Effectiveness

Because of the variety, the effectiveness of meditation is difficult to assess. Moreover, their effects are strongly dependent on the duration of the meditation practice. Years of meditation experience has different effects than a six-week practice. Other factors that are effective in long-standing meditation, such as the mental attitude and the associated lifestyle changes that complicate an accurate assessment of the effectiveness of meditation.


Clues to the effectiveness, physiological changes in the meditators, can not be observed during meditation. Shall be reduced as the oxygen consumption during meditation the meditator to about half. Heart rate and blood pressure decrease and muscle tension decreases. The concentration of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol is low. Also, the cholesterol content of blood decreases.

In addition, meditation obviously affect the neurotransmitters in the brain. When meditators with many years of practical working of the brain halves together better, which should improve thinking skills and emotional stability. Measurements of brain power curves using an electroencephalogram (EEG) suggest that the meditator is in a relaxed and quiet, yet awake.