title: The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation.
abstract: Research over the past two decades broadly supports the claim that mindfulness meditation - practiced widely for the reduction of stress and promotion of health - exerts beneficial effects on physical and mental health, and cognitive performance. Recent neuroimaging studies have begun to uncover the brain areas and networks that mediate these positive effects. However, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear, and it is apparent that more methodologically rigorous studies are required if we are to gain a full understanding of the neuronal and molecular bases of the changes in the brain that accompany mindfulness meditation.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA. [2] Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA. [3].
authors.forename: Yi-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Neuroradiology, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany. [2] Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA. [3].
authors.forename: Britta K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Hölzel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA.
authors.forename: Michael I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Posner
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000379:methods*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology