For many people, mindfulness is a beneficial practice. The APA mentions benefits such as reduced stress, better focus, and improved memory. More people are turning to mindfulness to improve their lives in these particular ways. But is it possible to take it too far? New studies reveal startling results–and raise useful questions about better mindfulness approaches.
A Brief Overview of Mindfulness
There are many ways to define mindfulness. Mindful’s website offers one useful definition: the ability to be fully present. Most people know the first half of the equation–awareness of where we are and what we’re doing. But it also includes lessening emotional overactivity or feeling overwhelmed.
People can associate mindfulness with Eastern religions and philosophies, especially Buddhism. Yet you’ll find different versions of mindfulness in many faiths. The Huffington Post’s Sarah Rudell Beach mentions contemplative Catholic, Jewish, and Sufi practices. Some may perceive mindfulness as an esoteric or onerous thing to learn. But Mindful suggests that we’re already capable of it. The key is learning to intentionally access this ability.
How Mindfulness Works
From everyday stressors to serious conditions like PTSD, people are turning to mindfulness for help. How does it deliver its benefits? Researchers are still trying to answer this question, but they’ve uncovered some clues. The key may lie in how mindfulness impacts our brains.
A 2018 study mentioned by the Harvard Gazette revealed that meditation can create changes in the amygdala. Why is this vital? Because that area of the brain controls our threat detection and fight-or-flight responses. Overactive amygdalae in PTSD-affected brains produce an unconscious need to scan for threats. Increased amygdala activity also produces rumination and overactive emotional responses. Both can worsen depression and anxiety.
Positive amygdala changes can help turn the dial down on these problems. Dr. Meera Joshi explains that mindfulness can shrink its gray matter, thus calming its activity. It can also thicken the hippocampus, which deals with memory and learning. Finally, you may end up with more gray matter in your prefrontal cortex. This can help strengthen functions like emotional control and problem solving.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Mindfulness sounds incredible, right? But as with many beneficial practices, too much of a good thing can harm you. Science journalist David Robson mentions a 2019 study revealing some negative effects. Around 25% of study participants reported problems like panic attacks, depression, and dissociation.
How can we reconcile these negative effects with others’ positive experiences? Robson points out that not all mindfulness practices and impacts are the same. Some turn to breathing exercises. There’s also “body scanning,” in which practitioners pay extra attention to their bodies. Like a medical scan, their awareness moves from head to toe while they observe physical sensations. And there’s a variety of meditation techniques.
These and other practices can help ground people in the present moment. Yet while you may more actively notice your emotions, Robson cautions that this can make them seem “louder.” Meditation also increases prefrontal cortex activity. Yet too much activity can reduce emotional feeling, which can register as numbness. It can also produce dissociation–a sense of disconnection from oneself.
Balanced and Moderate Approaches
Meditation and mindfulness can change the brain in significant ways. For some, it has similar effects to attention-enhancing substances like caffeine and Ritalin. That’s why more studies on mindfulness and brain impacts may reveal helpful insights. This includes looking at short- and long-term effects, Robson adds.
As with any other healthy habit, moderation is also key. Like our bodies, our minds shift and change over time. This plasticity may call for changing up our routines and trying new ways of being mindful. And with so many traditions to choose from, it’s worth further exploration until you find something that works for you.