What does the brain look like when we meditate? When US scientists from the University of Pennsylvania wanted to answer this question they went to the experts — Tibetan Buddhist monks — and arranged to scan their brains mid-meditation. The results were a revelation. As they expected, the pre-frontal lobes associated with concentration lit up, revealing that getting your brain to shift into meditation gear takes concerted focus.

They were also surprised to find that the parietal lobe, which governs spatial awareness, appeared to be on mute for the duration of the meditation. In short, while you meditate, you can lose all sense of yourself for a while — which may explain why some meditators say they feel “at one with the universe”. It may also be one of the keys to the many health benefits of this ancient practice, which can be traced back more than 6000 years in the East.

Though the word “meditation” conjures mystical images of sitting cross-legged, inhaling incense and chanting om, in reality the practice has grown beyond 1960s clichés to become mainstream. Throughout the world, meditation is now practised in organisations as diverse as law firms, prisons, health retreats, operating theatres, universities and schools. In Australia, meditation is the second most common therapy prescribed by doctors, with 80 per cent of GPs recommending it to patients.

The aim of meditation differs for each person. It might be goal-oriented (eg to reduce anxiety), spiritual (eg to celebrate Buddhist philosophy), contemplative (eg to attain deeper meaning of life) or insightful (to understand yourself better).

Entering the zone

Meditation is like a delicious state of conscious sleep, where the mind focuses on the present. When you are in the present moment, your mind cannot worry about the past or be caught up in anxiety about the future. The practice of meditation involves not just concentration but an altered focus. To attain this state you either turn your attention to externals, such as objects and sounds, to bring you back fully to yourself or you go deep within to get back in touch with a sense of true self. Both approaches promote an expanding consciousness and sense of oneness with the world.

“During meditation, you are in a state of calm awareness — both relaxed and alert,” says Eric Harrison, Director of the Perth Meditation Centre and an experienced instructor who has taught more than 20,000 people to meditate. “When you meditate, the mind is not actively thinking. You are ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’,” observes Harrison, who has authored numerous books about meditation, including The Art of Awareness (Brumby Books) and The 5-Minute Meditator (Brumby Books).

The discipline and joy of meditation can be found in many different spiritual paths and practices that provide different gateways to the meditative state. Meditation is encouraged as part of all yoga practice, whether utilised while you are in a particular pose or practised at the end of a yoga session. In Buddhist meditation, the samatha technique calms the mind and fosters positivity, while vipassana, where the body is held immobile and thoughts are controlled, aims to promote greater awareness of the self. Transcendental meditation relies on the use of a specific mantra or word as a key to achieving a meditative state. In Zen meditation, the focus is on correct posture and awareness of the breath and you return to these meditation tools every time your mind becomes distracted.

In essence, all these techniques aim to bring you into the present moment with clarity and calm. Some promote silent awareness or “mental silence” — a state of being fully awake and fully aware but not experiencing any unnecessary mental activity. Other methods aim at slowing or modifying mental activity without trying to stop it.