Neural Muscles of Mindfulness
From the perspective of neuroscience, the clinical model of mindfulness is a mental fitness program empirically proven to promote neural integration and rewire neuronal connections to our advantage. In fact, mindfulness meditation is similar to weight training and substantively strengthens the neural muscles of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and its connectivity to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) that are largely responsible for metacognition also known as mindful awareness. The stronger neural muscles and enhanced connectivity in these regions mean more self-awareness and expanded capacity to observe one’s thoughts and emotional reactions with psychological space & flexibility discussed previously.
The diagram below shows an oversimplified model of dialectical brain functions. In terms of affect regulation, one could argue that we are all living on a sliding scale, from one moment to the next throughout the day, between two opposing mental dispositions characterized by the corresponding brain components, namely the cool & steady prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the excitable & vulnerable limbic system. The majority of us, who are coping with multiple life stressors (including history of trauma) are generally being pulled to the right on the dialectical scale and are often troubled by the excessive reactivity of the limbic region including the amygdala. Even a personality trait that is generally considered positive, such as cheerful readiness to respond to others’ needs, can be a cause of emotional vulnerability if the balance is tilted too far to the right. Those who are overly concerned about others’ feelings and opinions tend to sacrifice their needs and become susceptible to affect dysregulation because of undue stress.
While this is an extremely oversimplified model, the diagram above illustrates the bi-directional interaction between the PFC region and the limbic system and the dynamic nature of emotional balance. It is also useful in understanding how mindfulness practice can promote the stability of balanced affect regulation. In simple terms, mindfulness meditation helps us gain better control of directional attention by reinforcing the connectivity of the ACC to the PFC region and further ensures analytical appraisal of often exaggerated emotional signals from the limbic system by enhancing the executive functions of the PFC. In other words, it affords us to hear the voice of reason from the PFC region more clearly without getting it drowned out by the loud noise from the biologically primed alarmist, the limbic system. By training the neural muscles of the PFC and the ACC network, we can gradually gain better control of the emotional reactivity, achieve the synergistic balance of the middle way (Pali: Majjhimāpaṭipadā), and learn how to respond skillfully with the wise mind when stressful situations arise.
When we are balanced and “no longer dominated by intellect at the expense of feeling, nor driven by the emotions unchecked by reason,” it becomes much easier to learn how to be truly and consistently kind to ourselves while unlearning the habitual tendency to create pitfalls. Virtually all of us, living in this overstimulating, anxiety-inducing complex modern world, could benefit from the mental fitness program proven to strengthen the evaluative executive function of the PFC to keep emotive reactions of the limbic system in check while feeling what needs to be felt.
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