right, anterior, and posterior, which positively correlates with creativity.

Theta Waves: Theta waves come in strong bursts in long-term meditators who report a peaceful, drifting, and pleasant experience at the time. These waves enhance creativity, intuition, and daydreaming. It is also a storage area for memories, emotions, and sensations. Theta waves are strong during any sort of spiritual focus and they reflect the state between wakefulness and sleep.

Beta Waves: When the EEG shows bursts of Beta waves, experienced meditators report an approach of yogic ecstasy or a state of intense concentration sometimes accompanied by an acceleration of heart rate. Beta waves can increase mental ability, focus, and alertness.

Meditation in Relation to Brain Hemispheres

Meditation seems to give us slight control of specific brain functions as well. We have two hemispheres to our brain each with different predominant functions: left (language/math/logic) and right (spatial abilities/face recognition/visual imagery/music).

Some studies show control of brain functions the importance of the right hemisphere during meditation:

Bennett and Trinder (1977) reported that transcendental meditators could shift brain activity
Davidson (1976) reported that, during mystical experience, the right hemisphere dominates cerebral function.

One study concluded that meditation might begin with activity in the left hemisphere, which then gives way to functioning characteristics of the right hemisphere. Another study suggests that meditation may inhibit the left hemisphere, shifting the focus of consciousness to the right hemisphere.

In conclusion, the right hemisphere (being synthetic and holistic) seems to be dominant in meditation. Both left and right hemisphere activities are slightly repressed in advanced meditation, however. These findings are evidence that meditation does indeed narrow focus in the brain and can even transcend a meditator to an even clearer mind by repressing both hemispheres.

“Self-awareness is the path to self-mastery; self-mastery is the way to happiness.”
-Unknown

Meditation vs. Frustration

The best way to notice the benefits of meditation is to take a close look at the behaviors and health of meditators versus non-meditators. A study by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn of the University of Massachusetts Medical School recorded the brain waves of stressed-out employees working in a high-tech firm in Wisconsin. The subjects were divided into two groups: 25 subjects were asked to learn meditation over eight weeks and the remaining 16 were left as a control group.
All participants had their brain waves scanned three times during the study: once at the beginning, once after eight weeks when the 25 subjects completed their meditation course, and once four months afterward.

The results?

The meditation group showed a shift in activity to the left frontal lobe. People with more activity in the left frontal cortex than in the right tend to have a cheerful temperament. These people tend to have a more positive disposition and are more willing to interact with people and be content with their lives.

Those with more activity in the right frontal area of the brain hesitate during encounters with people or situations and stress out over the smallest of situations.

Those who meditate and are happy are healthier on all levels and their brains are free to process information and solve problems more creatively. Meditation clears out the insignificant junk in your mind and boosts its performance.

There are many other effects of meditation from which a stressed out high-tech firm employee would benefit:

Regulates heart rate, breathing, cholesterol, and blood pressure
Increases creativity
Reduces tension, anxiety, and stress
Less activity in the amygdala where the brain processes fear
Clears state of mind and makes it easier to kick addictions and self-defeating behaviors
Greater intimacy with friends and family members
Over-all positive emotions and state of mind
Increases power of awareness by developing concentration on a particular object
Investigate your inner self and question and contemplate the nature of existence itself

Go out and explore for yourself!

These are just a few aspects in which meditation can shape your life, but there are so much more. The mind is a powerful tool and mechanism with thousands of undiscovered talents and processes. Feel free to explore the inner workings of your mind, strive towards improving it for the better, and treat it well. Meditating gives your mind a healthy refreshing, just what it needs to keep you and your outlook healthy and positive.

Originally posted on January 5, 2009 @ 12:52 am