八周的冥想练习可以让你大脑结构改变

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哈佛大学在2011年的研究就已经发现，八周的冥想练习（mindfulness practice) 可以让练习者的大脑皮层里的灰色物质层变厚，大脑结构发生实质性的改变。

换句话说，八周可以让你收获一个更好的更清新的大脑，这种变化与外在的情绪压力缓解有关。

在人的大脑皮层中有一个区域与人的记忆、自我意识、共情能力和压力管理有关。在2011年1月30日公布的一项研究中，美国麻省总医院的一个研究团队，通过大脑核磁共振成像技术追踪研究参与者大脑皮层结构在参与八周冥想练习过程中的变化，发现参与者大脑皮层的灰质皮层变厚。

In a study that will appear in the Jan. 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)

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尽管都知道练习冥想可以给人带来心理上的宁静和身体的放松；练习者还宣称每天30分钟的冥想可以为他们带来一整天认知和心理的收益。

（study senior author Sara Lazar of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program and a Harvard Medical School instructor in psychology. ）

在先前的研究中已经发现，有经验的冥想练习者和那些没有冥想练习历史的人相比较，可以发现关于注意力和情绪调节的大脑皮层灰色结构明显变厚。但是，这些研究不能确定这种变厚的不同哪些是有冥想练习造成的。

在这项研究中，通过对16个参与者在参与冥想训练两周前和训练八周后的大脑结构在核磁共振成像技术测量的对比变化，并且和对比组进行比较。

For the current study, magnetic resonance (MR) images were taken of the brain structure of 16 study participants two weeks before and after they took part in the eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness. In addition to weekly meetings that included practice of mindfulness meditation — which focuses on nonjudgmental awareness of sensations, feelings, and state of mind — participants received audio recordings for guided meditation practice and were asked to keep track of how much time they practiced each day. A set of MR brain images was also taken of a control group of nonmeditators over a similar time interval.

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冥想练习者每天进行27分钟左右的训练，每天进行的注意力调查问卷也显示比之前有了显著提高。

通过分析参与者大脑核磁共振成像，主要集中在先前研究提到的大脑结构变化的区域，发现大脑皮层海马体hippocampus密度增加。这个区域，对于人的学习和记忆能力非常重要，同时对于人的自我意识、慈悲心和自我反省能力有关。

The analysis of MR images, which focused on areas where meditation-associated differences were seen in earlier studies, found increased gray-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection.

冥想练习参与者宣称的压力减轻，也在实验中测量到大脑杏仁体amygdala灰色物质密度的减少，这个区域在人的情绪关于焦虑和压力的大小扮演重要作用。

尽管没有观察到脑岛insula的变化，这个区域也涉及到自我觉醒意识。研究人员认为，可能是进行冥想练习的时间尚短不足以发生变化，也许随着时间延长会可能发生变化。

Participant-reported reductions in stress also were correlated with decreased gray-matter density in the amygdala, which is known to play an important role in anxiety and stress. Although no change was seen in a self-awareness-associated structure called the insula, which had been identified in earlier studies, the authors suggest that longer-term meditation practice might be needed to produce changes in that area. None of these changes were seen in the control group, indicating that they had not resulted merely from the passage of time.

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通过八周冥想训练，就可以观察到大脑的可塑性变化。因此，我们可以在通过主动积极进行有意识的冥想练习，来改善大脑功能从而增加生活质量和幸福感。

看来，要先制定一个每天半小时的冥想养成方案，从今天开始实施。先定一个小目标，坚持两个月吧！