Science on meditation is new. Though there are already volumes of research on meditation available, the long term outcomes of meditation still have yet to be thoroughly documented. A few things have been made relatively concrete. Meditation does reduce stress. In fact, meditation reverses stress by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Even on a molecular level, meditation has been proven to reverse the effects of stress on cells. However, meditation, despite all of its benefits, is not a cure for anything. An immensely effective practice, meditation can’t change who someone is, cure diseases, or prevent disorders- entirely. New research has found that meditation can have long lasting effects of cognitive enhancements. Among the many benefits of meditation, the practice can improve the brain’s cognitive functions. For those in recovery from trauma, including many of the side effects of trauma like addiction or alcoholism, improving cognitive function is key for a healthy recovery.
The University of California, Davis published their findings in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement. Researchers taking part in the study had already discovered that meditation has immediate benefits and even short term benefits by following up with participants at six and eighteen months. The published study reevaluated some of the participants at seven years.
Specifically, the researchers wanted to see if meditation had an effect on reducing or slowing cognitive decline in these now aging researchers. “Since cognitive decline, both in terms of memory and executive function, becomes more problematic as we age,” writes Big Think, “the team wanted to know if meditation can help stave off such cognitive troubles.”
The effects of trauma, along with symptoms of trauma like addictions and mental health issues, can contribute to more rapid cognitive decline. Cognitive decline is frustrating for those who are in recovery and undergo therapy, treatment, and lifestyle changes to “heal” their brains and improve their lives. Memory, executive functioning, and other necessary brain functions disappear. Once more, the life of someone in recovery feels like it is completely out of their control.
“After the results of this study came in, the team was confident that…meditation helps keep cognition humming along,” explains the article. Furthermore, the amount one meditates can dictate the long term effects. Some studies have suggested that practitioners need no more than just five minutes of meditation a day to receive the practice’s many benefits. However, these researchers found that “the more time people put into meditation, the clearer the gains.” Participants who meditated for an hour a day “showed no signs of cognitive decline”. Regular practice didn’t leave to short term improvements. Ongoing meditation practices did benefit practitioners in the long run with attention and other abilities.
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