Neurofeedback in Novice Meditators Can Alter Brain Activity like that Observed in Expert Meditators By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Modern researchers and practitioners are finding a possible new solution to these challenges by using EEG biofeedback to increase awareness of subtle states of consciousness and speed the learning process.” – Jeff Tarrant […]
Improve Brain Systems Underlying Sustained Attention in Sixth Graders with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “research suggests that mindfulness meditation can increase awareness of our thoughts, or meta-cognitive awareness, as well as regulate emotion, enhance attention and reduce stress. These changes can also be detected in the brain.” – B. Grace Bullock Childhood is […]
Mind Wandering is Associated with Poorer Mental Health and Greater Creative Thinking By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mind-wandering in the sense of the mind moving freely from one idea to another has huge benefits in terms of arriving at new ideas. It’s by virtue of free movement that we generate new ideas, […]
Change the Brain with Mindfulness Apps By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Rather than treating the usage of smartphones and mindfulness as oxymorons, we should consider ways to use our smartphones as a tool to aid our mindfulness practices.” – Courtney Ackerman Mindfulness training has been shown through extensive research to be effective […]
Improve Physiological Symptoms Related to Anxiety in Remitted Depression with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Through mindfulness, individuals start to see their thoughts as less powerful. These distorted thoughts – such as “I always make mistakes” or “I’m a horrible person” – start to hold less weight. . . We ‘experience’ […]
Content Free Awareness is Associated with Increased Brain Attentional Activity and Decreased Self-Awareness Activity By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “While scientists do not yet fully understand the true origin of consciousness, many agree that it can be measured within the brainwave patterns of the individual.” – EOC Institute In meditation there […]
Focused Meditation Changes Clustering of Brain Systems By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “meditation . . . appears to have an amazing variety of neurological benefits – from changes in grey matter volume to reduced activity in the “me” centers of the brain to enhanced connectivity between brain regions.” – Alice G. Walton […]
Yoga Practice Changes and Protects the Brain from Aging By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “We can talk about anxiety, depression and blood pressure lowering in yoga, all of those are proven. But the biggest thing we see that results from yoga is that your quality of life will change for the better,” […]
Reconfigure the Brain for Improved Executive Function with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “So, what’s the best way to build a better brain? Backed by 1000’s of studies, meditation is the neuroscientific community’s most proven way to upgrade the human brain.” – EOC Institute The nervous system is a dynamic […]
Improve Brain Processing of Awareness and Emotions with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Evidence suggests that particular areas of the brain may either shrink or grow in response to regular mindfulness practice.” – Meera Joshi There has accumulated a large amount of research demonstrating that meditation practice has significant benefits for psychological, physical, […]