A recent report from the University of Oregon disclosed new research (to be published shortly) that just 11 hours of learning the meditation technique IBMT, 'induces positive structural changes in the brain connectivity by boosting efficiency in a part of the brain that helps a person regulate behavior in accordance with their goals'. The meditation technique that was being researched is known as IBMT or Integrative Body-Mind Training which is adapted from Chinese medicine and which has now been taught to undergraduates involved in research on the method at the University.
The availability of ground breaking scientific tools - in this case a magnetic resonance diffusion tensor - allowed researchers to examine fibres connecting brain regions before and after training. The strongest changes occurred in the part of the brain that regulates emotions and behaviour, and these changes only showed up in those who practiced the meditation. What is truly amazing .. is that the start of changes in connectivity occurred within six hours of training and clear changes showed up by eleven hours of practice.
Earlier studies in 2007 and 2009 found that doing IBMT found that following five days of IBMT practice, students had lower levels of stress hormone cortisol, lower levels of anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue. That subjects in China had increased blood flow in the right anterior cingulate cortex, as well as lower heart rates.
IBMT is relatively unknown outside of China. The article from the University of Oregon described the practice 'avoids struggles to control thought, relying instead on a state of restful alertness, allowing for a high degree of body-mind awareness while receiving instructions from a coach, who provides breath adjustment guidance and mental imagery and other techniques while soothing music playing in the background' (.. sounds like a bit of everything in there ...)
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