Neuroscience of meditation and its implications

Pages:135-137
Susan Thomas (St. Johns Research Institute, St. Johns National, Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka)
Shobini L. Rao (Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental, Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka)

Science and spirituality have been viewed as two different entities, completely different from each other. However with the advent of new technologies, cognitive neuroscientists have been trying to understand meditation and consciousness. The most prominent techniques used include neuropsychological assessment, electro encephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Research has been encouraging in terms of being able to observe brain changes using a pre-post method or observational method. Scientists and meditators should come together and have a common language to be able to define the concepts in a mutually acceptable way and have techniques that are acceptable to both groups to study meditation and consciousness.