Harvard Scientist, Sara Lazar, PH.D., on the Positive Effects of Meditation

One of the first researchers to report the effects of meditation on brain structure was Harvard neuroscientist Sara Lazar, a researcher in the psychiatry department at Mass. General Hospital.

She found that meditation practice increases grey matter at the cortex —the outermost surface of the brain. This area is linked with functions like planning, decision making, judgment, and facilitating socially appropriate behavior.

The prefrontal cortex allows us to hold two concepts or experiences in mind simultaneously so that we can compare and evaluate plans, ideas, and memories. It also helps us to link memory with sensory input so we can connect what we have learned from the past with what is happening in the present moment.

Sara W. Lazar, PhD is an Associate Researcher in the Psychiatry Department at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School. The focus of her research is to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of yoga and meditation, both in clinical settings and in healthy individuals. She is a contributing author to Meditation and Psychotherapy (Guilford Press). She has been practicing yoga and mindfulness meditation since 1994. Her research has been covered by numerous news outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, and WebMD, and her work has been featured in a display at the Boston Museum of Science.