Only a question: can some kind of meditation improve intelligence?

Ms. Begley overlooked one of the more interesting facets of compassion meditation; she might have been unaware of it.

If some lasting positive neurological effect of generating an intense feeling of love for all beings during meditation is demonstrable in Dr. Davidson and in the Dalai Lama, then it means that one's actual daily behavior is of little consequence.

In other words: as long as you generate these feelings of love for all beings during meditation, you might receive some benefit no matter how you behave otherwise.

This is likely because the Dalai lama has a penchant for exotic meats and dishes such as squab, veal, and pate. Dr. Davidson is well known among animal rightists for his studies on fear in monkeys who have had parts of their brains believed to be associated with emotion damaged by the injection of ibotenic acid. These monkeys are then frightened in various ways.

What is interesting is that hours of generating feelings of love for all beings has such little effect on one's daily behavior. It this sense, one can reap the apparent health benefits of being loving to all beings while, at the same time, grind them under one's heal.

I once watched a TV programme titled "Weekend Japanology". In the programmme, a professor of medical department of Toho University in Japan (I forgot his name, but but he was an expert in the field of mental disorder)  said that he found Zen meditation, with its special breathing, increases the amount of serotonin in the brain.

I would not be surprised if other types of meditation had similar influence, including effects on neurotransmitters.

In my opinion, the theory of Meditation influnced a lot in China.

From historical views, it worked in the hearts and minds of common people not only the Buddhism but also the Dao. The belief existed in our minds is the point which related to the sacred spirits. A great number of temples located in China every where especially in Beijing. It is obvious to come to the conclusion that: most of the persons, who are believer or not, showed the biggest piety in front of each Buddha. So, we put a lot of emphasis on the mental function comparing with other behaviours.

I think the question can be divided into two part, which is the two important theories in the world, materialism and mentalism. What the surgeon talked about in this passage is about the materialism, but the Dalai standed on the opposite. It cannot be denied that the practical influence given by mentalism, eventhough it is banned to some degree here in China. The Maxism is the leading "religion". So this question seemed much more simple from this division.

Actually, Dalai's theory just means that the reaction from mental to the real material: Brain. Bisides, expand the effect.

So as a neutral, I prefer the mutual actions much more to any one side opinion including the materialism and mentalism. This is objective and  impersonal.

there is also a company called Centerpointe that sells meditation CD's called Holosync that

promises and has scientific proof of the same phenomenon.  I have only been using for 6 months and have found a clarity and peace that I never achieved through regular meditation before.  The literature states that new neural pathways are created when you listen.  I listen for an hour per day and the results have been incredible, so I guess the Dalai Lama knows his stuff.

JEN

Hello Sharon, what a great article. Will link to it later today.

Now, aren't there good short-term MBSR studies that show the impact of meditation on cognitive function and physiological measures also in novices (or "Wisconsinites")? true, not a direct measure of brain structure change, but enough to suggest causality.

Pain clinics and ins companies say it works so they pay! cro-man used 1/3 of his brain we use 1/3 of our brain and we say we know it all??? Yes you can alter mental actions by meditation it's called another part of the brain we don't use, and say we understand why what worked, does not? Closed minded is the norm, so an open mind that works is not a possibility, in the eyes of science.

There is also a really interesting conversation between Richard Davidson and Daniel Goleman (author of Emotional Intelligence) on Neuroplasticity with free samples available to be listened to at morethansound.net .

Maybe John Lennon was right - all you need is love, love is all you need.

Imagine!