Study Reveals Meditation Techniques Can Enhance Brain Performance

In a recent study conducted by the National University of Singapore (NUS), researchers demonstrated for the first time that different types of Buddhist meditation — namely the Vajrayana and Theravada styles of mediation — have the potential to elicit qualitatively different influences on human physiology and behavior, producing arousal and relaxation responses respectively. In particular, the research team found that Vajrayana meditation, which is associated with Tibetan Buddhism, can lead to enhancements in cognitive performance. During the study, researchers collected EKG and EEG responses to four different types of meditation while measuring behavioral performance on cognitive tasks. They observed that physiological responses during the Theravada mediation differed significantly from those during the Vajrayana meditation, with Theravada producing enhanced relaxation (parasympathetic activation) and Vajrayana not showing any relaxation effect, but instead showing enhanced activation of the sympathetic system. The researchers also observed an immediate, dramatic increase in performance on cognitive tasks following only Vajrayana styles of mediation. The results of the study show the Vajrayana and Theravada meditation styles are based on different neurophysiological mechanisms. To read more about this study, click here.