Hasu White Paper
Modern Science and Meditation: Ancient Solutions to Contemporary Problems
The extensive advantages of mindfulness training have been described in ancient traditions for thousands of years, and are now increasingly acknowledged and evaluated in psychology, neuroscience, and medical research.12–14 The widespread use of personal technology and digital communications systems (e.g. smartphones) have profoundly altered human cognition, behaviors, and lifestyles during the past century.15,16 Ironically, the mass adoption of such technology has highlighted the need for new self-care methods to cope with the adverse effects of contemporary society.17,18 Similar to how modern medicine has revisited the indigenous origins of natural health solutions19 – and integrated these traditional remedies into pharmaceutical applications20 – modern therapeutic discussions are increasingly paying homage to traditional Buddhist perspectives of pain and suffering to alleviate modern ailments such as anxiety, depression, and burnout.21,22
In this white paper, we discuss the ancient roots of mindfulness, including how its powerful benefits have been validated in recent scientific research.
The Roots of Mindfulness: Buddhism’s Ancient Solution to Suffering
The practice of mindfulness is not new, and has spiritual roots. Humans have always sought to uncover the root causes of their pain.6 As a concept, mindfulness can be traced back to ancient Buddhist manuscripts dating back over 2,500 years.7 The Pali word, sati – which denotes alertness, awareness, and contemplation – is translated as “mindfulness” in contemporary adaptations of these texts. (Pali was the original language for recording the Buddha's teachings.)8
While not monolithic, a central tenet of Buddhist philosophy focuses on comprehending the nature of the self and suffering.9,10 It holds that there is no stable, permanent self – that suffering permeates all existence, and is primarily brought on by one's desires, anger, and perceptions about what is felt and seen. Buddha believed that sustaining these attachments is what leads to persistent unhappiness and inner turmoil. Mindfulness is considered a key method for minimizing such egotistical attachments, and developing awareness of the underpinnings of one’s struggles.
The practice of meditation is the foundation for cultivating mindfulness. In the Buddhist tradition, intensive and daily meditation training leads to long-lasting changes in your affective and cognitive states, facilitating the reduction and ultimate alleviation of suffering.11 Initially, meditation trains you to spend a brief amount of time being mindful in the present moment. On the other hand, daily meditation teaches your mind to be cognizant of its thought processes at all times, and recognize feeling as an ever-evolving, moment-to-moment process rather than a fixed way of being. Over time, you learn to immerse yourself fully in each present moment, and hone the capacity to integrate mindfulness into daily life. By embracing the transient nature of living – an “analytical nothingness” in response to all sensations – being mindful can liberate you from any negative attachments you suffer from having. As a result, you feel empowered to experience life, unburdened, in every present moment.
Mindfulness: Practice Without Religion
In the last several decades, mindfulness practice has spread from its Buddhist spiritual roots to Western medicinal contexts. Mindfulness-based therapies have been developed for contemporary wellness challenges — such as stress, burnout, and lack of concentration. In these modern, evidence-based interventions, meditation is honed as an art: of paying attention to the moment as it unfolds, with simultaneous focus and openness.1,2 It’s also characterized by practitioners as the state of being completely immersed in whatever you’re doing, at any particular time – experiencing each moment free of distraction, in its natural context, and with a readiness to accept reality as it is.3,4
Critically, meditation training involves letting go of previous regrets as well as concerns about what the future may hold. It's also about being conscious of your emotions and thoughts, resisting getting trapped in them or acting on the basis of preconceived notions. In this contemporary take on mindfulness, meditation is conceptualized with these cognitive, psychological, and habitual elements, to offer clear strategies for self-improvement, calm, and happiness in everyday life.
Meditation doesn't make stressful situations or more serious problems, such as depression, go away. But it does give you more control over how you respond in the present moment, and increases your chances of behaving in a balanced and compassionate manner when coping with challenges. While practicing this mindfulness tool doesn’t prevent you from feeling negative emotions per se, it empowers you to be more deliberate about your reactions to your day-to-day experiences. With consistent cultivation, meditation is significantly likely to enhance your general wellbeing and overall quality of life.
Tuning Into Your Senses During Meditation
Tuning into your senses is a key component of authentic mindfulness practice, and research has identified the capacity to detect and perceive sensations, both inside and outside the body – such as tastes, odors, and visual elements – as the most prominent sign of mindfulness mastery. This is because meditation precisely directs your attention away from irrelevant mental chatter and environmental stimuli, and focuses your brain on the present immediacy of your senses.
It’s crucial to select an apt sensory activity to accompany your meditations. Being intentional about tuning into your senses will help you better attain the focus necessary for present moment awareness. Finding calming activities for filtering out distractions is essential. A fading bell is much calmer than rock music, just like how a slow yoga pose is more focused than running wild. Similarly, paying attention to a slow sensation in your mouth can help cultivate calm. Your mouth is an organ where several sensations intersect, including taste, touch, and temperature.48
Science Behind Meditation: What Is It Doing To Your Body, and Hormones?
The experience of meditation involves directing your attention in a specific way. For example, this may involve paying attention to mouthfeel, i.e. the multi-sensations in your mouth, during meditation. When this is done deliberately over time, the structure and function of your brain improves.23 One recent study found that after eight weeks of mindfulness training, participants’ brain activity changed — specifically in a way that they could better discern between the present moment and their narrative chatter.24 This has significant implications for behavior — as distinguishing between these different states is key to disentangling the mind from ruminative ideas, recurrent toxic emotions, and impulsive and addictive behaviors.25,26 Similarly, studies have observed individuals who practice meditation to exhibit notable gains in attentional regulation – including improved focus – over time.27
Other cognitive components that are improved with mindfulness practice include autobiographical and short-term memory, cognitive flexibility, and meta-awareness (e.g. self-awareness)28 – all crucial functions for maintaining awareness of harmful thoughts and behaviors, and building healthy ways of thinking and reacting to experiences.29 These studies provide strong evidence that regular meditation training creates new, healthy neural connections among areas of the brain that promote positive habits.30 They show how mindfulness is an evidence-based tool for creating long-lasting positive changes in quality of life.
Meditation is also effective in treating stress-related health issues, such as anxiety and depression.31 Meditation relaxes the body and mind, preventing the body from needing to release stress hormones.32 One review observed that practicing meditation has effects that are comparable to those of taking antidepressants.31 Others have also consistently observed positive, physiological effects of meditation, such as decreased cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure.33 These reductions in stress also improve the negative effects of other medical problems. For example, a review of studies in 2017 reported that weight reduction protocols incorporating meditation – in addition to healthy food and exercise – were more successful at helping study participants lose weight and keep it off in the long run.34 Meditation has also been found to improve quality of sleep and reduce daytime sleepiness,35,36 both of which are often linked to stress and other chronic health issues.
All of these benefits extend beyond personal wellbeing, and in addition to increased adoption in clinical practice, meditation has been successfully incorporated into workplace wellness programs. Mindfulness-based activities are cost-effective for companies to organize, and facilitate both employee wellbeing and productivity.37 Employee burnout, stress, and exhaustion have all been extensively studied in peer-reviewed literature over the years, and employee well-being has a significant impact on both job outcomes as well as general quality of life.38,39 Employees who practice meditations via workplace mindfulness programmes have reported lower work-related stress, alongside increased motivation and resilience in the workplace.40,41 Additionally, mindfulness interventions can strengthen group cohesion and promote team cooperation, by encouraging a sense of connectedness and openness among employees through more intentional collaboration.42
Outside of workplace adaptations, school-based mindfulness programmes for both teachers and students have seen enhanced teaching self-efficacy and classroom management, and improved academic outcomes and relationships with peers, respectively.43–45 Furthermore, one randomized controlled trial found that compared with standard health education, a school-based mindfulness programme produced significantly greater improvements in mood disturbances and resilience among vulnerable students.46 Taken together, these findings demonstrate the adaptability of mindfulness practices in myriad contexts, from home to the workplace and beyond.
Conclusion
One of the best parts about mindfulness is that you can practice it easily on your own, at home or while on the go. By simply tuning into your senses, you hone a key skill – present moment awareness – to carry with you in your responses to everyday activities. Since its ancient roots in Buddhist philosophy, meditation has been recognized as an evidence-based strategy for coping with modern challenges. Mindfulness practice is undoubtedly powerful wellness tool, promoted by scientists and other expert practitioners for its positive impact on wellbeing, health, productivity, and beyond.
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