Name: The meditating brain
Brand: LIBRAIRIE COREENNE
SKU: 128912
Price: 34.00 EUR
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The meditating brain

€34,00

The meditating brain

Description

Book Introduction

What Does Science Say About Meditation?
Verified and revealed through scientific research
The miraculous brain changes brought about by mental training

Daniel Goleman, author of "Emotional Intelligence," and Richard Davidson, a pioneer in the field of meditation neuroscience, have released a world-renowned work that corrects common misconceptions and beliefs about meditation and dissects the data that has been distorted to sell mind training methods. The two authors, who have practiced and researched meditation together since their doctoral days at Harvard, are the first in the world to prove that the actual effects of meditation are enduring properties that remain even after meditation ends. They also suggest various methodologies based on the latest data on how to maximize the effects of meditation.

Meditation has risen dramatically over the past two decades as a magic bullet for everything from boosting productivity and improving relationships to relieving stress, losing weight, and relieving insomnia.
But is all of this scientifically proven? This book reviews over 6,000 research papers in the field of meditation science, selecting the 60 or so with the highest scientific validity to demonstrate the practical benefits meditation can provide us.
You can also learn the behind-the-scenes story of how modern meditation programs like MBSR and MBCT were born, as well as the special connections with world-renowned spiritual masters like the Dalai Lama, Seung Sahn Sunim, Goenka, Ram Dass, Mathieu Ricard, and Mingyur Rinpoche.
Based on rigorous standards and cutting-edge research, this book presents best practices in the scientific study of meditation and has already established itself as a classic in the field of meditation science.

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Into the book

Immediately there was another dramatic burst of electrical signals.
Mingyur was in perfect stillness.
After a period of rest, he entered meditation, but there was no noticeable change in his posture.
But the monitor was still showing a surge of brain waves as before.
This pattern repeated itself every time Mingyur was instructed to practice compassion meditation.
The researchers who saw this were so shocked that they looked at each other without saying anything.
This strong activity was something I had never seen before while studying 'ordinary people'.

--- p.
322

Combining meditation and money-making is a recipe for regrettable failures, disappointments, and even scandals.
All too often, scientific research is misrepresented, questionable claims are made, or distorted to sell meditation.
(…) Are these claims substantiated by solid scientific findings? Perhaps, perhaps not.
The important thing is that the fact that 'it might not be' is too easily overlooked.

--- p.
26-27

Our interest in altered traits goes beyond simply the healthy spectrum.
It is directed towards a much more beneficial realm beyond that, namely, the healthy qualities of existence.
The goal of training the mind in meditative traditions is to acquire extremely positive, transformed qualities such as equanimity and compassion.
In this book, we refer to this very positive area as 'Altered Traits'.
More formally, altered traits are enduring, beneficial characteristics of thought, emotion, and behavior that result from deliberate mental training and involve brain changes.

--- p.
90-91

These data serve as a warning to those seeking meditation practice to be wary of exaggerated claims of its benefits.
And the scientific community is being urged to be more precise when designing meditation studies.
Research findings showing that people who practice various types of meditation show improvements compared to a control group that does nothing do not imply that meditation itself is effective.
However, it is probably still the most common paradigm used in research on the effects of meditation.

--- p.
122

Among those learning Zen, the most experienced were not only able to tolerate pain beyond their control, but also showed decreased activity in areas related to executive, evaluative, and emotional processes while the pain persisted.
It is normal for these areas to become more active when we are under extreme stress.
So their brains seem to have a disconnect between the executive center circuits that evaluate "It hurts!" and the circuits that detect physical pain, "It's hot!"

--- p.
149

While the benefits of meditation usually come gradually and gradually, compassion meditation comes relatively easily, like quickly recovering from stressful situations.
As we see in the speed with which children learn language, it seems likely that we have a biological readiness programmed to embody certain skills when it comes to developing compassion.
Perhaps the caring circuitry in our brains that we share with all other mammals plays a big part.
In particular, these circuits become much stronger with just a short period of compassion training.

--- p.
178

This was a hugely surprising result for cognitive scientists.
This is because the academic world has long believed that attention blinking is innate and cannot be reduced by any training.
Once these findings became known to the scientific community, a team of German researchers asked whether meditation could also counteract the deterioration of attentional blink that occurs with age.
Attention blinks become more frequent with age, and the gaps between perceptions typically become longer.
The research results showed that the answer is that it is possible to offset it.

--- p.
211

People who practiced a "mindfulness-based stress reduction program" at home for more than 35 minutes every day had greater reductions in levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, proteins that cause erythema, compared to those who trained in a "wellness promotion program."
Interestingly, these results support research by Jon Kabat-Zinn and other dermatologists who have found that MBSR may help speed up the healing of psoriasis, which is exacerbated by cytokines.

--- p.
258

The stories about the 'dark night' encountered during meditation do not always end so neatly.
It can continue long after you leave the meditation center.
Because the numerous positive effects of meditation are so widely known, some people who experience dark nights may not understand or believe that they are hurting.
It happens so often that even psychotherapists are of little help.

--- p.
299

The moment an answer comes to mind, the brain immediately bursts out with gamma waves.
For a brief moment, gamma waves from each cortex vibrate simultaneously.
The gamma waves from creative insight do not typically last for a minute or so, as has been seen in practitioners.
Most of them last less than a fifth of a second.

--- p.
340

Are these altered traits added to our nature, or are they simply manifestations of aspects that have always existed? Given the current state of meditation science, it's difficult to determine which is true.
But scientific discoveries are emerging that show that aspects of it that originally existed have been revealed.

--- p.
387

We know that when we exercise intensively, we build more muscle and improve our endurance, but when we stop, we go back to our old ways, becoming short of breath and gaining extra pounds.
This applies equally to meditation, which is an inner exercise, and the changes it brings to the mind and brain.
If the brain is like a muscle that gets better with exercise, shouldn't there be a fitness program for the brain, a mental training program?

--- p.
408

Publisher's Review

★★Published in 23 countries worldwide★★
★★New York Times Bestselling Author★★
★★Special preface included in the Korean edition★★
★★Recommended by Dr. Jang Dong-seon★★

How Meditation Transforms Your Body, Mind, and Life
《Altered Traits》, co-written by Daniel Goleman, author of the global bestseller 《EQ: Emotional Intelligence》 with 5 million copies sold, and Richard Davidson, a pioneer and world-renowned scholar in the field of meditative neuroscience, has finally been published in Korea.
Even before its publication in the United States, the book had already been licensed to 23 countries, including Korea, and garnered worldwide attention. It has established itself as a classic in the fields of brain science and meditation science, to the point that a separate commentary on the book has been published.
In particular, the Korean translation was done by Director Kim Wan-du (Misan) and Associate Professor Kim Eun-mi of the KAIST Meditation Science Research Institute, who have a deep connection with the authors of this book and are conducting actual meditation research together, adding expertise and accuracy.
Also, thanks to this connection, the two authors sent a special preface to the Korean edition.

This book debunks common misconceptions and beliefs about meditation and dissects the data that has been distorted to sell mind training methods.
In particular, it is the first in the world to prove that the true effect of meditation is not a temporary state that appears only during or immediately after meditation, but a 'lasting property' that remains even after meditation ends.
It also vividly portrays the behind-the-scenes stories of how modern, redesigned meditation programs like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Cognitive-Based Compassion Training (CBCT) were born, as well as special encounters with world-renowned spiritual masters like the Dalai Lama, Seung Sahn Sunim, Goenka, Ram Dass, Mathieu Ricard, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and Mingyur Rinpoche, and rare examples of joint research.

“At that time, Ram Dass was traveling across the United States, telling the fascinating story of how he transformed himself from Harvard professor Richard Alpert to Ram Dass.
It was by chance that Dan met Karoli Baba, the teacher of Ram Dass.
It was 1968, Harvard was on vacation, and Dan ran into Ram Dass, who had just returned from India with Neem Karoli.
And that chance encounter became the catalyst for Dan to pursue a trip to India.” _p.
44

It is also fascinating to look into the story of the two authors' meeting, friendship, and joint research, which began at Harvard University graduate school in the 1970s.
Graduate student Goleman drove a crimson Volkswagen van with an "altar" mounted on the dashboard, and Davidson's free-spirited style even earned him the rebuke of a professor who said, "You can tell if someone is schizophrenic by the way they dress!"
The two were told countless times that continuing to research meditation would ruin their academic careers.
Even in this atmosphere, they saw tremendous potential in meditation and developed a hypothesis.
And after 50 years, I finally published the book I had hoped to write together someday.

“After much deliberation about how to reconcile the map of meditation we have created through experience with the scant scientific evidence, we have developed a hypothesis.

'If you practice meditation consistently, a state of positive transformation becomes a daily routine.'
'Positive transformation' refers to the ongoing transformation that continues after meditation practice.
“If you practice meditation consistently, positive transformations will occur and the results of the transformation will appear in your daily life.” _p.
83

This book consists of a total of 14 chapters.
Chapters 1 through 3 cover the process by which the two authors encountered meditation and made it a subject of scientific inquiry.
Chapters 4 through 12 examine the practical effectiveness of meditation, which has been widely known, in improving attention, memory, empathy, and resilience, as well as in managing stress and alleviating pain.
Chapters 11 and 12 share surprising findings from the brains of some of the most advanced meditators ever studied.
Chapter 13 explains how meditation affects three levels of practitioners: beginners, long-term practitioners, and expert practitioners.
The final chapter considers what the future holds for meditation science and how these discoveries might benefit us as individuals and society as a whole.

The effects of meditation, unearthed through the lens of precise and cool-headed science.
Richard Davidson's research team at the University of Wisconsin is thoroughly examining the 'effects of meditation' that have not been scientifically proven or have insufficient evidence.
The results are as follows.

① Meditation reduces stress reactivity and improves resilience.
For example, 30 hours of MBSR training decreased activity in the amygdala (which is activated by stress), while long-term meditation practice increased connectivity between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex (which controls amygdala activity).

② Meditation increases compassion and leads to compassionate action.
Just eight hours of compassion meditation increased "empathic concern," which promotes behaviors that help reduce the suffering of others.

③ Meditation is also the core of attention training.
When people with no prior meditation experience were taught mindfulness meditation and asked to practice at home for 10 minutes every day, their attention and memory improved significantly.

“It was a hugely surprising result for cognitive scientists.
This is because I believed that 'attention blinking' was innate and would not be reduced by any training.
(…) It is common for attention blinks to become more frequent with age, resulting in longer gaps between perceptions.
The research results showed that the answer is that it is possible to offset it.
“Meditation practitioners who regularly practiced ‘open attention’ did not experience the same decline in attentional blink as the general population with age, and even performed better in the experiment than other groups, which were predominantly younger.” _p.
211

④ Meditation reduces attachment to the ego.
Even when we are doing nothing, our brains are busy, and at this time, all mental activities are focused on 'me'.
That is, you start to have thoughts that are anxiety-inducing or tormenting.
Meditation suppresses these areas of the brain, reducing excessive self-obsession.

⑤ Meditation promotes physical health. MBSR has shown positive effects on inflammatory diseases by reducing levels of cytokines, pro-inflammatory proteins, and cortisol, a stress hormone. Furthermore, meditators showed increased activity and increased levels of telomerase, an enzyme that slows the aging process.

⑥ Meditation is also effective in alleviating mental illness.
A meta-analysis of 47 studies found that meditation was effective in treating depression, anxiety disorders, and trauma (especially PTSD).

“Interestingly, long-term meditators showed the same reduced connectivity with default mode circuits that occurs during mindfulness practice, even while simply resting before being tested.
This can be seen as evidence of intentional mindfulness practice not only during meditation but also in everyday life.
This same finding of reduced connectivity compared to non-meditators was also found in a study conducted by Israeli brain researchers on long-term mindfulness meditators with an average of 9,000 hours of practice experience.” _p.
239

Amazing Properties of the Brains of Experienced Meditators
Davidson received a research assignment from the Dalai Lama to 'remove the religious color of meditation and scientifically verify its effects', and decided to study the neurological effects of high-level meditation.
The research team recruited 21 experienced practitioners, including Mingyur Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist monk known as "the happiest man on Earth."
Experiments using electroencephalography (EEG) showed that when Mingyur practiced compassion meditation, his brain's electrical activity surged, while experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) showed that Mingyur's empathy circuitry increased seven to eight times compared to when he was resting, and when high-resolution MRI was used to estimate his brain's age, it was similar to a standard brain that was about 10 years younger than his actual age.

After analyzing massive amounts of data, the research team discovered a remarkable trait common to skilled meditators.
The gamma wave oscillations that occurred within 0.2 seconds of the moment of insight were maintained routinely in the practitioners, and they experienced little anticipatory pain anxiety and very rapid recovery from pain.
Additionally, practitioners were able to focus their attention on a chosen object without any effort, and their brains and hearts became more coordinated.
Most importantly, they show brain states similar to those seen during meditation practice, even while resting.
In other words, for them, the state of meditation has become a 'mutated characteristic' that is always maintained.
The effects of these meditations were an unprecedented discovery that had never been reported in academic circles before.

“The gamma wave oscillation patterns of practitioners contrast with the fact that these waves usually occur only briefly in specific neural locations.
In experienced meditators, gamma wave levels throughout the brain were dramatically increased, regardless of any specific mental activity.
Years of meditation practice appear to have imprinted lasting changes in the brain, resulting in neural resonance.
“The true treasure called ‘mutated characteristics’ has been hidden in the data until now.” _p.
342

So how can we reach this level? Meditation has two distinct paths: the "Deep Path," a focused practice aimed at complete self-transformation, and the "Broad Path," a practical, redesigned approach to mindfulness that's accessible to a wider audience.
The two authors say that these two paths must be properly balanced.
He says it requires a balanced practice that includes important elements such as intense, focused practice led by a meditation instructor, letting go of ego obsession, and a broader perspective on the world.
Additionally, because the mental qualities cultivated in each meditation method are different, it is emphasized that one should practice various meditation methods such as mindfulness meditation, compassion meditation, and loving-kindness meditation.

The ultimate way to boost your EQ: meditation
Since 《Emotional Intelligence》 became a global sensation, many scholars have tried various methods to improve EQ, but have not found a satisfactory method.
After extensive research, the two authors finally discovered a scientific way to improve EQ.
It was 'meditation'.
Meditation creates a brain state that is distinctly different from the so-called "default mode" that is activated when we are mindful.
Based on the various research findings detailed in this book, Daniel Goleman is currently actively using meditation in programs to increase EQ.

“Meditation is the core of emotional intelligence.
We need to integrate emotional intelligence and meditation.
“I hope you start by practicing meditation for 5 or 10 minutes a day, and build up your meditation experience.” - From an interview with Diane Hamilton

Applying scientific standards to meditation is not as easy as it sounds.
Because it requires appropriate scientific means and knowledge.
In other words, it is possible only if you have sophisticated knowledge about both meditation and science.
Fortunately, the authors have been practicing meditation and studying the science for decades, and they have tried to maintain balance.
They even knew that their conclusions had to be persuasive even to skeptics and those who were resistant to meditation.
So their research begins with the fact that there are various methodological obstacles to scientifically studying meditation, which has led to many flawed research papers published to date.
The authors applied rigorous criteria to select about 60 papers from over 6,000 published studies on meditation, and verified them through long-term follow-up studies and rigorous replication experiments using active control groups and state-of-the-art equipment.
This book, which contains this unprecedented research process and results, presents an exemplary framework and guidelines not only for meditation but also for scientific research methodology, becoming an official opportunity for meditation to actively communicate with science, and further providing a concrete foundation for seeking more sustainable human well-being.

GOODS SPECIFICS

- Date of issue: May 1, 2022

- Page count, weight, size: 464 pages | 950g | 150*215*30mm

- ISBN13: 9788934943600

- ISBN10: 8934943602