NEUROSCIENCE OF MINDFULNESS AND ITS IMPACT ON WORKPLACE PERFORMANCE Dr Shanida Nataraja Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

INTRODUCTION

Brain is biosupercomputer that allows us to run on “auto-pilot” The brain: Weighs 1½ lbs Has the consistency of jelly Contains 100 billion brain cells Is highly interconnected It controls behavior so efficiently that we can run on “auto-pilot” The human brain weighs about one and half pounds, and although the brain has the consistency of jelly, its structure is actually highly organised. About 100 billion individual brain cells are connected together to form a network of gigantic proportions, and some people have even estimated that there are more connections in the human brain than there are stars in our Universe. Now for many of us, our brain is a ‘black-box’. It so efficiently controls and coordinates our behaviour that we can run on auto-pilot, do things without thinking. But when we think about it, our brains confer an astonishing range of abilities, from playing to piano to breaking a complex code. Meditation, and the mystical experiences associated with meditation, are just one of the different types of experiences mediated by our brains. Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Structure of brain is highly complex and distinct structures have specific functions I don’t want to spend a lot of time overviewing the structure of the brain, so I am going to hand over to Pinky and The Brain, two animated cartoon genetically-enhanced laboratory mice, made famous by an award winning television series, aptly named ‘Pinky and the Brain’. In this cartoon, they introduce us to some of the key structure in the human brain.

Humans have a highly developed forebrain with two sides with different functions Humans have two sides to their forebrain, each with a different functions Left brain Rational Analytical Reductionist Language Right brain Abstract Intuitive Holistic Creativity The forebrain is particularly developed in human compared with other members of the animal kingdom. There are two sides to our forebrain, and each side has a specific and different function. The left side is associated with analytical, rational and logical processing. It is our problem-solver, our planner. The right side, on the other hand, is associated with abstract, intuitive and creative thinking. Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Are you right-brained or left-brained? Which way does the dancer spin? Here is a little test to find out whether you predominantly use your left brain or your right brain when experiencing the world. Take a look at the spinning dancer. Do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise? If the dancing lady in the image is turning clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and if she is turning anticlockwise you use more of the left side of the brain.

MINDFULNESS AND HEALTH

Mindfulness has positive effect on physical health Improves acceptance, coping strategies and well-being chronic pain 1982 Improved skin clearing in psoriasis and symptom relief in IBS 1998 Reduces stress, anxiety & depression, and improved symptoms in heart disease 2003 Improved glycaemic control in diabetes 2007 Improved well-being, symptom control in patients with fibromyalgia 1992 Improved immune function in healthy and HIV patients 2003 Reduces blood pressure (normotensive, cancer) 2004 Reduced levels of cortisol and stress 2007 Reference Cecilia S. M. Chong, BS; Megumi Tsunaka, BS; Hector W. H. Tsang, PhD; Edward P. Chan, BA; Wai Ming Cheung, PhD. Effects of Yoga on Stress Management in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review. Altern Ther Health Med 2011;17(1):32-38 Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Mindfulness has positive effect on mental health Reduces anxiety 1992 Reduced risk of relapse or recurrence in depression 2000 Improved anxiety & depression in bipolar disorder 2008 Improves sleep time and efficiency in chronic insomnia 2008 Weight loss in women with binge eating disorders and/or obesity 1999 Improved decision making & abstinence in substance abuse 2006 Improves well-being, QoL and coping strategies in cancer patients 2008 Reduced anxiety and stress in schizophrenia 2010 Reference Cecilia S. M. Chong, BS; Megumi Tsunaka, BS; Hector W. H. Tsang, PhD; Edward P. Chan, BA; Wai Ming Cheung, PhD. Effects of Yoga on Stress Management in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review. Altern Ther Health Med 2011;17(1):32-38 Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Mindfulness practice has multitude of effects of cognitive function Promotes insightful problem-solving Enhances curiosity and receptiveness to new experiences Cultivates positive attitude to perceived stress Promotes emotional stability Facilitates sustained attention Cultivates observing attitude Decreases tendency to self-reference Reduces negative emotions and worrying Enhances emotional intelligence Increases openness and extroversion Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Brain imaging research

Observing meditators in laboratory reveals brain regions involved in meditation Newberg and D’Aquili observed experienced meditators in controlled laboratory conditions Radioactive tracer was released into blood at peak moment of meditation These methods allow visualisation of blood flow in specific brain regions The researchers, Eugene D’Aquili and Andrew Newberg performed a series of experiments on experienced. They asked the meditators to sit in a room and meditate, and when they felt that they were reaching a peak experience of their meditation, they were asked to pull on a string. Radioactive tracer was then released into the blood, which allowed the areas of the brain that were most active at the time to be visualised. Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Mindfulness meditation involves changes in frontal and parietal lobes Frontal lobe Increased activity in attentional networks Decreased activity in surrounding areas Parietal lobe Decreased activity in orientation area Decreased activity in networks involved in relaying experiences through language Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Focused attention prompts shift from left to right brain Left-brain Rational Analytical Logical Right-brain Abstract Holistic Intuitive We also know that it is the right hand side of the frontal cortex that houses the brain cells that mediate focused attention. Most of us are predominantly left-brained. We use our rational, logical and analytical brain to operate in our high-speed, and high-tech world. The consequence of this is that, during meditation, we experience a shift in activity from the left-hand side of our brain to the right-hand side, and thus have access to the different mode of thinking and processing offered by our right brain. Our thinking is more holistic, more abstract, and more intuitive. Meditation elicits shift to different mode of perceiving and thinking Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Mindfulness meditation involves changes in limbic system and midbrain structures Increased activity in amygdala and hippocampus Autonomic nervous system Increased activity in hypothalamus and midbrain Sequential activation of parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Long-term meditation elicits distinct changes in numerous areas of brain Attention Increased activity in attention networks in frontal cortex Perception Increased/assymetrical activity in thalamus Emotional regulation Increased activity in limbic system Autonomic function Increased activity in midbrain Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Mindfulness has four key effects on brain and behaviour Subjective Focused attention for extended periods of time Distractions disturb focus less frequently (executive attention) Objective Increased activity in and cortical thickness of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) Subjective Enhanced awareness of bodily states and subtle bodily sensations Objective Increased activity in insula (interoreceptive awareness) Increased cortical thickness and grey matter density of insula Subjective Less prone to emotional or behavioural outbursts Objective Increased activity in prefrontal cortex (PFC) Greater control of PFC over amygdala Subjective Improved and expanded sense of identity (‘self’) Objective Decrease activity in default mode network (DMN; self-referential processing), including mPFC and posterior cingulate gyrus Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Electrical brain wave research

Recordings identify four major types of brain waves Delta Unconscious Theta Creative subconscious Painting Writing Composing Alpha Relaxed alertness Relaxing Playing sport Listening to music Beta Active thought Strategising Problem-solving Communicating Electrical recordings from the human brain reveal four main types of brain waves. There are delta waves, which are the slow oscillating waves that are associated with our unconscious mind. We see largely delta waves in patients who are in a coma. Then we have theta waves. These waves have a slightly higher frequency and they are associated with the creative unconscious, and we see these types of waves a lot in children. They are seen when we engage in creative activities, such as painting, writing or composing. Then we have alpha waves. These waves are associated with relaxed alertness, and can be seen when we relax and put our feet up, or listen to soothing music. And finally, we have the beta waves. These waves are associated with thinking, and therefore we see a lot of beta wave activity in the brains of people who are strategizing and problem solving. Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Meditation is associated with distinct brain wave pattern Delta Unconscious Theta Creative subconscious Theta Creative subconscious Alpha Relaxed alertness Alpha Relaxed alertness Beta Active thought Beta Active thought When we look at the electrical activity in the brains of meditators, we see an increase in the number of theta and alpha waves, compared with non-meditators. We also see a decrease in beta waves, which corresponds to the dampening down of thinking during meditation. Increase in activity Decrease in activity Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

Hypnogogic/ hypnopompic Different levels of consciousness linked with different brain wave patterns Meditative High alpha/theta Panic states High beta Dreaming sleep High theta Back in the 1970s, the research Maxwell Cade proposed that the different levels of consciousness were associated with distinct brain wave patterns. By taking EEG recording from a wide range of different people, he identified that theta waves were high during dreaming sleep and alpha waves were high during meditation. Hypnogogic/ hypnopompic High alpha Deep sleep High delta Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

‘Awakened’ or ‘high-performance’ state associated with distinct brain wave changes Delta Unconscious Theta Creative subconscious Theta Creative subconscious Alpha Relaxed alertness Alpha Relaxed alertness Beta Active thought Beta Active thought During this ‘Awakened Mind’ state, there were the same peaks in theta and alpha activity, but at the same time, there was a peak of beta activity, which was, unlike during everyday thinking, balanced across both sides of the brain. This beta activity is linked to the insights gained through meditative practice. Increase in activity Decrease in activity Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

‘high performance’ mind associated with distinct brain wave changes Observed in healers, spiritual masters and meditators (permanent state) Observed in artists, composers, dancers, inventors, mathematicians, scientists (transient insight) Associated with high performance and creativity Maxwell Cade observed this brain wave pattern in healers, spiritual master and meditators. In these individuals, it was a permanent brain wave state. He, and his protégé, Anna Wise, also observed it in artists, composers, dancers, inventors, scientists and even some CEOs. In all of these individuals, this brain wave state was associated with an expanded sense of awareness and experience of the world. Copyright 2012 Dr Shanida Nataraja, Author of The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation

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NEUROSCIENCE OF MINDFULNESS AND ITS IMPACT ON WORKPLACE PERFORMANCE Dr Shanida Nataraja