The Default Mode Network of the Brain Underlies Mind Wandering By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “the brain appears to support mind wandering by disrupting some of the brain processes that are involved in responding to our surrounding external environment.” – Julia Kam We spend a tremendous amount of waking time with […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Structural and Functional Changes in the Brain Produced by Meditation Training By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress start to appear in subjects who practice mindfulness meditation for only eight weeks.” – Deepak Chopra There has accumulated a large […]
Mindfulness is Associated with Improved Functional Connectivity in the Brain By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness meditation training increases resting state connectivity between top-down executive control regions, highlighting an important mechanism through which it reduces stress levels.” – Daniel Reed The nervous system is a dynamic entity, constantly changing and adapting […]