The Impact of Stopping and Closing Eyes on Brain Activation States in Meditation

During meditation, the act of stopping movement and closing one's eyes leads to a profound shift in brain and neural circuit function. This shift in brain activation states occurs as a result of the practice of sitting or lying down and closing one's eyes, and it significantly affects the way the brain and other neural circuits in the body function.

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Episode notes

In this episode, I discuss the biological mechanisms of the state changes that occur during different types of meditation and describe how to develop the meditation practice optimal for you. I explain key meditation principles, such as using specific breathwork patterns and adjusting your perception to specific locations along the continuum between interoception, exteroception and dissociation. I discuss how meditation practices lead to long-term trait changes and neuroplasticity, including changing your default mood, reducing baseline anxiety/depression, increasing your ability to focus, enhancing relaxation, improving sleep, and increasing your overall happiness level. I also explain the concept behind the “third-eye center,” what mindfulness is from a biological standpoint, the power of ultra-brief meditations and how to select the best meditation and time and duration to meditate to meet your need. I also explain a novel open-eyed perception-based meditation that may enhance focus, relaxation and task-switching ability. Whether you are a novice or an experienced meditator or simply interested in how our brain controls different aspects of conscious awareness and self-regulation, this episode should interest you.

For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.