Zen Meditation Increases Pain Tolerance

Zen meditation can help lower one's sensitivity to pain by increasing the grey matter thickness that regulates emotional and painful sensations, according to a new study out of the Universite de Montreal.

Researchers compared the grey matter thickness of 17 Zen meditation practitioners and 18 non-meditators. The Zen meditators that were recruited had more than 1,000 hours of practice while the non-meditators had no meditation training.

They discovered that certain parts of the meditation practitioners' cortexes, called the anterior cingulate, thickened and led to a higher pain threshold. The scientists measured pain sensitivity by applying a heated plate to the calves of the study group. They then scanned their brains using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The results showed that brain regions that regulate emotion and pain were significantly thicker in the meditators.

The meditators tolerated a maximum 53 degrees Celsius (128 degrees Fahrenheit ) from the heating plate. They also appeared to experience less pain as they slowed their breathing to 12 breaths per minute, which helped them reach a relaxed state.

The study concluded that Zen meditation, which requires great discipline and mind training, may lead to a thicker cortex and lower pain sensitivity. The research was published in the American Psychological Association journal's special issue – Emotion.

Overall, Zen practitioners experienced 18% less pain than their counterparts. In general, Zen meditation may increase levels of mindfulness, stress relief and introspection which allows for new perspectives and insights to flourish leading to a more enlightened state.