The brain shows more signs of relaxation during meditation than during ordinary rest. Nondirective meditation has a greater impact than does concentrative meditation, especially in parts of the cortex associated with the processing of stress, emotions, and memories.
Does it matter which parts of the brain you use when you meditate? It seems so. A recent study suggests that forms of meditation based on an open mode of attention lead to different types of brain activity than meditation based on concentration. Thus, ongoing research on brain activation may not only tell us more about what kind of mental activity meditation is, but may also reveal the distinctive elements in different meditation techniques.
When Ignasi Corrella read about Acem Meditation in the big Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, he (like several hundred others) went ahead and learnt the technique. Then he asked a local yoga teacher who writes for the paper what he thought.
Meditation is a means of creating an inner space, where thoughts, experiences and impressions have room to expand, and where memories, impulses and dreams can circulate. Monika Wirkkala discusses how to navigate the stream of consciousness with a free mental attitude.