Discover the science behind happiness | Buddhist monk | Left prefrontal cortex | brain

With 256 electrodes on his shaved head, French Buddhist monk Mathieu Ricard, author of Happiness: The Practice of Well-Being, displayed the same natural smile that always accompanies him wherever he goes. The left prefrontal cortex, an area of ​​the brain that is especially activated in people with positive thoughts, shows activity beyond any normal parameters.

As a molecular biologist, Ricard learns about findings attributed to brain MRI scans. According to science, his mental state corresponds to that of “the happiest man on the planet.”

happy brain

Years of studies have led scientists to discern with great precision that activity in the prefrontal cortex is closely related to feelings of well-being and happiness, while negative emotional states leave their mark on the right prefrontal region.

To the scientists’ surprise, the studies revealed a clear pattern in people with “happy brains.” They are not businessmen, artists, or politicians who have achieved economic, professional, or material success. They are professional monks, cultivators, and/or contemplators.

After undergoing extensive experimentation with brain scanners, a group of experienced meditators who practiced with an emphasis on compassion managed to transform the anatomy of the human brain in an amazing way. They increased levels of positive emotions, as seen in the prefrontal cortex. They also reduced right frontal lobe activity, which is associated with depression. decreased activity of the amygdala, a brain region associated with fear and anger; Increased duration and depth of concentration and tolerance.

Scientists have concluded that the empathy generated by certain types of meditation makes the brain calm, achieving a state of well-being. The happiness of the meditators consisted of a state in which there was an absence of fear and complete control over the emotions.

Likewise, most people experience what is called a state of flow during certain phases of physical exercise or intellectual production, a feeling of bliss that arouses the mind when fully immersed in what one is doing.

According to dr. Daniel Goleman, known worldwide for his work in the field of psychology, flow state is an automatic feeling of happiness and pleasant surprise.

In line with Goleman’s interpretation, people become so immersed in the state of flow that their attention and awareness become identical to their actions.

Contrary to what neurologists have thought for some time, when the focused mind is engaged in a task, as in the flow state, the brain produces less activity, and appears to have less of the “neural noise” observed when the mind is thinking. The condition is similar to that developed by those who meditate frequently, but it is more transient.

Thus, happiness, according to scientific discoveries, is a state that cannot be attained by material means. On the contrary, it is the result of emotional balance and contemplation of the universe. It is associated more with altruism than with egoism, with the spiritual over the material.

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