| The Tibetan Monk ExperimentThe market today | | | | _action_. (emphasis mine).Another research, |
| is flooded with CDs that entrain the brain | | | | ignored by the media [it didn't involve |
| towards Gamma wave generation. As is well | | | | celebrities, you see :)], involves studying |
| known, Gamma waves vibrate at a frequency | | | | the very same gamma oscillations, on two |
| level of between 26Hz and 100Hz, which is | | | | epileptic patients. The subjects here were |
| like a blizzard on the terra firma of the | | | | required to identify items that were |
| brain. Usually, gamma waves are associated | | | | presented to them a while ago. [The |
| with intense mental activity, while solving | | | | capability to remember things some time after |
| problems, while handling emotions such as | | | | you see / read / hear / sense them, is known |
| fear, learning, conscious perception, and the | | | | as "working memory". Remember the time when |
| like.The motivation behind this sudden | | | | you were verbally told about three to four |
| interest in Gamma entrainment has been a | | | | totally things that were new to you and which |
| research paper published in 2004 by Dr. | | | | you were to buy from some shop? Remember the |
| Richard Davidson and his colleagues from the | | | | slight tingling in the head as you grappled |
| Wisconsin-based Waisman Center for Brain | | | | with this new information that you were |
| Imaging and Behavior, in association with Dr. | | | | presented with? That was your brain shifting |
| Matthieu Ricard of Kathmandu, Nepal-based | | | | into higher gear, ensuring that it remembered |
| Sechen Monastery. The paper reported an | | | | them all. That is working memory! :) ]The |
| experiment conducted on a team of eight | | | | very same electrodes were suctioned on their |
| Buddhist practitioners, aged between | | | | scalp. The two patients showed a peak of 38Hz |
| thirty-four and sixty-four. The chief | | | | when they were presented with the items they |
| qualification of the subjects? Every one of | | | | were to remember; this peak level was |
| them had been practicing Tibetan Nyingmapa | | | | sustained throughout the period when it was |
| and Kagyupa style meditation for anywhere | | | | required to remember them, and then this |
| between fifteen and forty years. Had they | | | | level fell abruptly when the time came to |
| maintained a logbook a la air pilots, it | | | | identify that which had been retained.The |
| would have showed a huge chunk of ten to | | | | researchers concluded there is a sudden gush |
| fifty thousand hours of their life spent in | | | | of blood to very specific neurons on the |
| meditation.On the bald scalp of each of the | | | | cortex when you are trying to remember |
| subjects was attached a web of electrodes. | | | | things. This gush is associated (follows or |
| Electroencephalogram (EEG) was taken at three | | | | precedes?) with gamma wave generation. |
| stages. The initial baseline EEG was | | | | (emphasis mine).Gamma Entrainment CDs |
| collected by asking the subjects to relax and | | | | Fortified with all the information that we |
| be neutral (no specific thoughts). Next, the | | | | have collected thus far, we come to the |
| participants were asked to meditate, and | | | | crucial question. What end do we wish to |
| allow the mind to be in a state of | | | | achieve with Gamma Entrainment CDs? When we |
| "unconditional loving-kindness and | | | | listen to these CDs, what is supposed to |
| compassion". The Tibetans call this the dmigs | | | | happen to us?When the Tibetan monks meditate |
| med snying rje state of mind. The second EEG | | | | on the thought of dmigs med snying rje, their |
| was taken in this state. The final EEG was | | | | brain generates Gamma oscillations. When the |
| recorded after the meditative session was | | | | two young patients try to remember things |
| over.When the EEG machine crunched data | | | | that they know they will have to identify |
| collected from each of the electrodes for | | | | later, their brain generates Gamma |
| each subject, and assimilated them into one | | | | oscillations. When we listen to a Gamma |
| holistic sheet giving comparative and | | | | entrainment CD, will we begin to harbor |
| absolute results, jaws must have dropped in | | | | thoughts of dmigs med snying rje ourselves? |
| the EEG room. For, the results showed very | | | | Or will our meditative powers increase? Or |
| high-amplitude gamma rhythms - between 25 to | | | | will we be able to remember and retain more? |
| 42Hz - in the parieto-temporal and | | | | If A, then B. But if B, then A?The |
| mid-frontal cortex of brain of the meditators | | | | researchers themselves state very clearly (in |
| when they were in the state of meditation. | | | | both the papers I have discussed here) that |
| Their brain seemed to function as a single | | | | their work on the subject is incomplete. |
| unit, as if the neurons of almost the entire | | | | Logically speaking, therefore, isn't it |
| cortex held each others' hands, and | | | | premature for marketers to rush to the market |
| synchronized and danced at such high | | | | with these CDs? Isn't it premature for users |
| frequencies. The transition from the relaxed, | | | | to gullibly buy them, just because the labels |
| low-frequency state (pre-meditation) to this | | | | "meditation" and "Tibetan monks" are |
| high-frequency state was attained with total | | | | incidentally connected to the concept?In a |
| ease by the veteran practitioners.Conclusions | | | | few forums where people discuss their |
| From This Experiment This research clearly | | | | experience with these CDs, the general |
| linked meditation - more specifically | | | | observation that I have come away with is one |
| objectless meditation - to the incidence of | | | | of confusion. What I experienced: was it good |
| high gamma oscillations detected in the | | | | or bad? Huh?Final Word In contrast to the |
| cerebral cortex of the practitioners. Besides | | | | high haemodynamic response (blood gushing to |
| the eight monks, there was another batch of | | | | the neuron cells) that the brain gives in |
| ten young lads, still wet behind the ears in | | | | association with gamma waves, binaural beats |
| matters of meditation, which acted as a | | | | and relaxation CDs are associated with alpha |
| control group. This control group too showed | | | | (7-13Hz) and theta (4-7Hz) waves. This is the |
| increased oscillations on the cortex, but not | | | | level of brain activity when you are actually |
| as intense and abundant as that of the senior | | | | relaxing or deeply meditating. If |
| group. (The full research may be read | | | | self-development is your objective, then I |
| here.)As compared to meditation techniques | | | | would suggest going for CDs that work at |
| where the practitioner focuses on an object | | | | these frequencies.As for Gamma entrainment, |
| (such as a mantra or one's breath), in | | | | let the scientists and researchers figure out |
| objectless meditation, the focus is not on | | | | how they could be helpful to us, if at |
| one single entity but on the essence of | | | | all.Sanjay Agrawal is a Business Coach and |
| meditation itself.What this means is that | | | | self-development enthusiast. Eliminate the |
| when the meditators brought the thought of | | | | stress and anxiety from your life by |
| compassion, the dmigs med snying rje in their | | | | listening to some excellent binaural beat CDs |
| mind, it must have automatically been | | | | available here. Want to relax yourself before |
| followed by the mind preparing itself to act | | | | any big moment? Get this. The Dalai Lama has |
| on the thought - to do something, to be the | | | | written a beautiful piece on the practical |
| vehicle of bringing about compassion. As if | | | | benefits of altruism.Copyright 2006. |
| the brain was responding to a call to | | | | |