Whenever we watch buddhist themed movies, the character of the monk is never left out. They were portrayed as fun loving, calm and simple people. Their smile catapults us into happiness and relaxation. Moreover, there is always a scene of them reaching for zen while meditating. Could this be the reason for their happiness?

Scientists from the Harvard and the University of Wisconsin (UW) in Madison has been long studying the brains of monks and other people practicing meditation. Their MRI images reveal that the meditative mind is physically different than a mind in normal state. Harvard University’s Sara Lazar said:

Scientifically,”Brain regions associated with attention, interoception and sensory processing were thicker in meditation participants than matched controls, including the prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula.”

It may be a little hard to understand but Dr. Richard Davidson of UW provided a simpler, practical explanation.

“…by meditating, you can become happier, you can concentrate more effectively and you can change your brain in ways that support that.”

So far, there has been no information whether or not meditation causes happiness. Even the Dalai Lama, the 68-year old Nobel Prize Winner and leader of Tibetan buddhist worldwide wanted to know the answer. He hopes that the researchers can prove scientifically if meditation has medical and emotional benefits in order to impart to other people their way of relieving suffering and finding happiness.

(Read CBC, image courtesy of cambodia4kidsorg)